The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-30

sues OF paper money were making have
with commerce, The soyereignties Il
which the people had spilled their bloc
and spent their treasure were becom
the rock upon which all their hopes, q
their ambitions, were being slowl
wrecked.
To such men as Washington, Frank
lin, Hamilton, Adams and Madison thi
condition OF affairs was uncomfortable
The Articles Of Confederation wer
formed in 1878, and were entirely suit
Gent so long as the parties 10 them hal
but o single end, and that q common
one-the destruction OF q common en-
envy and the wrestling from him Of
common concession, But, that end &C
complished, their paths diyerged, thei
interests conhlCted, and each State, ieal
Gus OF its own rights, anxious for Ii
own prosperity, regarded with undls
guised suspicion all schemes Of uniOI
that denied 1t an unqualified veto o
whatever legislation 1t might deem OBJ
eCtionahle. franklin, who first pro
posed the project OF colonial union, and
who, now an oCtogeniarian, held the
office OF President Of Pennsylvania, wal
in utter despair, Washington, retired
10 his beloved Mount Vernon, was
writing letters to Hamilton, Knox and
Lafayette, full Of grief and misanthrophy,
At last, when every State In It's turn
had humiliated Congress, the people be-
gan to appreciate what the matter was,
The brilliant leaders Of Federalist opin-
ion became aggressive, and boldly pro-
claimed that State sovereignty was a
dismal fetch. Hamilton revived bis
scheme for a Constitutional Convention,
first drafted In 1888, and then abandoned
for want OF support. State after State
declared la favor OF Virginia's call for u
conference, and In the howery months
OF May, 1857, a body OF the most illus.
triOus men OF the Nation, men who had
served in Congress and on the battle.
field, whose talents were conceded, and
whose character was established, repre-.
seutiug eleven OF the thirteen warning
soyereignties, came together In Phila.
delphia, charged 10 frame q Constitution
under which itshould be possible 10 give
republican and confederated govern.
ment a fair and honest trial,
Upon all questions relating to the Elk.
eCutlye-of how many persons II should
consist, how it should be selected, how
long 1t should hold office, with what
powers It should be eudowed-the con.
vention was in the nature OF things fore.
doomed TO the liveliest kind OF debate,
Washington'a words In the convention
were few, always spoken at critical mo.
ments, always and instantly effective.
He had now reached the point In his
career when his Countrymen could see
nothing In him that was not beautiful
and good, when his personal enemies
had all dropped into merited obsCurity
or had obeyed the promptings Of their
better nature and acknowledged his
purity and wisdom. He bore himself in
this supreme eminenCe with that same
dignity, that same nobility aud gen
erosity OF soul, that same unyieldlng dc.
votion TO his sense OF duty which he had
shown throughout the war.
ItGxplalns the remarkable position he
held In this historic assembly. 1t ex.
plains how, divided in all else, no one Of
his 100000 Countrymen so much as
thought Of any other Chief Magistrate.
1t Is tho necessary conclusion from all
he said and did and 1t remains to-day,
us 1t will remain forever, the judgment
Of oil the world.
Several OF tho strongest men In tho
Convention were opposed TO Wilson's
motion in favor of single Executive.
Randolph declared that "unity In the
Executive IL the ioetus OF monarchy"
and wanted an executive board compos.
ed Of three members from each OF the
three divisions OF the country, geograph.
ically described. Sherman agreed with
Wilson, but suggested a council which
should have both restraining and coer.
Give powers over the Executive. Wilson
protested that councils ofthis sort "Oiten
covered venal practices and prevented
them, and on June 4 his motion pre-.
vailed, seven States sustaining II against
Delaware, Maryland aud New York,
This vote was never reconsidered. In
the meanwhile the Executive powers
had been defined, though somewhat
vaguely. lie was authorized to Garry
into effect all National laws and to ap.
point to oil Offices not otherwise pro.
vided for"
Gouyerneur Morris, one OF the most
accomplished OF the Covention's literary
men, revised the draft OF the Constitu.
ton, being one OF q committee OF five
to whom that honorable labor was con.
fined. Their report underwent some
further revision, and then, on Septem.
Der Is, the question came up upon It's
adoption as a whole. Gerry, Of Massa.
and Randolph and Mason, OF
Virginia, were the principal malcontents.
Mason, who had done 80 much TO make
1t wise and noble document, still saw
behind 1t the grim shadow Of throne.
Gerry's objections were numerous aud
trivial, but to his mind insuperable.
Randolph, jealous OF Madison, would
neither candidly oppose nor openly ia.
vor, but endeavored 10 dodge. Tho
States, however, negatived Gerry's mo.
ton for q new convention unanimously
and then Us unanimously adopted the
Constitution as reported. For various
accidental causes, several OF the dole.
gates were denied the precious boon OF
placing their signatures under 1t, but
only these three, Gerry, Randolph and
Mason, positively refused TO sign.
Washington, full OF happiness, lost no
time In transmitting to Congress his re.
report as President OF the Convention,
together with a copy Of the @ Constitution,
and Congress promptly sent IL 10 the
State Legislatures requesting that they
summon conventions Of the people TO
act upon It. The opposition to 1t was
conferred In Virginia, New York and
Massachusetts, and It's most dangerous
foes were Patrick Henry, Governor Gin
ton and Elbridge Gerry. II had been
ordered by Congress that upon It's adop.
ton by nine States its provisions should
20 into operation, and the Government
should supersede the Confederacy. By
the first OF December Delaware's Conven.
ton was In session, and December 1t had
unanimously adopted the Constitution.
Ten days later Pennsylvania, by vote
OF 40 10 %, Joined hands with Delaware,
and In another week New Jersey had
also given o unanimous and favorable
verdict. Georgia celebrated the new
year by giving another unanimous vote
In favor Of the new charter Of govern.
mont, and Connecticut presently, by l2S
against 40, came into line. The obstruc.
tionists succeeded In working up a
powerful party BY this time, and thepro.
s,snsa ~ lilo nnuntHV tntuobI Nalinnnl