Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-02


mnde the people of the IS colonies all
Americans, and devolved upon them TO ed
minister bythemselves, and for themselves,
tae prerogatives and powers wrested from
crown aud parliament. It condensed
mama charter, the petition OF rights, the
great body OF English liberties embodied
Ia the common law and accumulated In
rue decisions of the courts, the statutes Of
ths realm and Rn undispu ed though I'M
written constitution; but this original prin.
ciple aud dynamic force OF tho peoples
power sprang from these old sests planted
In the virgin soil of the rev world.
More clearly than any statesman OF the
period did Thomas Jefferson grasp and
iivine the possibilities o: popular govern
ment. He caught and cryeraliz I'd the spirit
OF free Institutions. His philosophical
mind was singularlY free from the power
Of pretedents or tue chains OF prejudice.
He had an unquestloning and abiding faith
IN the people, which was accepted by but
Few OF his )mpatriotg. Upon bis famous
axiom, OF the equality OF all men before the
law, he constructed his systam. II was the
trip-hammer essential for the emergency
to break The links binding the colonies TO
impartial authority ard TO pulverizs the
pr vileRes OF caste. II inspired him to write
ths Declaration OF Independence and per-
snaded him to douot the wisdom OF the
powers concentrated ia the constitution.
la his passionate love OF liberty he became
Intensely Jealous of authority. BE de-
stroyed the substance OF royal prerogative,
but never emerged ftom fits shadow. He
would have the states as the guardians OF
popular rights, and the barriers against
Capitalization, and he saw In the growing
power OF the nation ever-increasing en-
eroachments upon the rights OF the people.
For the success of ths pure democracy
which must precede presidents and cabi.
nets and congresses. 1t was perhaps provl-
Dental that lis apostle never believed
great people could graft and still retain,
could give and at will reclaim. could dele-
gate and yet firmly hold the authority
which ultimately created the power Of their
repnhic ana enlarged the scope OF their
own liberty.
But WINE the perlls OF war had given
Temporary strength TO the confederation,
peace developed Its fatal weakness. 1t de-
rived no authority from the people and
could not appeal TO them, Anarchy threat
ened its existence at home and contempt met
Its representatives abroad. "Can you fulfill
or enforce the obligations OF the treaty on
your part II we sign one with you !" was
the sneer OF the courts OF the old world to
our ambassadors. Some states gave half.
hearted support TO its demands; others
deiiet them. The loss of public credit was
speedily followed by universal bankruptcy.
The widest phantasies assumed the force
Ut serious measures for the RELIEF of the
generaI distress. States passed exclusive
and hostile laws against each other and
and riot and disorder threatened ths disin.
tegratton of society. "Our stock is stolen,
cur houses are plundered, our farms are
aided" cried delegate In the Massachu-
sets convention; "despotism Is better than
anaschyP To raise 81 ,000, 600 year was
beyond the re, ources OF the government
AID $500, O10 was the limit Of the loan 1t
could secure from the money-lenders OF
Europe.
But even through this OImmerlan dark
ness shot flame which tllumined the com
Ing century and kept bright the beacon
tfres OF liberty. The architects Of eonstitu-
tionsl freedom formed their institutions
with wisdom which forecasted the future.
They may not have understood at first the
whole truth. but, for that which they knew,
theY had the martYre' sprint and the cru.
sadera' enthusiasm. Though the co1feder.
alton was government Of ehecks without
balances, and o. pnrpose without power,
ne statesmen who guided 1t demonstrated
often the resistless force of great souls ami.
mated by the purest patriotism, and united
10 Judgment and effort to promote toe com,
mon good, by lofty appeals and high rea-
Soning, to elevate the masses above local
creed and apparent self-interest to their
own broad plane.
The government OF republic by a con
gress OF states, a Diplomatic convention OF
after seven yeara' trial, was falling nsun-
der. Threataned With civil war among It's
members, insurrection aud lawlassness rife
within tho states. foreign commerce ruined
and internal trade paralyzsd, Its currency
worthless. Its merchants bankrupt, Its farms
mottgaged, its markets closed, Its labor un-
employed, 1t was like helpless wreck upon
the ocean, tossed about bv the tides and
ready to he engulfed In the storm. Wash
ington gave the warning and called Tor
action. L was a voice accustomed to com.
nand, but now eotreating. The veterans
OF the war and the Statement Of the revolu-
ZION stepped to the trout. The patriotism
which had been misled, but had never ial-
cred, rose above the interests OF states and
'he iealouslas Of i4rring confederates 70
Had the basis for union. 1T ia clear to tue
rs A. b. o." said Washington, THAT an eS.
tension Of Federal powers would make us
one OF the most happy, wealthy, respecta-
BILE and powerful nations that ever inhab-
Tied the terrestrial globe. Without them
we shall soon be everything which is the
direct reverse. l predict the worst couse-
qrences from hai.staTv5d, limping gov
eminent, always moving upon crutches
and lettering at every step" The response
of the country was the convention Of 1857
at Philadelphia. The Declaration OF hide.
pendencs was but the vestlbule OF the
temple which this ilustrious assembly
erected. With no succf ssfll precedents TO
guide. It auspiclously wOrkei out the prob
lem of constitutional government aud OHM
partal power and home rule, supplementinR
Zach other In promoting the grandeur OF
ihe patlon and preserving the liberty OF the
individual.
Tns statesmen who composed this great
senate were equal to their trust. Their con-
clustonH were the resn!ts OF calm debate
and wise concession. Their character and
abilities were so pure and great as to CON-
mand the confidence OF the country for
the reversal OF the policy OF the
indep .ndence OF the state of the power of
the general government, which had hither-
TO been he invariabe practices and almost
universal opinion, and for the adoption OF
the idea OF tue nation and its supremacy.
There were no examples to follow, and
the experience OF irs members led part of
the INTO lean toward absolute rehabilitation
as the only refuge from the anarchy of the
confederation, while the rest chung to
the soverelgnty Of the states, for far that
the concentrate of power would end intha
absorption of liberty. The large states did
not want TO surrender the advantage OF
their position, and the tmaiier states
saw the danger 70 their existence. The
leagues Of tho Greek cities had onded 10
loss OF freedom, tyranny, conquest aud de-
s'ruciton. Roman conquest and assimtla-
ton had strewn the shores OF time with
the wrecks of empress and plunged civiliza-
ton INTO the perils aud horroFs OF the uarg
ages. The government OF Cromwell was
the isolated power OF the miRhtiest man Of
bis age, without popular authority 10 al
his place or the hereditary principle to pro-
tect bis successor. The pas. furnished no
light for our state builders, the present was
full OF doubt and despair, The future, the
experiment OF seli.government, the per-
petuity and development of freedom, al
most the destiny OF mankind, was in their
hands.
Freed from tho limitations Of its en-
vlronment, and the question Of the adop-
ton OF Its work, the convention erected It's
government upon the eternal foundations