The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-08-30
"OUR FATHERS"
False Ideas About the Framers
of the Constitution.
They were a Youthful Set and
not Venerable Sages.

The 'Fathers Of tho Republic" were
not tho sexagenarians and septuagen-
arians of their era. On the contrary,
,ays E. p Clark in America, they ~ess
As rule remarkably you lui SET si
men. 1t is the "wigs, queuei Saa kase.
which havo caused DE m;'a
prchension. The pictures in thr schqst
history show white haired mon who
bear every appearance of being swell
up in years." and tho child instinctively
thinks of them as old. Almost super
human wisdom was required to dis
charge their almost impossible task, and
it consequently seemed as though they
must have possessed the requisite wis
dom and experience of tho world. If
the question were asked which of the
two bodies, the convention of 1887 or
the United States Senate Of 1888,
showed the highest average of age,
doubtless nine persons out of every ten
would answer that the framcrs of the
Constitution wero much ths older.
Forty-one deputies from tho various
states subscribed their names to the
constitution on the 18th of Ssptem Dor,
1857. The birth days of all but four
are known. Of these 81 there were
but five who were as old as go, and in
truth one of these five did not complete
his sixtieth year until the month after
the convention dissolved. The Nestor
of tho body was Benjamin franklin,
who was more than 81 when it met.
Roger Sherman camc next in seniority,
at &C. Then followed two mem ber,,
each in their sixty-fourth year, and tho
deputy who was just turning go. But
only one-sixth of the whole number
were entitled to be called old men.
Turn now to the other extreme. JON
athan Dayton of New jersey, lacked
several months of being ~ when tho
convention met; William Jackson of
Pennsylvania, was but 2S; Charles
Pinckney OF South Carolina, only 30;
Alexander Hamilton of New York, was
lut few months past 30; Rufus King
of Massachusetts,, 80; Gouverneur Nor
ris Of New York, 35; aud Jamea Aadi-
son Of Virginia, 36. Twelve of the 81
were under 40 and 20 less than As years
old. A full third wero thu, within the
class, which, in speaking ofage nova.
days, we call young men. The average
age OF the whole number fell just inside
As years.
1t would be waste of space to argue
that the young men of the convention
did their full share of tho work. 1t is
enough to have cited the great names
just mentioned and to add that tho
committee to which the instrument was
referred for final revision consisted Of
johnson, aged sixty; Hamilton, thirty;
Gouverneur Morris, thirty-fve; Madison,
thirty-six, and Kiag, thirty.two. Ban
croft calls Madison ''the chief author o.
the Constitution. Hamilton's work in
the Federalist is conceded to have beer
the most potent agency in commendine
the instrument to the country and SO
curing its adoption. Marshall, then
only thirty three, furnished the power
full assistance without which Madison
could not have secured the narrow ma
jority by which their State was per
suaded to accept it.
The Constitutional Convention wa.
not unique as field for youthful
achievement. Jefferson was only thirty.
three years old when he wrote tn,
"Declation Of Independence" Hamil
ton was made Secretary OF the Treasury
by Washington, and began his career a
a financier at the age of thirty two. A
the same time King, since he ropre
sented Massa chusetts in the Constitu
tional Convention, was elected United
States Senator at thirty -four Thirty
had been fixed as the minimum age TO
Senators, and half OF those first elected
were between thirty and thirty-fivc
A few years later Horny Clay came t
the Senate and was admitted withou
thought that he was not eligible-th
fact being that he did not reach the ag
OF thirty until more than three month
later.
No limit Of age for the judiciary wa
fixed in the Constitution, but if ther
be any place in the government wher
maturity is demanded, it il on tn
bench of the Supreme Court. Wash
ington appointed as one of the earl
justices James Iredell who was bu
80 years old; John A iams gave plac
to Bushrod Washington at SO, and JEFF
erson named William johnson at onl
80. This was simply the adoption b
the Federal government of tho sam
principle which the States had applie
to the choice of judges. John Jay, VIII
was made first Chief Justice of th
United States at 43. had becn appoin te
Chief Justice of New York when b,
81. Iredell had been Judge of the 81
perior Court of North Carolina whe
only 81.
The truth is that what we have com
to consider the especial era of old me
was really the most remarkable perio
in our history for young men. The
enjoyed chance century ago such ,
young men hav, never had since II
civil war broke down, temporarily, SON
Of the barriers against youth in publ
life, but the controlling forces wei
| wielded hv man xvhoea avaraoe aoe VI