Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-05-01

freedom formed their institutions with Wis
dom which f0recasted the future. They may
Lot have understood at first tbs whole truth.
but, for that which they knew, they had the
martyrs spirit and the crusaders enthusiasm
The most significant triumph Of these moral
and intellectual forces was that which se-
cured the assent of the states to the hmita-
ton Of their boundaries, to the grant Of the
wilderness beyond them 70 the general gov
eminent. and to the insertion in the ordi-
nance erecting the northwest territories Of
the immortal proviso prohibiting slavery
or involuntary servituder within all that
broad domain These states became the bull
warks Of nationality and the buttreses Of
freedom Their preponderating strength
first checked and then broke the slave power,
their fervid loyalty halted and held at bay
the spirit Of state rights and secession for
generations; and when the crisis came, it was
with their overwhelming assistance that the
nation killed and buried its enemy. The cor
ner stone of the edifice whose centenary we
are celebrating was the ordinance of 1851.
1t was constructed by the feeblest OF con-
crosses, but few enactments Of ancient or
modern times have had more far reaching
and benefcent influence 1t Is one of the
sublimest paradoxes Of history, that this
weak confederation of states should have
welded the chain, against which, after seven
ty-four years of fretful efforts for release, its
own spirit frantically dashed and d ed.
The deliberations of great councils have
vitality affected, at different periods, the his
tory Of the world and tho fate Of empires;
but this congress builded, upon popular SOW
ereignty, institutions broad enough TO en-
brace the continent, and elastic enough to fit
all conditions of race and traditions. The
experience of q hundred years has demon
strated for us the perfection of the work, for
defense against foreigai foes, and for self
preservation against Jmestic instruction,
for limitless expansion in population and ma
terial development, and for steady growth in
intellectual freedom anu force Its continu-
ing influence upon tie welfare and destiny
Of the human race can only be measured by
the capacity of man to cultivate and enjoy
the boundless opportunities Of liberty and
law. The eloquent characterization of Mr..
Gladstone condenses its merits: "The Amer
lean Constitution is the most wonderful work
ever struck off at a given time by the brain
and purpose of man,
There were no examples to follow, and the
experience Of its members led part of them
to lean toward absolute Capitalization as the
only refuge from the anarchy Of tho con-
federation, while the rest chung to the SOW
ereignty Of the states, for fear that the con-
centration Of power would end in the absorb
ton of liberty. The large states did not
want TO surrender the advantage of their
position, and the smaller states saw the dan
ger To their existence.
AT this crisis the courage and confidence
needed to originate system weakened The
temporizing spirit OF compromise seized the
convention with the alluring proposition of
not proceeding faster than the people could
be educated to follow. The cry, LET us not
waste our labor upon conclusions which will
not be adopted, but amend and adjourn
was assuming startling unanimity. But the
supreme force and maj estic sense of Wash
ington brought the assemblage to the lofty
plane of its duty and opportunity. He said:
ut is too probable that no plan we propose
will be adopted Perhaps another dreadful
conflict is to be sustained. If to please the
people we offer what we ourselves disapprove,
how can we afterwards defend our workl
Let us raise q standard to which the wise
and honest can repair; the event is in the
hands of God.n
Freed from the limitations of its environ
ment, and the question of the adoption Of its
work. the convention erected its government
upon the eternal foundations Of the power of
the people. 1t dismissed the delusive theory
of compact between independent states,
and derived national power from the people
of the United States. It broke up the ma
chinery of the confederation and put in prac-
teal operation the glittering generalities Of
the Declaration of Independence. From
chaos came order, from insecurity came
safety, from disntegration and civil war
came law and liberty, with the principle pro-
claimed in the preamble of the great charter,
"We, tho people of the United States in
order TO form a more perfect union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defense, promote the general
welfare aud secure the blessings Of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and
establish this constitution for the United
States"
With a wisdom inspired Of God, to work
out upon this continent the liberty Of man,
they solved the problem of the ages by blend
ing, and yet preserving, local self government
with national authority, and the rights Of the
states with the majesty and power Of the
republic.
The constitution which was to be strength
ened by the strain of a century, to be a
mighty conqueror without subject province,
to triumphantly survive the greatest of civil
wars without the conflscation OF an estate or
the execution of political offender, to Gre
ate and grant home rule and state sovereignty
to twenty-nine additional commemorative,
and yet enlarge its scope and broaden its
power, and to make the name of an Ameri-
can citizen a title OF honor throughout the
world, came complete from this great conven-
ton 10 the people for adoption. As Hancock
rose frnm his seat in the old congress, eleven
years before, to ca the Declaration of INDIE
perdence, Franklin saw efnbiazoned on the
back Of the presidents char the sun PARTLY
above the her. zoa, but it seemed setting Ia
a blood red sky During the seven years Of
4he confederation he had gathered no hope
from the gIitterlng emblem, but now as with
clear vision he behell fixed upon eternal
foundations the enduring structure Of consti-
tutional liberty, pointing to the sign, he for
got his eign y-two years, and with the enthu-
siasm OF youth electrified the convenfion
with the declaration: s.Now know that it is
the rising Sun.
Opposition 10 the Consultation.
The r.de Of the states and the ambition Of
-