The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-04-17
Contest over the Adoption of Oar
Constitution.


Constitution.
In this country the opponents Of the
Constitution Of 17s7--our happy con-
stituiion were quite AZ sure that that
terrible instrument would destroy pop
ular liberty an Lord Shelburne was
that the British star would set il Amer
lea became independents IT'S really
astonishing" said Richard Henry Lee,
"that the same people who have inst
emerged from long and cruel war in
defense of liberty shonld now agree TO
fix an elective despotism upon them
selves, and their pOsterity." 'Some
of the powers mnst be abridged" said
Samuel Chase, cor public liberty will
be endangered, and in time destroyed. /"
Joshua Atherton congratulated anti
Constitution members OF the New York
Convention that they had an oppertu-
nity "to save our deysted country from
impending rum" George Clinton said
of the same Convention: 1.-The friends
to the rights of mankind outnumber
the advocates OF despotism nearly two
10 enc"
Nor was the opposition confined to
words. The spirit OF party was fierce.
MIR. John G.. Hamilton asserts that
there was a party combination To take
the life Of hi, father. the great cham
pion Of the Constitution, by the duel;
aud Colonel Oswald did certainly chal-
lenge him. but npon explanation with
drew the challenge. On the ID OF Ju-
ly, l775, twenty days before the New
York Convention adopted the Consti-
tuition, came the news OF the ratlfica-
ton by Virginia. The friends ef the
new charter marched to the fort in Al
bany. read il aloud with exultation.
and fired n salute. The next day, the
Fourth of July, the opponents of the
Constitution, who believed that its
adoption would be the setting OF the
star of American liberty, marched IL
the fort aud burned the charter. Its
friends, rejoicing in prospective VIC
tory, attempted To pass triumphantly
the house where the other party were
holding their celebration. But the lat.
ter fell upon them and drove them
back. The Constitutionslists rallied,
aud approached 10y another street.
But again the other party were ready,
aud had planted small cannon loaded
with stones TO repel the assaulting col.
umn. The Constitutionalists pressed
on, and as the dragons at their head
began the charge, the anti-Constitu-
tionalists tried to fire the cannon. But
il had been spiked, like the gun IN
Governor DORIS assault upon the Prov
idence arsenal in ls42, or the printing
was wet, AID ID would not explode. A
conflict followed, and the stony battle
/ of Green street il historical.
In the city of New York, after th'
| Constitution vas adopted. ITS friends
resolved 10 punish it, opponents ID,
/ destroying the press Of the published
/ Greenieaf, whose paper had been thu
organ OF opposition. They ASSAULTED
his house. He fired pistol among
them, and calamity defended his cas-
tie. But the mob triumphed. Green
leaf and his friends fied, and the pnb
lication OF the paper was suspended
for many days. The rioters also pro
posed to visit General john Lamb.
Tough old soldier Of the Revolution
who was Collector of the Port nnde
the State government, and who wa
subsequently, appointed 10 the sam
position under the new Constitution
by President Washington. Lamb wa
as brave as lion. He made due prep
aratisn. Four veterans of the wal
two yonng men, aud coloTed seryan
who had attended Lamb at the battl
Of Monmouth, composed the garI1so
Of the house. The General directed Il
person. His house was on the sout
side of Wall street, midway betwee
Pearl and William streets, about th
present site Of the banking house Z
Brown Brothers. He had laid in III
teen or twenty stand 81 arms, wit
proper ammunition aud side-arms. -
Tie lower doors aud windows Wei
barred, the hall was barricaded wit
the furniture Of the dining.roOm, tll
stairway was obstructed in the sam
manner, and the garrison was masse
in the second story. The boys wei
stationed M the magazine To han
fresh muskets aud to load. The Ger
eral placed each man, with strict ortlel
not 20 fire until he should begin I'll
action, and all the lights in the houi
were extinguished except at the arsei
nj. Loop-holes we're cnt IN the vii
dov-shutters for observation. and I'll
General calmly awaited the assault
The rioters arrived. They iilled u
street in dense throng. They Toare'
threatened. aud challenged. But the
was no reply. The house was ds'
aud silent. The leaders Of the mc
he'll a copncil OF var. They decide
that the house was either deserted
garrisoDej. They knew General Lam
and concluded that it was probably n
deserted. Then embracing the bett
part of valor. aud shouting defianc
they Withdrew.
The Constitution 30 bitterly oppos'
was adopted. But il has Dot ruin,
our devoted country, as Joshua AtLs
: ton feared, nor have the rights Of MA
= kind been imperiled, as George Clint
9 believed. The desponding Americ
: to-day. a be hears gloomy forebodin
that we have surely reached the en-
that liberty has now heen finally ovs