The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-09-12
nnuNn MN IN HIsToRY.
Some Curious Facts About the
Fathers Of the Republic.

b Noutilul 81 ti nN
wigs quenes, and knee-oreeches
which have caused the misapprehension-
The pictures in the school history show
white-haired men who bear every aP-
pesrance Of being well up in years,
and the child insiinctively thinks OF
them as old. Almost ~superhnman VAS
dom was required to discharge their
almost impossible task, and i eonse-
ouen,lv seem as though they must have
possessed the requisite wisdom and ex-
oer,ence Of the world. II the question
were asked which Of THE two bodies, the
Convention ofI7s7 or the United states
senate OF 1855. showed the highest
average Of age, doubtless nine persons
Of every ten would answer that the
trainers Of the Constitution were much
the older.
Fortv-one Deputies from the various
states subscribed their anne to the
Consultation on tie 18th day ofsep-
tember. 49,. The birthdays ofal but
four are known. OF these thirty-sesen
there were but i've who were as old
as sixty. and in truth, one Of these
five did not complete his sixtieth year
until the month after the Convention
dissolved. The Nestor OF tine body was
Benjamin Franklin, who was more than
eirhtv-one when 1t met. Roger Sher-
man came next in seniority, at sixty-six-
Then followed two members in their
sixiy-fourth year, and the deputy wLo
was Just turning sixty. The only one
sixth ofthe whole number were entitled
10 be called old men.
Turn now to the other extreme.
Jonathan Dayton, Of New Jersey, lacked
several months Of being p when the
Convention met: William Jackson OF
PENNSYLVANIA, Was bat IS Charles
Pinrknev. Of South Carolina, only %;
Alexander Hamilton. Of New York, wa
bat a Few months past go; Rufus King,
Of Massachusetts. -. Gouvegneur Nor
ris. of New York. 35 and James Madi-
son. Of Virginia. 3d. Twelve Of the 81
were under ~. and % less than A years
old. 4 full third were ;hus within the
class which, in speaking of the age now
a-days, we cali young men. The average
age ofthe whole number fell just inside
- years.
il would be a waste ct space to argue
that the Young men of The Convention
dia their full share ofthe work. Il is
enough to have cited The great
lust mentioned and to ada that the Com
miitee 10 which the instrument was re-
ierred for final revision consisted Of
johnson. aged sixty; Hamilton, thirty;
Gouyerneur Morris, ~thirty-ive; Madi-
son. t~hirty-six. and King, thirty-two.
Bancroft calls Madison "the chief author
fthe Constitution" Hamilton's work
in the Federalist Is conceded 10 have
been the most poten. agency in com
mending the instrument 90 the country
and securing it adoption. Marshall then
only thirty four, furnished the powerful
assistance without which Madison could
not have secured the narrow majority by
which their state was persuaded 10 ac-
cept Il.
The CONSTITUTIONS Convention was not
unique as q field for youthfal achieve
ment. jefferson had been only thirty
three years old when be wrote the Dec
laraiion Of independence Hamilton
was made Secretary OF the Treasury by
Washington, and began his great career
as a %fnancier at the age Of t%hiHytwo.
At the same time King. who had become
a "carpet-haggerr TO New York-since he
represented Massachusetts in the Consti-
tutional Conveniion-Was elected United
States Senator at thirty-four. Thirty had
been fixed as the minimum age Of
tors. and half Of those first elected were
between thirty and thirty-hve. a few
years later Henry Clay came 10 the Sen
ate. and was admitted without thought
that he was not eligible-ihe fact being
that he did not reach The age ofthirty
until more than three months later.
No limit ofase for the Judiciary was
fixed IN the Constitution. bu. if there be
any place in the Government where
maturity Is demanded, it is in the Su-
preme Court. WASHINGTON appointed as
one Of the early Jus ices James Iredell-
who was but t~hirty-nine years old John
Adams gave a place 10 Bashrod Wash
ington at thirty-siN, and Jefferson named
William johnson at only thirty-two.
This was simply the adoption by the
Federal Government oftne same princi-
pie which the states had applied 70 the
choice OF Judges. John JAY, who was
made first Chiei Justice Of the United
States at forty three, had been appoint
ed Chief Justice OF New York when but
thirty-one. Inedell hal been Judge Of
the Superior Court Of Norih Carolina
when only twenty-seven.
The truth is that what we have come
to consider the especial era OF old men
was really the most remarkable period in
orr history for young men. They en-
loved a chance a century ago such as
Young men have never had since the
civil war broke down temporarily some
Of the barriers agains, youth in public
life, but the controlling fences were WELD
ed by men whose average age WAS a
number OF years greater than that oftheir
grandhthers. who held sway during the
Revolutionary period.
The Youngest man in the Uuiiel States
Senate to-day-KeRna, Of West Virginia
was thirty-6ve years old when he took
his seat. nobody SO young had been seen
IN the body for long period before his
appearance. He is los forty, and no.
body else in the body Of seyeuty-six
members is 50 yong. although, as We
have seen. one-thiri ofthe Constitutional
Convention were under forty. More
than half of the latter body, it has been
shown, we've less than forty-ive years
old: only twenty one II the present
seventv-six Senators, or but a tribe over
a quarter, were less than forty-hve years
old when they entered the chamber.
The average age Of the senate to-day Is
fhy-eight wears, against al average Of
only forty-iive years for the Convention
ofl7S7.
-Slow-going. we are wont to cali the
ways Of the eighteenth century q fas;
age Is the common description Of our