The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-16

surely we VIII hang separately, the
portly Harrison responded with the
more daring humor, "1t will be all
over with me in moment, but you
will be kicking in the air half an hour
after | am gone" Thus flashed athwart
the great charter which was to be for
its signers death-warrant or dipio-
ma of Immortality, as with firm hand,
high parpose and undaunted resolution
they subscribed their names, this mock
cry Of fear and the penalties of trea-
son." 4 ::
More clearly than any statesman OF
the period did Thomas Jefferson grasp
and divine the possibilities of popular
government. He caught and crys-
talized the spirit Of free institutions.
His philosophical mind was singularly
free from the power of precedents or
the chains of prejudice. He had an
unquestioning and abiding faith in the
people, which was accepted by but few
of his compatriots. Upon his famous
axiom, of the equality of all men be-
fore the law, he constructed his system.
1t was the trip-hammer essential for
the emergency to break the links
binding the colonies to imperial au-
thority, and to pulverize the privi-
leges of caste. 1t inspired him to write
the Declaration of independence, and
persuaded him to doubt the wisdom
of the powers concentrated in the con-
stitution. In his passionate love of
| liberty he became intensely jealous OF
authority. He destroyed the substance
OF royal prerogative, but never emerg-
ed from its shadow He would have
the States as the guardians of popular
rights and the barriers against cen
tralization, and he saw in the growing
power of the Nation ever-increasing
encroachments upon the rights of the
people. For the success of the pure
Democracy which must precede Presi-
dents and Cabinets and Congresses,
it was perhaps providential that its
apostle never believed great people
could grant and still retain, could
delegate and yet firmly hold the au-
thority which untimely created the
power of their Republic and enlarged
the scope of their own liberty.
Where this n1astermind halted, all
stood still. The necessity for per
manent Union was apparent, but each
5 State must have hold upon the bow
fl string which encircles its throat. II
, was admitted that union gave the ma
f chinery required to successfully hgh
: the common enemy, but yet there was
f fear that it might become Franken
c stein and destroy its creators. Thu
# patriotism and fear, difficulties of com
v munlcation between distant communl
f ties, and the intense growth OF pro
IS vincial pride and interest, led thu
S Congress to frame the Articles of Con
e federation, happily termed the Leagu
l. of Friendship. The result was not
l. government but ghost. By thi
!, scheme the American people were ig
!, nored and the Declaration OF lnde
J. pendence reversed.
n But, while the perlls OF war ma
" given temporary strength to the Cor
N federation, peace developed its fat
weakness, States passed exclusive an
S. hostile laws against each other, an
as riot and disorder threatened the dl
d. interrogation of society. "Our stock
rs stolen, our houses are plundered, o.
re farms are raided." cried delegate
TO the Massachusetts, convention "de
of potism is better than anarchy ~ l
te, raise four millions of dollars ye
e- was beyond the resources of the Go
nv ernment, and three hundred thOusal
d, was the limit of the loan it could S
tai cure from the money Lenders of EuroI
nd Even Washington exclaimed in d
m spair: 81 see one head gradual
Ie, changing into thirteen; l see o
he army gradually branching into thirtee
raj which, instead of oflooking up to Go
he gress as the supreme controlling pow
The are considering themselves as depen
The ing on their respective States. - A
,od later, when independence had be
1b- won, the impotency of the Cover
OIL ment wrung from him the exclan
be, ton: .sAfter gloriously and succe
contending against the usurpation
ok. Great Britain we may fall a prey
Ith, our own folly and disputes.
for But even through this Cimmerl
nth darkness shot fame which lllumlr
md the coming century, and kept bri
,ng the beacon fires of liberty. The arc
in tects of constitutional freedom form
rip their institutions with wisdom VIII
ar forecasted the future. They may
ele- have understood at first the whole trt
of but, tor that which they knew, t
SOL had the martyrs spirit and the err
the ders' enthusiasm.
un- The government OF the republic
lnce Congress of States, a diplomatic
ohm vention of the ambassadors of p'
,rice tcommonwealths. after seven years
him was falling asunder. Threatened
.We civil war among itsmembers, insur
little ton and lawlessness rife within
resi- States, foreign commerce ruined
she internal trade paralyzed, its cure
,blic, worthless, its nero hsnts bankrupt
were farms rnortgaged, its markets clio
slen- its labor unemployed, it was lik