, 1889-05-02
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

hOllllies were so pure ana great a. To com
msnd the confidence Of the country for the
reversal OF the policy of the 10 ndepen dence, ,
of the state OF the power of the general
govern which had hitherto been the
iDvsrisb'e practice and almost universal
opinion, and for the adoption Of the idea
of the nation and ITS supremacy.
ToweriDHi in sjrsty and influence above
them all stood Washi Dgton, their presi-
dent. Beside him was the venerable Frank
I'm. who. though 81 years Of age. brought
to the deliberations Of the con nventiop the
un,nipaired viRor and resources Of the
wispst brain, the most hopeful philosophy,
and the largest experience Of tue times.
Oliver Ellsworth, afterward chief justice
OF the United States. and the profou ndest
jurist IN the country; Robert Morris, the
wonderful 6nancier Of the Revolution. and
Gouvernrur Morris, the most versatile
genius of bis period; Roger sherman. one
Of he most eminent of tue signers OF the
Declafati n of Independence, and John
Rutledee, Rufus King. EIbridge Gerry.
Edmund Randolph and the Pinckueys.
we're
LEADERS or UNEQUALLED PATRI0TIsk,
courage, ability and learning; while
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison,
as or,giual thinkers and and constructive
Statesmen, st rank among the immortal few
whose opinions have for ages guided mia
listers OF state. and determined the dee-
TIMES OF nations.
This great convention keenly felt, ana
with devout and serene intelligence met,
its tremendous responsibilities. 1t had
the moral support OF the few W bose as splrar
tions for liberty had been Inspired or re-
npwed by the triumph Of the American
Revolution, and the active hostility of
every government 10 the world.
There WAS no examples to follow, aud
the experience of Its members led part Of
them TO lean 10 ward ,bsolute Capitalization
AZ the only refuge from thu anarchy Of tue
confederation, while the rest clung to the
sovereignty OF the states, for fear that the
concentration of power would end In the
absorption Of liberty. The large states
did not want to aurrender the advantage
of their position. and the smaller states
saw the danger to sheir existence. The
leagues of the Greek cities had ended 10 oss
OF freedom. tyranny, conquest and destruc-
tion. Roman conquest and assimilation had
strewp the shores of time With the wrecks
of empires, and plunged civilization into
the prrils and horrors of the dark agea.
The government OF Crom we'll was the iso-
lated power Of the mivhtiest man Of his
age. without peculiar authority TO fill his
place or the hereditary principle to protect
his successor. The past furnish heu no liRht
for our state builders. the present was full
of doubt and despair, The future. the ex-
pertinent of self-government. th psrpetu-
ity and development OF freedom, almost
the destiny of mankind, WAS in their
hands.
At this crisis the spirit and confidence
needed to originate u system weakened.
The temporizing
SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE
seized the conventloa with the allurin9
proposition of not proceeding faster than
she- 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 unan-
unity. Bat the supreme force and ma
jestlc sense of Washington brought the
assrnblagc TO the lofty plane of its duty
and opportunity. He said: 1T is too
probable that no plan we propose will De
adopted. Perhaps another dreadful con-
fiict is to be sustained Ii to please the
people we offer what we our selves disap-
prove, how can we afterwards defend our
work. Let US raise n standard to which
the wise and honest can repair; the event
il in the bands of God" II am the
state" said Louis the Fourteenth, but his
line ended in the grave Of abrsolutism.
Forty centuries look down upon you"
was Nspoleon's address to his army. in
the shadow OF the pyramids, but bis sol
diers saw only the dream Of eastern EN-
| pirc vanish in blood. Statesmen aud par
liamentary leaders have sank into oblivion
or led their party to defeat. by surrender
ing their convictions to the passing pas
sions of the hour, but Washington in his
i'm mortal speech struck, the keynote #
representative obligation. and propouuded
! frn al nS ha ~
and p.rpetuity of constitutional gov
! ernment,
| Freed from the Limitations of its envir-
on nment. and the question Of the adoption
! of Ito work. the convention erected its gov
ernment upon the eternal foundations OF
the power of the people. lJ dismissed the
! deusive theory OF u compact between in
| dependent states, and Derived national
! poS oSer from the people OF the United States.
| it broke up the machin,ry ry of the confeder-
alton md put in practical operation the
Rlittering generdlities OF the Declaration q
of Independence,
PROM CHAOS CAME ORDER,
from insecurity came safety, from disinte-
| grafton and civil war came law and liberty,
with the principle proclaimed in the pre-
amble of the great charter, I'VE, The
people of the United States. in order &c
form more perfect union, establish
Justice. Insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense. promote the
general welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
do ordain and establish this constitution
for the United States" With wisdom
inspired Of God, to work out upon this
continent the liberty of man, they solved
the problem of the ages by blending and
yet preserving, loca self-government with
NATIONAL authority, and the rights of the
states. with the majesty ana power of the
republic. The government OF the states
under the articles of confederation
became bankrupt because il could
not raise 81 100000; the government o.
the union, under the constitution Of tn,
United States. raised Sc coo, 600 600, it,
Gre lit growing frmer as its power ant
resources were demonstrated. The con