Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-01

vanish in blood Statesmen and parliamentary
leaders have sunk into OBLIVION Or or led Iner
| lions to the passing passions OF the hour, put
Washington in his immortal speech struck the
| keynote OF representative Obligation and pro
| DC unded the fundamental principle OF IL
purity and perpetuity of Constitutional Gov
eminent
ment au d the question of the adoption CT its
work, the Convention erected its government,
upon the eternal foundations OF me power OF
the people it dismissed the delusive theoryof
| compact between Independent states, ana de-
rived national power from the people Oh the
| United States. 1t broke up the machinery OF;
| the Confederation, and put in practical opera
ton the elittering generalities OF the DECLARE
from insecurity came safety, from disintegra-
ton and civil war came law and Liberty, WIN
tne principle proclaimed in the preamble Oh tne
great charter I'VE, the People of the United
states, In order to form more perfect union,
ests olish justice, insure domestic tranqulnty,
provide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare. and secure the blessings OF I'D
cry to ourselves and our posterity, do orda1n
ana establish this Constitution for the United
work out upon this continent the liberty of man,
sney soived the problem of the ages by blending
with national authofity, aud the rights of the
states, with the sjesty and power of the Re;
iba ar,c Lne government Of the States, under
rupt because ii could not raise four millions of
aolaTs; ne Government of the Unien, under
the Constitution OF the United States, raised
six thousand millions of dollars, its credit
growing frmer as its power and resources were
aemo 9l The Congress of the Confedera
tloh neu from regiment, which it could not
J pay the Congress of the Union reviewed the
comrades OF million of its victorious soldiers
. sslutlng as they marched the fisg of the Nation
whose supremacy they had sustained The
! promises OF the Confederacy were the scoff OF
. 3 states; Ihe pledge OF the Republic was the
honor OF Its people.
The Constitution which waste be strength
ened by the strain OF a century, to be mighty
. conqperor without subject ppovince, to tri-
: | IN GRO Of n;,,;I
! without he onhscation of an estate or the ex.
! ecution OF political offender, to create and
E twenty nine additional comm lths and
|, yet enlarge its scope and broaden its power,
4 and 10 make the name Of an American citizen
complete from this great convention to the
! people for adoption. AS Hancock rose from
d his seat in the old Congress, eleven years be-
r fore, to sign the Dec aration of Independence
: Franklin saw emblazoned on the back of the
Presidents chair the sun partly above the hori.
/ zon, but 1t seemed setting in a bioodred sky.
o During the seven years of the confederation
I he had gathered no hope from the glitteling
: embl en-, but now as with clear vision he be-
u held fixed upon eternal foundations the endur-
. ing structure of constitutional liberty, pointing
? to the sign he forgot his eighty-two years and
with the enthusiasm of youth electric ed the
/ convention with the declaration Now know
: that it is the rising SUM-
! The pride of the States and the ambition of
their leaders. sectional jealouses and the over
q whelming distrust of centralized power were
: a II arrayed against the adoption OF the Constr
!, tuition. North Carolina and Rhode Island re-
9 fused to join the Union until long after Wash
= ington s Inauguration. For months New York
q was debatable ground. Her territory extending
: from the sea to the lakes made her the keystor
= | of the arch. Had Arnold's treas ON in the Revo
g luton not been ioil led by the capture of Andre
q England would have held: New York and
% snbiugated the colonies, and In this crisis, IN
:, less New York astented, a hostile and powerful
4 commonwealth dividing the States, m ade the
Il Union impossible.
Success was due to confidence in Washington
e and the genius Of Alexander Hamilton Jeffer-
r son was the inspiration of indep, ndence. but
t Hamilton was the incarnation OF the Constitu-
r ton. In no age or country has there appeared
: | more precocious amazing intelligence
e than Hamilton, AT seventeen he annihilated
Is the President of his college. upon the question
IS OF the rights of the Colonies IN a series of an
D. onymous articles which were credited to the
e ablest men in the country; at forty-seven,
!, when he died. his briefs had become tn e law
" of the land and his fiscal system was, and after
j. hundred years remains, the rule and policy
If of our government. He gave life to the corpse
s. pretervation aud aggressive power 10 the Fed
q. eral Union. Both SIS an expouuder of the
% principles and an administrator If the affairs
Ii of government he stands supreme aud unri-
at vailed in American history, His eloquence
Is was so msgnetic his Language so clear, and his
70 equal ease popular assemblies, grave senstes,
il and learned judges He captured the people
T. his papers in the Federalist and conquered the
le hostile majority in the New York convention
= by the splenoOr of his or6tOry.
n But the mCltitudes whom no argument could
m convince, who saw in the executive power and
q centralized force OF the Constitution under an.
i other name, the DIRE AIDED usurpaton of King
u and Ministry, were satisfied, only with the as
n. surance, Washington will be President "
ID Good" cried John Lamb. the able leader Of
@ ton; Tor to no other mortal would I tkrus,
authority so enormous" washington will be
We Pres dent" was the battle.crv of the Constitu
~ ton. 1t quieted alarm and gave confidence to
il the timid and courage TO the weak. The coun
" try responded with enthusiastic unanimity, Blu,
n supreme moment of victory. when the
i. world expected him to follow the prece
ID dents of the past. and peIpetuate the
N have left in his hands, he had resigned and re-
" tired to Mount Vernon to enjoy in private sta
\. ton his well-earned rest. The convention
p created by his exertions to prevent as he said
"a 1.-The decline of Federal dignity into insig
n nifcant and wretched fragments of Empire
~ had called him 10 preside over its deliberations
Ss Its work made possible the realization of his
10 hope that "we might survive as an indePend-
eH So ana Rn a ne s fb n9 u
"a n the and the formation of the Constitution
:" came the third and final crisis; the initial
A. movements OF government which were to
~ teach the infant State the steadier steps of
N empire.
~ ~ He alone could stay assault and inspire con-
~ fdence while the great and complicated ma
70 chinery of organized government was put in
az az order and set in motion. Doubt existed no
~ | where except in his modest and imam bilious
~ i. heart. my movements to the chair oil gov.
10 eminent" he said will be accompanied by
80 feelings not unlike those of culprit who is
going to the place of his execution. So I'M
re willing sm /, in the evening of life, nearly
u consumed with public cares, to quit a peaceful
o. abode for ocean of difficulties, without that
r competency of political skill, abilities and in
or clination, which are necessary to manage the
81 helm" His whole life had been spent in re-
/ peated sacrifices for his country's welfare. and
r he did NOT hesitate now, though there is an I'M
"a dertoue Of inexpressible sadness in this entry
ri in his diary on the night of his departure:
u "About 10 O'Clock / babe adieu to Mount Yer
le noD to private life, and to domestic felicity,
le and with mind oppressed with more anxious
II and painful sensations than | have words to
Is express, set out for New York with the best
u disposition to render service TO my country in
= obs dience to its call, but with less hope of an.
y swering its expectations"
/, Alter an eloquent description of the six
. days. march to the Capitol, the recer-
u ton accorded to Washington in that tri-
h umphal progress and description Of his
e. entry into New York, the speaker re-
y ferred to the former visit OF the new
h President to that city when he was simply
e Colonel Washington, and when his suit
e was rejected by daughter OF New York
@ State. Reference was also made to his
y election to the position OF Commander
I, in-Cbief of the Colonial forces by the
II New York Congress, twenty years later,
e his "masterly retreat" from Long Island
r and his maiden victory over the British
TT -. han