Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-03-29
Contest over the Adoption of our
Constitution.

In this country the opponents oil
the Constitution of 1787-our happy
Constitution-were quite as sure that
that terrible instrument would de-
stroy popular liberty as Lord Shell
burne was that the British star
would set il America became iade.
pendent. "'Tis really astonishing"
said Richard Henry Lee, "that the
Same people who have just emerged
from long and cruel war in defense
of liberty should now agree to fix an
elective despotism upon themselves
and their posterity." "Some of the
powers must be abridged, said Sam
uel 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 the
opportunity "to save our devoted
country from impending ruin" Geo.
Clinton said OF the same Convention:
Tho friends to the rights of man
kind outnumber the advocates OF
despotism nearly two one"
Nor was the opposition confined
to words. The spirit of party was
fierce. Mr.. John C.Hamilton asserts
that there was party combination
to take thelife of his father, the great
champion of the Constitution, by the
duel; and Colonel Oswald did GER
tainly challenge him, but upon ex-
.lanation withdrew the challenge.
On the Sd of July, 1788,twenty days
before the New York Convention
adopted the Constitution, came the
news of the ratification by Virginia.
The friends of the new chart march
ed to the fort in Albany, read it out
loud with oxidation, and fred sa-
lutte. The next day, the Fourth Of
July, the opponents of the Constltu-
ton, who believed that its adoption
would be the setting of the star Of
American liberty, marched to the
fort aud burned the charter. The
friends of the Constitution, rejoicing
in prospective victory, attempted TO
pass triumphantly the house where
the other party were holding their
celebration. But the latter fell upon
them aud drove them back. The
Constitutionalists rallied, and ap-
preached by another street. But
again the other party were ready,
and had planted small cannon load
ed with stones to repel the assaults
ing column. The Constituencies
pressed on, and as the dragons at
at their head began the cearge, the
Observation-Disclosures tried to fire
the cannon. But it had been spiked,
like the gan in Governor Doors as
saalt upon the Providence arsenal in
1912, or the printing was wet, and it
would not explode. A conflict fol
lowed, and the stony battle Of Green
Street is historical.
In the city of New York, after the
adoption of the Constitution, its
friends resolved to punish it's oppon-
ents 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 gallently
defended his castle. But the mob
triumphed. Greenleaf aud his friends
fled, aud the publication of the paper
was suspended for many days. The
rioters also proposed TO visit Gen.
John Lamb, tough old soldier of
the Revolution, who was Collector
of the Port under the State Govern
ment, and was subsequently appoint
ed to the same position under the
new Constitution by President
Washington. Lamb was as brave as
lion. He made due preparation.
Four veterans of the war,tw young
men, and colored servant who had
attended Lamb at the battle of Mon,
mouth, composed the garrison of the
house. The General directed in per-
son. His house was on the south
side OF Wall Street, midway between
Pearl and William Streets, about the
present site of the banking house of
Brown Brothers. He had laid in
fifteen or twenty stand OF arms, with
proper ammunition and side arms. The
lower doors and windows were bar
red, the hall was barricaded with
the furniture of the dining-room, the
stairway was obstructed in the same
way, and the garrison was massed
in the second story. The boys were
stationed at the magazine to hand
fresh muskets and to load. The Gen.
eral placed each man with strict or
ders not to fire until he should begin
the action, and all the lights in the
house were extinguished except at
the arsenal. Loop-holes were cut in
the window-shutters for observation,
and the General calmly awaited the
assault. The rioters arrived. They
filled the street in a dense throng.
They roared, threatened and chai-
Ienged. But there was no reply.
The house was dark and silent. The
leaders of the mob held council OF
war. They decided that the house
was either deserted or garrisoned.
They knew General Lamb, and con-
cIuded that it was probably not de-
serted. Then embracing the better
part of valor, and shouting defiance,
they withdrew.
The Constitution SO bitterly OPP
posed was adopted. But 1t has not
ruined our devoted country, as j.
Atherton feared, nor have the rights
of mankind been imperiled, as Geo.
Clinton believed. The responding
American to-day,as he hears gloomy
forebodings that we have surely
reached the end, that liberty has
now been finally oyerthrown, and
that only accommodating disaster re-
mains, should carefully inquire
whether Jeremiah belongs to q party
that has won or lost, and remember
Lord Shelburn, Burke, Benedick,
Clinton, and the Constitution that
was to destroy America. EDITORS
EASY CHAIR, IN Harper's Magazent
for April.