Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-03

(aga,AH remarkably youthful
MW w set OF men. 1t is the
NINA \ "w G., queue and knee
n Tx brooches" VIII CHI have
Il I'M ( caused the misappre-
M ! A|M{ hension. The pictures
3TiiH ilD@, in the school history
90 =, I%p5y, show hite-haired men
>&s 4X who bear every appear
Sr--I'l fsHV ancc of being "well up
tHH4Nf ,W@ in years." and the child
N{ M in. t'nctv ely thinks OF
M ' them as old. AlMo.t
t$s }iNM superhuman wisdom
WI 49, was required to dis
., ,hc-r almost impossible task, and
lal5 .."ncntly seemed as though they
'u' hove no sscssed the requisite wisdom
u c ',I OF the world. If the
=, an were asked which of the two
D.. VI the convention OF 1887 or the
ia ..,j states Senate of 1883, showed the
N .,aS, average of age, doubtless n.ne
sm ons ont OF every ten would answer
=. tho trainers OF the Constitut on were
1 Tnmy.onc deputies from the various
'.n. subscribed their names to the
,a.,itution on the 18th of September,
~ The birthdays of all but four are
nwu OF these thirty-seven there
ore but five who were as old as GO. and,
ruth. one OF these five did not COM
e,c his sixtieth year until the month
Tor the convention dissolved. The
s..or of the body was Benjamin Frank
who was more than 81 when it met.
oser sherman came next in seniority.
ls, Then followed two members each
their >ixty-fourth year, and the dep
" who was just turning go. But only
,,~sxth of the whole number were en-
fled to be called old men.
Turn now to the other extreme. JON
han Dayton, of New Jersey, lacked
,rra months of being % when the
bnycntion met; William jackson, of
ennsyiyana. was but 20; Charles
Mckinney, OF South Carolina, only 30;
eyander Hamilton, of New York, was
1t few months past 80; Rufus King,
Massachusetts,, 30; Gouverneur Nor
Of New York, So; and James Madi-
IN. of Virginia, 36. Twelve of the
rty-sevcn were under 40, and twenty
!, than 45 years old. A full third were
MS within the class which, in speaking
age nowadays, we call young men.
he average age of the whole number
III just inside As years.
II would be waste of space to argue
at the young men of the convention
their full share of the work. 1t is
olgh to have cited the great names
st mentioned and to add that the COM
i,tee TO which the instrument was re-
rred for final revision consisted of
hnson, aged 60; Hamilton, 80; Cow
leur Morris, 35; Madison, SO; and
ng, 80. Bancroft calls Madison "the
et author of the Constitution" Ham
n's work in the Fedcralist is conceded
ave been the most potent agency in
aending the instrument to the coun-
!h securing its adoption. Marshall,
eOnly 33, furnished the powerful as
Eslce without which Madison could
have secured the narrow majority
which their State was persuaded to
Eept ii.
The Constitutional Convention was
unique as field for youthful
hievcment. Jefferson was only 33
Jars old when he wrote the "Declara-
Oh Of independence. Hamilton was
(ade Secretary of the Treasury by
ashlngton, and began his career as
nancer at the age of 80. At the same
ne King, who had become carpet
psser" to New Yorkshire he repre-
Fnted Massachusetts in the Constitu-
onal Convention-was elected United
'ateS Senator at 3D. Thirty had been
Sed as the minimum age for Senators,
pa half of those first elected were be-
seen 30 and IS. A few years later
ehry Clay came to the Senate and was
united without thought that he was
o. ehgibe-the fact being that he did
o. reach the age of 80 until more than
lree months later.
NO limit of age for the judiciary was
Sed IN the Constitution, but if there be
Il! place in the Government where ma
Ifily is demanded, it is on the bench of
IL supreme Court. Washington APP
united as one of the early justices
aaes lredell, who was but 80 years old;
Dal, Adams gave place to Bushrod
raaS, i at 36, and Jefferson named
a llllam johnson at only 80. This was
uply the adoption by the Federal Gov
ament Of the same principle which the
'a'es had applied to the choice of
lases' John Jay, who was made first
u as, Justice of the United States at 40,
~ 'l oeen appointed Chief Justice of New
YIN when but 81. lredell had been
suse OF the Superior Court of North
4 no when only 81.
ane truth is that what we have come
eohs'der the especial era Of old men
~ really the most remarkable period
our history for young men. They en-
c" vu chance a century ago such as
rO pas men have never had since the war
p rss down temporarily, some of the
'lefs against youth in public life, but
~ eontrollihg forces were welded by
ea., whose average age was number of
En-, I,s greater than that of their grand
r,i', who held sway during the revo-
Fsllno,nary period.
eow-going," we are won't to call the
|c s!s Vi the eighteenth century; "a fast
En Is the common description of our
adj PERIOD. Both expressions are mis-
NIS. Our conservative ancestors
o ~, " thelr boys through college dur
|o,.. .lelf teens; two members of the
IisS''.utlonal Convention had graduated
For w. I one at II, and three at 16. New
i IN IN college will not admit boy until
Io nos completed his fifteenth year, and
,rr aserage age of graduation at both
ea, s"fo and Yale is between 90 and 23
>''s'-Edlrard P. Clark.
Ian "a nc: BARTEN1EFF, the young Rus
oiilcer of hussars who was con-
|g Itieo a few weeks ago to term of