The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-05-04
TUESDAYS ANNIVERSARY.

! lis declaration OF independence OF all iOl
eign control, was the organization into on
concrete body with a central eXeCutiv
head. The centennial of the former ever
we celebrated on the 18th of of July 1876
| that of the latter on the Both of Apri
1859. the anniversary Of the inauguratio
of George Washington MS the first Presl
dent of the United States
The "decaration,n however importan
ana far.reaching in lis results, was reall.
the act Of body of delegates from th,
authority 10 bind them than modern pc
litlCal national convention would have 4
bind the states its delegates represented
The original continental congress was
mere advisory board, with no power TO In
force any Of its DEGREES. In 1873, realizing
their utter impotency, the congress" drew
up and presented 10 the colonies, certain
"articles OF confederation" with the Objec
Of defining and enlarging their powers
but although these ARTICLES" which were
ratified, named the confederation they pre-
tended TO create "The United States OF
America" and dlmly pointed towards 9
perpetual union, they really gave the ICON
gress" no new powers of any practical
value. Each state expressly retained III
sovereignty and independence, and was
bound by no act of the congress until frs,
expressly assented to and ratified by itself
The "confederacy" thus had no central
head, no executive, no judiciary, no legis-
lative or taxing power Looking back to
this Rimsy, helpless organization, 1t seems
indeed like a miracle that it should have
been able, by its wise recommendations and
guidance alone, TO lead our forefathers to
the achievement of their independence.
But for their almost superhuman courage,
patience, patriotism and endurance, they
certainly must have failed
Their independence achieved, the colo
niles entered upon another period of seven
years, fully as trying and fraught with dan
ger 10 their future welfare as the exhaust
ing war through which they mad passed
With nothing but the ARTICLES of cOnfed-
Grafton" to bind them together, which with
heir endless conflicting interests and am
jitIons We're soon realized to be but rope
If sand, the great problem was presented
% the patriotic, wise and good men of the
lay, how to consolidate these conflicting
elements into one safe, efficient, self. pro-
Getting whole. The ensuing half decade
was one Of thought, planning, suggesting
and active, even, at times, acrimonious, dis
,ussion Many great minds and strong pens
we're Unlisted in 1t, but gradually the rivu-
cts of thought on all sides gathered them
elves Into two leading channels, the one
n the direction marked out by Alexander
hamilton and the other in that by Thomas
Jefferson. The Hamitonan idea was that
If limited monarchy, modelled after that
If England, with a perpetual "President,"
n king, as its mead, house of lords and
JeiTerson's idea was that Of a
democracy, differing only from that of
Athens in that it should act in most cases
epresentatively rather than in masses.
The conflict resulted in the call of con-
'antion to form u constitution to take the
)lace of the old "articles." When the con
IGNITION met Jefferson was unfortunately
lbsent in Europe, and it looked as If Ham
ltan who was ION hand" with strong
was 10 have his way, But when
he convention met and was ready to settle
Town to work, neither side seemed prepar-
I'D with "plann-all was doubt and confus.
ION, with rs great a babel Of counsel as
here was of tongues. 1t was at this time
hat small, round, smoothfaCed mild
modest young man from Vir
yinia named James Madison came to the
ore, and If II is ever true, in the affairs
If this world, that in every great emergen-
y OF peoples and nations Providence
ends the right man TO meet it, then was
James Madison the Moses diviHely de.
Duted of high Heaven to lead the colonies
,ut of their wilderness. The plan of
constitution that was subsequently, adopted
" the convention was substantially the
me Madison drafted, and bv Infinite tact
argument and persuasion carried through
he convention. His labors were no less
persistent and effective in the
next two years to induce the colonies TO
atty that constitution; and eleven of the
thirteen having done so before the close
If 1888, they were prepared for that cleo
ion which resulted in the unanimous
,hoice of George Washington as the first
President of the United States, the GEM
ennial of whose Inauguration the nation
with so much enthusiasm celebrated on
Tuesday.
Thus the real father of the constitution
vas James Madison; the leading Ideas II
were those of Thomas Jefferson,
md Its adoption was the triumph of Jefrer,
'onian Democracy over Hamiltonian Fed
,ralism. While floods of oratory on Tues
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