"Art. 7, sec. 2, concerning treason, was then taken up. "_Mr. Gouverneur Morris_ was for giving to the Union an exclusive right to declare what should be treason. In case of a contest between the United States and a particular State, the people of the latter must, under the disjunctive terms of the clause, be traitors to one or other authority. "_Dr. Johnson_ contended that treason could not be both against the United States and individual States, being an offence against the sovereignty, which can be but one in the same community. "_Mr. Madison_ remarked that as the definition here was of treason against the United States, it would seem that the individual States would be left in possession of a concurrent power, so far as to define and punish treason particularly against themselves, which might involve double punishment." The words, "or any of them," were here stricken out by a vote. "_Mr. Madison_: This has not removed the difficulty. The same act might be treason against the United States, as here defined, and against a particular State, according to its laws. "_Dr. Johnson_ was still of opinion there could be no treason against a particular State. It could not, even at present, as the Confederation now stands--_the sovereignty being in the Union_; much less can it be under the proposed system. "_Colonel Mason: The United States will have a qualified sovereignty only. The individual States will retain a part of the sovereignty._ An act may be treason against a particular State, which is not so against the United States. He cited the rebellion of Bacon, in Virginia, as an illustration of the doctrine. "_Mr. King_: No line can be drawn between levying war and adhering to the enemy, against the United States, and against an individual State. Treason against the latter must be so against the former. "_Mr. Sherman_: Resistance against the laws of the United States, as distinguished from resistance against the laws of a particular State, forms the line." _Mr. Ellsworth_, afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, closed the debate in these memorable words: "The United States are sovereign on one side of the line dividing the jurisdictions; the States, on the other. _Each ought to have power to defend their respective sovereignties._"