The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-03
OHAUTAUQUA.
THE CONSTITUTION .

(Report of class by L. O. P.)
On the 25th of May in the year 1887, there was
assembled in the state house at Philadelphia a
body of delegates to a convention to be held for
the purpose of framing National Constitution.
During the period which elapsed previous to the
signing of the Constitution many questions of
state and national importance were discussed be-
fore the convention and. after considerable de.
bate. settled satisfactorily to the majority. Elk.
ception must be made however. in the settlement
of three questions of great national Importance
not alone questions of the day but also ques-
tions of the future. namely, Estate Rights" rep
resentation," and slavery" This latter involved
the question of representation. These questions
rose before the convention in all their magnitude
upon the submission of the two plans Of govern.
ment known as the New Jersey and virginia"
plans. The New Jersey plan of government, as
presented to the convention for consideration, W as
based on state supremacy; the state was to have
the controlling power; state law would be above
and supercede the national law; and the state
could withdraw from the Confederation. in which
the state and not the people was to be repre-.
sented. On the other hand the Virginia plan of
government was, to all intents and purposes an
oligarchy though it gave representation to the
people, decided that the majority should rule and
gave strength through a more perfect union Of the
states. Such, in brief. were the two forms of
government which. by compromise upon each.
formed the nucleus of our Constitution by which
state and national rights are fairly represented.
The second question, that of state representa-
ton in the national government, gave origin to
third that Of slavery, which was not disposed of
until the close of the Civil War. The Eastern
States. upon the discussion Of the slave represent
tation question before the convention. declared
that as the slaves were chattles and had no repre-
sentaton in their respective states therefor they
were not entitled to representation in the national
legislative bodies. The Southern delegates admit.
ted that slaves were properties but being part of
the state population they must be represented in
order that the slave holding states would have
equal representation with the non.slave holding
states. The controversy was disposed of at that
time by compromise between the two PARTIES
the South was to have representation for three.
fifths of the slave population and the privilege of
importing slaves until the year 1908. For these
concessions the Southern delegates were to lend
their aid in securing the adoption of the Naviga-
ton Act.
We see that the convention made two compro.
misses which. so long each party was satisfied.
were of little moment after their supposed settle.
ment but in time new party arose who cared
not that the Constitution was then the law of the
land. and they feigned to see in the Constitution
the authority for their demands. The cry of
Estate rights and notification" was raised by
the South. and for quarter Of century Jno. c.
Calhoun 1.-THE great nullifier," wasted all his en-.
ergy and talents to obtain a settlement of this
question. But agitation on the one side had pro-
duced party of opposition and Calhoun found
opposed to him the giant intellects of Clay and
Webster. The question of state notification be.
came one of slavery; but the heavy hand of death
mercifully interviewed to hide from the "great
nullifier" the denouement of that questionable
Civil War. Another question put and an.
swered by this war. namely, us the Constitution
the supreme law of the United States?' The
North said yes. and its patriotic citizens fought
and bled to make it so. Years may come and 60
nations may succeed nations. and America be re-
discovered and our Constitution. craven on tab.
lets of stone. be dug from beneath the ruins of the
Capitol at Washington and handed down to those
generations to come, and from which they will
draw their ideas of government. but the eternity
of the future will be unable to produce a code Of
laws and administer them to excel the administers
ton of the United States Constitution. 1t was
Sept. II. 1857. that the Constitution was signed by
the delegates present, thirty.eght in ALL Around
those men American history will ever cast its
brightest light. and as years roll on, and time
with its everclangng bell has rung in new changes
in country and people. in customs and laws, and
the administration of government. when the ma
ton has grown old and the occurrences of the
past and present traditional-the work Of
these men will stand before the generations tt
come as the most glorious event in the history o.
America
THE WIFE OF COIIJMRIIS