Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-12-25
rmR CENTENARY 0F TmE o0N.
sTIfUTr0z.
New York SUM-

new lOfk ouusl
The delegates appointed BY the Gov
eEnors Of .he States and Territories met
recently IN Phil delphia, 10 ofganias
celebration OF the hundredeh AnniyeFsa-
~ Of the formal adoption OF the Fed
eral Constitution ~ the Pniladsiphia
Convention on the 18th Of September.
1887. This step was taken 10 accord
anee With the plan drawn up at the pre-
liminary meeting Of Governors OF the
original thirteen States held la Phila-
dell hia on the i7th Of Sepit mbef iast.
fha eveas thus 10 be c0mmemoFated
is not only Of the Arst Importance 10
American history, but was 90 recognized
az the sime Of ita ooonFronoe. For alx's
years the need ef q more perfect union
Of the States had been felt, bat the difl-
cuIfies In the way Of achieving u had
bean dishearteninR. Even after the
great step Of assembling the Convention
on the 18Th Of May, 1881. foe the sole
aud express purpose Of revising the Ar
tioies of Consideration, bad been 90
eOmpliahed, ,ths obstacles seemed alm0at
iusapeFable. Neverthe ess. By sl0w de-
Rreea a new Constitution waa framed
and pot together. Ga the 17th Of Sep
tembeF, after -four ml nths OF labor, ths
great work vas finished. formally haopt-
Cd ss a whole. and signed by the repre-
santatives Of che sweive States, Rhode
Island aot being Represented IN the Con
venGion.
Il ls true that the Agreements II the
Oonyeation upon the Constitution dtd
not make 10 ths itw Of tho laad. 3ol
She ratiheati0ns b. tbs States extended
ali the way from Dsosmbef 7. f787. 10
NAY p, I790. and nobody would pro-
-. smsa..e rr.esa nffs.aa mwmn
the ninih Fatihoation, that Of Nsw
Hampshirs. Jane %, 1888, although that
IN ads the inssFument binding betwecn
the states % sanctioning u. These rat
/ ifiaAtlons do not form an integral part
Of the Consultation. the only date msn-
toned in the dooument being that Of
the atiesting clause:
Done IN Convention BY The unani-
mous consent of the ten States present..
the seventeenth day of Hepiembor, in
she year Of our LsEd 1871, and Of the
Ind pendsncs Of she United States ths
twsifth.r
Additional historical impoFtancs b
lSut 10 this day from The fact that Il u
tbe date Of the letter sent 10 Congress
I hy the Convouiion describing its work,
| with resolutions peintinR out she method
Of getting tbe nev form Of gsgernment
into operation.
Il AppezSs evidsai, theFefors, thai the
day % the adoption Of the Constltu
/ ton is veil worthy 0f some sort OF eele-
bEatiOa on iis hundTedth anniversary,
nert September. TIE great National
eommsmoF4ti0n Of suF hrst oentaFy Of
exisienss as q nation undsF the present
form Of government will, u 60uFae.
eoms on the 30th OF April 1883. the han
dredth anniversary Of the inanguraiton
Of George Washington as fret Pfssi-
dsnt Of these Unissd States. The car
/ tFai point Of this eslebfation should b
1 In New York, where the oath OF elaee
was taken b the FIRST Prestdsnls and
where the eeat 0f eUyernmenf vae tnsn
established. 1hia, however. need nOe
prevsnt due rsrssniiios IN Phiiadslphis,
next september. u the day when ne
iabors ol the C0nxoution that framed
the Consultation we're brcuRht 70 tanir
happg olcsa.