New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-31
MIXING 4 GOTEANMENT.

MAKING 4 GOFEHNMENT
The military narrative of the Revolution has
the fascination If a romance, but to the
thoughtful mind. the polite deXterlty which
marked the changes in the frame Of our civil
Government will be quite as much an object
of admiration. The Colonies had been existing
for several generations. Each under certain
form of royal rule, and with more or less pa
tience, had submitted to the sway, now mild
and then troublesome, of royal Lieutenant,
but none the less had most of them maintained
q popular legislative power, IN the exercise OF
which many men were trained in the business
of law-mabing aud became familiar with the
principles Of civil service. Far away from the
immediate power of the Crown, the colonists
had far outstipped the people of England IN
lust notions of It's constitutional prerogatiyes;
and when they found separation from the
parent State not Only desirable, but
inevitable, they bad bat to adhere to
the democratic ideas under which they
had long acted, and to alter few necessary
forms and phrases. But what surprises us
most is the exceedingly able characto" of those
who initiated and led these political changes
We find them always where they are wanted
and always equal to the Occasion-mcn like
Clinton, Jay, Duane, Morris and Livingston,
equally strong in theory and action.
The anniversary yesterday celebrated, re-
minds us of nothing more ;han of their e. eat
powers honestly exercised in behalf of the
Commonwealth. i is common to talk OF these
degenerate days though in some respects they
are greater and nobler than any days which
have departed but the vigorous ease with which
public afliirs were once handled by public men
really suggests something to wish fOT and re-
gTet. We cannot imagine a State III a more en-
barTaSSing position than that OF New \ 0rk be-
fore the adoption Of It's first Constitution. The
Declaration of independence had been pro-
mulCated and accepted, and had entirely scpa-
rated the Province from the Crown. The last
Royal Governor had fled, and there was no one to
take his place and exercise his functions. There
was in existence the Provincial Congress. bUt
its powers were unascertaincd and It's duties
underlined. The chief city of the Province wa-
in military possession Of the enemy. From thiS
point raids were made upon different parts of
the territory, which left it without resources.
It's stOro-hOuses emptied, its vessels burned,
and its st 0ng men marched a. prisoners to
New-York Everywhere the TOries-tne Cow
Boys and the "Skimers'-wcrc active and
mischieyOus. A peStllence had rayagcd alike
the people and the patriot army, and it Was
after flying from it at Fishkill that the Con-
vention had met again at Kingston. If the
affairs OF the state had not been managed by
a Comm ,ttce Of Safety, they would not have
been managed at all. The business of draft
ing Constitution had been referred 10 a COM
mttee of which Mr.. jay, that wise young man,
was Chairman. The new Constitution WIS IN
his handwriting but he was doubtless assisted
in preparing II by Morris and Livingston, and
by Duane, who reported it - the Convention.
On Sunday the 10Th Of April, 1777, it Nds
adopted, and at the first election held under
il Con. George Clinton was elected both Gov
eInor and Lieutenant Governor. He accepted
the former Office, but Lis military duties de-
tain. Inn until the 31st of July, when he
took the oath as the irrt Governor of the IN
dependent State OF Ncw-York-a place which
ne held for eighteen years.
The new document was essentially demo
cratic u began by declaration that ~ pO-
litiral power was legitimate or worthy of ODE
dience and popular respect except the power
Of the people. There were debate, abort many
other points Of the instrument, but there was
visions. it was unanimously agreed to. II was
The keynote of the document, aS il was the
inspiring thought of the hour. The Constitu-
ton was so thoroughly in accordance with the
opinion of the people, and its machinery,
legislative and judicial, was found to work
so effectively that the Kingston Con-
sutution remained the fundamental law of
the State, and almost without amendment,
until 1916 Under it political liberty and
the rights of conscience were maintained,
and slavery, which the Provincial Congress had
declined TO interfere with, disappeared. Gin
ton is frequently mentioned name in onr Rev
dictionary history, and George Clinton is
among the foremost of those who bore it then.
He was fortunate in beng permitted to renter
great and various service, while his early
career was undimmed by the prejudices and