The Portland daily press., 1889-07-05
WITH GRAFTON AND MUSIC
The Day Observed by Portland Peo-
an pie in City Hall.

rs .e- ~ pie IN City HdU.
The exercises at City HALL In the morning
were OF a very interesting character. The
audience, owing to the numerous attractions
in other directions, was not so large as it
would otherwise have been, the hall being
about half fun.
The First Regiment Band entered at half
past ten and gave very enjoyable concert
for half an hour A few minutes after IL
o'clock, Mayor Mecher, accompanied by
Hon. William l.. Putnam, the speaker of the
day, Hon. w. w. Thomas, Hon. George
Walker, Judge Haskell of the Supreme
Court, exMayor Richardson, Rev. A. II.
Wright, Rev. DR.. A. K. p. Small, Rev. j. r.
Crosser, Rev. Ephram Cummings, Bishop
Heely, George +. Holmes, Esq, George W.
Verrill, Esq, George e. Bird, Esq, and 9TH
er prominent citizens, entered and took seats
upon the platform.
The Portland Male Quartette sang Keller's
American hymn finely. Prayer was offered
by the Rev. Mr.. Wright, and a response was
sung by the quartette. The Declaration of
Independence was then recited by Mr.. Clar-
ence w. Peabody in manner to evoke the
warm applause of the audience. After the
singing of the new national hymn by the
quartette, Mayor Melcher presented Hon.
William l.. Putnam as the speaker of the
day. AS Mr.. Putnam stepped forward he
was greeted with hearty applause. He spoke
for about one hour, holding the closest atten-
ton of his audience. The following is full
report Of the address:
Mr. Mayor and Felloc- Citizens:
On reading not long since paper writ
ten by the eminent jurist, Judge Cooley,
concerning the comparative merits OF writ
ten and prescriptiye constitutions, and
noticing his remarks, in substance, that
since the formation of our constitution,
the framework of nearly all the govern
ments of Europe had been substantially
changed, it occurred to me to run back
with Wow of ascertaining how far, dur
| ing the progress of the last century, we
have gone in this direction with other peo-
| pie.
THE question is not merely whether the
ship of state has gathered barnacles to be
| washed off whenever she came into clear
waters, but whether she has broken the
lines which her builders gave her. 1t is not
| whether in the course of events there have
| been oscillations, but whether those oscil-
lations have taken US from the paths in
which our fathers set us. 1t is not whether.
| by CROPPING together certain class of
facts and dwelling upon thuse alone, we
| can make it appear that there have been
| great changes in our constitutional orga-
nization, but whether, looking at the ques-
| tion at large, we have departed from the
| truths which our fathers taught us. Nor
is it matter of counting the stars in their
courses, but of measuring human events
by human events. Upon this l have no
theory except what comes from a lifelong
contemplation of the wisdom and virtue
| of our fathers, and from an ever-increas-
ing gratitude for the blessings which their
work has showered upon u.s.
The distinguished writer, Mr.. Bryce, has
taken some positions which, think. ought
to be met. He says
"The solemn determination of a people enact
ing fundamental law by which they and their
descendants shall be governed cannot prevent
that law, however great the reverence they con-
tinue to profess for it, from being worn away in
third, by the ceaseess action of influences play
| ing upon the individuals who compose the peo-
With that agree, but again he says:
'Since notifications or developments are often
| needed, and since they can rarely be made by
amendment, some other way of making them"-
| now referring to the constitution of the United
| States-"some other way must be found. The
| ingenuity OF lawyers has discovered one method
in Interpretation, while the dexterity of polity of
| politicians has invented variety of devices
whereby legislation may extend or usage may
modify, the express provisions of the apparently
immovable and infexible instrument"
That deny. Again he says:
ITO expect any form of words, however weight
| lily conceived, with whatever sanctions enacted,
| permanently to restrain the passions and inter-
ests of men is to expect the impossible Beyond
certain point, you cannot protect the people
against themselves any more than you can, to
use familiar American expression, lift yourself
| from the ground by your bootstraps Laws sane
| toned by the overwhelming physical power of a
aespot, laws sanctioned by supernatural terrors
strain those passions in ages of slavery and su-
/ perstition."
l deny the applicability of this illustra-
ton toa constitution based as ours was,
| not upon the caprices of tyrants, but upon
the solid foundation of truth.
MIR. Gladstone has said somewhat rhetor-
ically, The American constitution is the
most wonderful work ever struck off at a
given, time by the brain and purpose of
man."
Judge Cooley, In the article to which I
have referred, speaking judicially as he al
ways speaks, said:
1.-THE establishment of the Federal constitu-
tion, whether we regard it in the light of its un-
cerned, or consider it's more remote influence
| upon the institutions of other countries, was an
act OF organization and of government with
which, for value and Importance no other in the
history Oh mankind is comparable"
Now, fellow citizens, when we regard
the fact that it was put into the preamble
| of the constitution that its purpose was to
secure the blessings OF liberty. not only to
Il ",
when we remember that the fathers in
/ tended that the constitution should be
permanent so far as humanity could see
into the future. to admit the claim made
by this distinguished author from whom |
have quoted, is to admit that a crumblng
stone is fit to 60 into the corner founda-
tions of a lofty and eternal structure, and
to deny alike Mr.. Gladstone, Judge Cooley
and innumerabe others who have written
and spoken to the same effect as they,
1t is said the constitution has been
changed in it's essential features by amend
ment. An amendment is a constitutional
change; and therefore | might set up a
technical answer to all this But put it
on a broader ground. l admit that an
amendment to the constitution in viola
ton OF its fundamental principles would
De In every Just sense change but deny
that any, amendment of that nature has
been made.
The earlier amendments after the rati-
hcatlon were in truth part of the original
constitution. Then came two relating
merely to matters of detail. Afterwards
came those which are said to have grown.
and which indeed grew, out of the late civil
war, but which were the natural develop
/ ments of the great principles of the CON