The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-03-29
Contest over the Adoption or Our
Constitution.


Constitution of l7S7-our happy Con-
stItution- we're quite as sure that that
terrible instrument would destroy
popular liberty as Lord Shelburne
was that the British star would set
il America became independent.
"'Tis really astonishing" said Rich
ard Henry Lee, "that the same peo-
pie who have just emerged from a
long and cruel war in defense of iber-
ty should now agree to fix and elective
despotism upon themselves an their
posterity." ''5Oms of the powers
must be abridged" said Samuel
Chase, ''or public liberty will be en-
dangered, and in time destroyed"
Joshua Atherton congratulated anti
Constitution members of the New
York Convention that they bad the
opportunity 'to save our devoted
country from impending ruin."
George Clinton said OF tie same Con-
ventiOn "rhe friends to the rights
OF mankind Out-number the advO-
Gates OF despotism nearly two to
one."
Nor was the opposition confined to
words. Tue spirit of party was fierce.
Mr.. John c. Hamilton asserts that
there was q party combination to
take the life OF his father, the great
champion OF the Constitution, by the
duel and Colonel Oswald did cer-
tainly challenge him, but upon ex-
PLANTATION Withdrew the challenge.
On the Sd of July, 178S, twenty days
before the New York Convention
adopted the Constitution, came the
news of the ratification by Virginia.
The friends of the new charter
marched to the fort in Albany, read 1t
aloud with exultation, and fired sa-
lutte. The next day, the Fourth of
July, the opponents OF the COnsLitu-
ton, who believed that its adoption
wUuId be the Setting of the star of
American liberty, marched to the
fort and burned the charter. Its
friends, rejoicing in prospective vic
tory, attempted to pass triumphant
ly the house where the other party
were holding their celebration. But
the latter fell upon them and drove
them bSck. The ConstitutioDalists
rallied, and approached by another
street. But again the other party
were ready, and had planted a small
cannon loaded with stones to repel
the assulting column. The COnstitu-
tionalists pressed on, and as the dra-
gOons at their head began the charge,
the COnstitutionallsts tried TO
fire the cannon. But it had been
spiked, like the gun in Governor
DORIS assault upon the Providence
arsenal in 1912, or the priming was
wet, and it would not explode. A
conflict followed, and the stony battle
of Green Street is historical.
In the city of New York, after the
Constitution was adopted, its friends
resolved to punish its opponents by
destroying the press OF the publisher
Greenleaf, whose paper had been the
organ of opposition. They assaulted
his house. He fired a pistol among
them, and gallantly defended his cas-
tie. But the mob triumphed. Green
leaf and his friends fled, and the puS-
Iication of the paper was suspended
for many days. the rioters also pro-
posed to visit General John Lamb, q
tough old soldier of the Revolution,
who was Collector of the Port under
the State government, and who was
subsequently appointed to the same
position under the new Constitution
DX w L3hA
was asabrave as a lion. He made due
preparation, Four veterans OF the
war, two young men, aud 3 eolored
servant who had attended Lamb at
the battle OF Monmouth, composed
the garrison of the house. The gen.
eral directed in person. His house
was on the south side Of Wall Street,
midway between Pearl and William
streets, about the present site of the
banking mouse of Brown Brothers.
He had laid in fifteen or twenty stand
of arms, with proper ammunition and
side-srms. The lower doors and win
dows were barred, the hall was barri-
caded with the furniture OF the din
iag-room, the stairway was obstruct-
ed in the same manner, and the garri-
son was massed in the second story.
The bows were stationed at the maya
zine TO hand fresh muskets and to
load. The general placed each man,
with strict orders not to fire until he
should begin the action, and all the
Iiehta in the honso IUere- -extingnishad
except at the arsenal. Loop-ho!es
were cut in the window,shuLters for
observation, and the general calmly
awaited the assault. The rioters ar
rived. They filed the street in q
dense throng. They roared, threat
ened, and challenged. But there was
no reply. The house was dark and
silent. The leaders of the mob held q
council of war. They decided that
the house was either deserted or garri-
soned. They knew General Lamb,
and concluded that it was probably
not deserted. Then embracing the
better part of valOr, and shouting de-
fauce, they withdrew.
The Constitution so bitterly opposed
was adopted. But it has not ruined
our devoted country, as Joshua
Atherton feared, nor have the rights
of mankind been imperiled, as George
Clinton believed. The desponding
American to-day, as he hears gloomy
forebodings that we have surely
reached the end, that liberty has now
been finally overthrown, and that on
Iy accumulating disaster remains,
should carefully inquire whether
Jeremiah belongs to party that has
won or lost, and remember Lord
Shelburne, Burke, Benedick, Clinton,
and the Constitution that was to de-
stroy America. Editors Easy Chair,
in Hdrper's Magazine for April.