The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-01-21
THE STORY OF THE CONSTITUTION.
(Report for Class e by J.. R.)

After eleven years of government rather mis-
government under the Confederation, and at a
time when the country was on the verge of ruin
and bankruptcy, congress consented to the calling
of a Constitutional conventan for the purpose of
amending the articles of Confederation. that it
could levy a tax according to the population and
use the money to pay off the interest on the pub
lie debt Three times before did congress try to
get the states to amend the articles for the same
purpose, but without success and SO little faith or
respect did the people have for congress or for the
Confederation, that this last effort to amend the
articles would have failed also but for the fact
that the call for the convention came from the
leading state in the Union Virgina-and that
Washington favored the movement. Following
the example set them by Virginia the rest of the
states, with the exception Of Rhode Island elect
ed delegates to the proposed convention and to-
day the fame of the men chosen is one of the
glories Of American History. 1t is not my inten-
ton to weary you with recital Of their names,
suffice it to say that the first name this immor
tai scroll is the name of George Washington,
man who had the great knack of being first in
every thing that had the good of his country his
countrys people as its aim. Nor would l be the
son of my father if were to neglect the opportu-
nifty here presented. to mention the name of John
Rutlidge, native of Ireland, and student of law
at the Temple. Inferior to none of his contempt
raries in learning and eloquence as our text book
says. he was a member of the first congress-: gov
ernor. judge of the state court of chancery, and
chief justice of his own state; was appointed by
Washington justice of the supreme court of the
United States. And there was Pierce Butler. also
an Irshman. and the first United States Senator
from his state. Both those sprigs of the Emerald
md shodo no oil of
Carolina. and as read the names of the
ffts-five delegates who participated in the immor-
tai work of framing the National Constitution it is
very easy to believe the statement of Mr.. Thorpe
when he said they Composed the most remarka-
BILE body of statesmen that ever assembled on
this continent or any ether continent for that
matter" The great work that was destined to
make those men famous was started on the 25th
of May. 1887. in the assembly hall of the state
house at Philadelphia, when motion Of John
Langdon. Washington called to the chair and
William Jackson was appointed secretary. Three
days later nine states being represented the
floor the doors were shut solemn pledge of sec
rec, vas imposed on the members, and the work
began, and it was not until fifty years had passed
that the proceedings were made known, fact
which leads one to think that the women of those
days took but little if any interest in politics.
do not propose to go into the convention with
the delegates in this paper. My idea was to collect
them together, as it were, see them into the hal
and started on their great work leaving it to the
next Chautauquan who follows me. and whose duty
it will be to report on 1.-THE Story of the Consttu
tion' to escort them out again.
ITO see wrong DONE and keep silence, is
tacitly to be implicated"
Faith huilds a hridpe across the onlf nj
death.-Edward Young.
Alcohol is the mother of sorrow.-Dr. B.
W. Richardson.