The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-01

rebellion was threatened Congress TO-
fused even the loan OF arms, 1t wnB
Bmnll wonder TINT Congress hGsltntcd to
ovcrlcnp Its powers to affbrd protection
to u state when 1t found II was unable
to protect itself. Three years before, n
squad Of eighty mutiledrs, Justly indig-
nunt at not having received their pay,
had made the Congress or tho United
States flee from Philadelphia to Trcn-
ton. II wHa Mt this point TINT the
statesmen OF that time realized that
something must b0 done or reckless and
murtlGrous anarchy would rule. 1t WIS
u "time that tried mems souls" Us Sorcly
ns uid tho privntlonS and uncertainties
OF tho revolution that had Just closed.
But as the hour had come the men were
there to meet the full responsibilities
which the occasion presented. 1t would
he well for the followers OF SOME OF the
'isms' ofto-duyt oscRn closely the paEca
OF the C0untry'S history at that time
and study the results TINT Am out OF
tho darkest days Of ltH llfc-thnt sun OF
bcnclccnCc that at last sl0ne through
the rIftlnE clouds, the constitution OF
the United States OF America. They
may yet be made wise In their day ind
generation
It II then that the great protaEo-
nists In that marvellous drama OF the
nations Of the curth began to act.
The federal convention met In Phlln-
delphIa, May %, 1887. the delegates or
gambling by electlng George Washing
ton president. Rhode Island took no
part In the proceedings: but delegates
appointed by ale legislatures OF the
other twelve states, finally appeared. On
September II the constitution was fin
allv completed and was signed by less
than thrce-fOurths Of the delegates who
attended, many OF these doubling Its
wisdom nnd fearing its failure, but ac-
cCptlnS the scheme MS the only chance
OF escape from anarchy and dissolution.
Scanning the history OF these troublous
times It IL nothing short Of marvellous
that the document survived Its enemies
without and the discontinued within the
councils that framed the instrument,
and II Is not n violent supposltlon TINT
the hand OF Omniscicnce alone safely
guided Its destiny. The work was we'll
done. There IL no other document OF
Ike character In the world TO compare
with It. The impOtent compact, the mr.
ticles OF confederation. had served its
purpose, for out OF all Its mistakes came
that incompatible instrument, the con-
stitutiun. lts frumcrS took the best
that was found In all other experiments
and coupled them with the Inventions
that were inspired by their own expert
cnor. 1t nt not only the demands OF
that critical occasion, but has met the
requirements OF all time since. Its
praises sung by Gladstone, quoted ut the
opening Of this article. have been sup
p~lcmentcd recently by as great n tribute,
uttered by another great English states
man, who said OF one of It's creations.
that the supreme court Of the United
States vas the greatest and most pow
crful judicial body the world has ever
seem" Praise from these Sir Ruperts
Of stntccraft Is praise indeed. Raised
on the altar Of n dearly bought freedom.
and afterwards sanctiilcd with the blood
Of 4 fratrlcidal war, 1t should indeed be
cherished by Americans above all things
human.