The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-05-03

they had the martyrs spirit and the cru
saders' enthusiasm
The government of the republic by Con-
gress Of States, a diplomatic convention of
the ambassadors Of petty commemorative,
after seven years trial. was falling
asunder. Threatened with civil war among
its members, instruction and lawiessDess
rife within the States, foreign commerce
ruined and internal trade paralyzed, its cur
rency worthless, its merchants bankrupt,
It's IaTIas mortgaged, It's markets closed, It's
labor unemployed, 1t was Ike a helpless
wreck upon the ocean, tossed about by the
tides and ready to be engulfedin the storm.
Washington gave the warning apo called
Tor action. 1t was a voice accustomed TO
command, but now entreat-ug. The vet
Grams of the war and the statesmen of the
Revolution stepped to the front The
patriotism which had been misled but had
never faltered rose above the interests Of
States and the jealousies of jarring Con-
federates to find the basis for union. 1T is
clear to me as A. b, c, - said Washington,
that an extension Of Federal powers
would make us one of the most happy,
wealthy, respectable and powerful nations
that ever Inhabited the terrestrial globe.
Without them we shall soon be
every thing which is the direct reverse.
predict the worst consequences from half
starved, dmping Government, always NOV
ing upon crutchss, and tOttering at every
step" The response of the country was the
convention of 1877, at Philadelphia. The
Declaration Of Independence was but the
vestibule of the temple which this illustri-
presidents to guide it auspiciously worked
out the problem of Constitutional Govern
ment, and of imperial power and home
rule, experimenting each other In promot~
ing the grandeur of the Nation, and preseTv-
ing the liberty of the individual.
The deliberations Of great councils have
vitally affected, at different periods, the
history of the world and the fate of En-
pires; but this Congress builded, upon pop
ular sovereignty, institutions broad enough
to embrace the continent and elastic
Nn ~ : Of
and traditions. The experience of
a hundred years has demonstrated
for us the perfection of the work, for de-
tense against foreign foes, and for self
preservation against domestic insurrectiOn,
for hmitless expansion in population and
material development, and for steady
growth in intellectual freedom and force.
Its continuing influence upon the welfare
and destiny of the human race can only be
measured by the capacity of man to Guilt
vate and enjoy the bOundlesS opportunities
of liberty and law. The eloquent character
1Zat1On OF Mr.. Gladstone cOndenSes its
merits: THE American Constitution is the
most wonderful work ever struck of at a
given time by the brain and purpose Of
man.
The statesmen who composed this great
Senate were equal to their trust Their
c nclusiOns were the results of calm debate
and wise concession Their character and
abilities were so pure and great as to com
mand the confidence of the country for the
reversal of the policy of the independence
of the State of the power of the general
Government, which bad hitherto been the
tnvariable practice and almost universal
opinion, and for the adoption of the idea of
the Nation and its supremacy
Towering in majesty and influence above
them all stood Washington, their President
Beside him was the venerable Franklin,
who, though eighty-one years of age,
brought to the deliberations of the conYen-
ton the untmpaired vigor and resources OF
the w1sest brain, the most hopeful
philosophy, and the largest experience of
the times Oliver Ellsworth, afterwards
Chief Justice of the United States,
and the prOfoundest jurist in the
country; Robert Morris, the won
derful financier of the RevO-
luton. and GOuyerneur Morris, the most
versatile genius OF his period: Roger Sher-
man, one of the most eminent of the sign
ers of the Declaration of Independence, and
John Rutledge, Rufus King. Elbridge Gerry,
Edmund Randolph and the Pinckneys, were
leaders OF uneq1aled patriotism, courage,
ability and learning; while Alexander Ham
tlton and James Madison, as original think
ers and constructive statesmen, rank among
the immortal few whose opinions have for
ages guided Ministers of State and deter
mined the destinies of nations.
There were no examples to follow, and the
experience Of it's members led part of them
to lean toward absolute Capitalization as
the only refuge from the anarchy of the
confederation, while the rest chung 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 surrender the advantage of
their position, and the smaller States saw
the danger to their existence.
At this crisis the courage and confidence
4 needed to originate a system weakened
! The temporiZing spirit of compromise
seized the convention with the alluring
/ the people could be educated to fol-
\ low. The cry: Let us not waste
/ our labor upon conclusions which will
not be adopted but amend and
|
\ unity. But the supreme force and majestic
sense Of Washington brought the assem-
/ blage to th1 lofty plane of It's duty and op-
I portuntty He said: 1t is too probable
! that no plan we propose will be adopted
Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be
sustained. If to please the people offer
/ what we ourselves disapprove, how can we
! afterwards defend our work? Let us raise
/ a standard to which the wise and honest
/ can repair; the event is in the hands Of God
Freed from the limitations OF its enYir
ment, and the question of the adoption of
/ its work, the convention erected its Gov
eminent upon the eternal foundations of
/ the power of the people. 1t discussed the
delusive theory of a compact between in
/ dependent States and derived National
! power from the people of the United States.
= 1t broke up the machinery of the COnfeder-
alton and put in practical operation the
| glittering generalities of the Declaration of
/ Independence From chaos came order, from
/ insecurity came safety, from disintegTa-
! ton and civil war came law and liberty,
I
| amble of the great charter, We, the peO-
pie of the United States in order to form a
! more perfect union, establish Justice, in
/ sure domestic tranquility, provide for the
| common defense promote the general vel
! fare, and 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 blending and yet preserving local
go n1-r0T Nation a w
| and the rig Is OF the States, with the
majesty and power of the Republic The
/ government of the States, under the ar
! ticles of confederation, became bankrupt
/ because it could not raise four millions of
| dollars; the Government of the Union, IN
| der the constitution of the United States,
! raised six thousand millions of dollars its
| credit growing nrmer as It's power and re-
| sources were demonstrated The Congress
| of the confederation fed from a regiment,
/ which it could not pay; the Congress of the
/ Union reviewed the comrades of a million
of its victorious soldiers saluting as they
4 marched the flag of the Nation, whose su-
/ premacy they had sustained
| The pride OF the States and the ambition
/ of their leaders, sectional iealousies, and
1 the overwhelming distrust OF centralized
! power, were all arraved against the adOp-
/ ton of the cons tuition.
! Success was due to confidence in Wash
/ iugton and the genius of Alexander Ham,
/ ilUon. Jefferson was the inspiration of in
/ dependence. but Hamilton was the in
] caIndt4ou Oh bHe C'uSNAtulAOu- III Ho age
/ nor country has there appeared more pre-
/ cociOus or amazing intelligence than Ham
1 ilton He gave life to the corpse of Nation.
| al credit. and the strength for self-preser-
| walton and aggressive power to the Federal
! Union Both as an eXpounder of the prin-
| ciples and an administrator of the affairs of
4 government he stands supreme and IN
I rivalled in American history. He captured
( the people of the whole country Tor The
! constitution by his papers in the Federal
/ list and conquered the hostile majority in
/ the New York convention by the splendOr
/ of his oratOry.
/ But the multitudes whom no argument
/ could convince who saw in the Executive
/ rnra-nr and cenfrnl He'd forca OF the consti-