The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Evolution of the Constitution of the
United States.


Histories of the Constitution usually de-
scribe the labors of its trainers in the con-
vention of 1857, and the contests of political
parties over the adoption of the instrument
by the requisite number of States in the
following year, together with such changes
or developments as have taken place since
that time. The works which have touched
on its sources or origin have treated 1t as
invented by the convention which framed
it or have sought in England or other Eu-
ropean countries for forms of government
which were like it or which might have
suggested its various provisions. Mr.. Sgd
ney George Fisher, author of THE Evolu-
ton of the Constitution of the United
States" holds that the Constitution is
neither an invention nor an imitation, and
he UNDERSTANDS to trace back, through pre-
vious American documents in colonial
times, every material clause of it. These
documents ere very numerous including
twenty-nine colonial charters and consti-
tutionS, seventeen revolutionary constitu-
lions and tWenty-three plans of union-in
all, sixty-nine different forms of govern
ment which were either in actual or in at
tempted operation in America during a
period of about two hundred years, from
1884 to 1877. These various documents con-
stituted the school of thought the expert
ments, and the training which In the end
produced our national Constitution. The
long, and the sfxty-nine different forms of
government We're certainly numerous and
varied enough to bring about the final re-
SUIT, and they account for ii in a more
clear, complete and satisfactory manner
than any of the theories of sudden inspira-
ton or Imitation of England or Holland
that nave been preached Following out
this idea the author of this work traces
back clause of the Constitution through
an the previous documents. with quotations
from each document showing the gradual
oeVelopment, the experience that was ac-
nv No -fr,,.a ,fr
The quotations and references are very
numerous and very interesting for the light
LUTON. Ihey SHOW conclusively that IT is a
development of progressive history. and not
an an, isolated document struck off at a given
tIule OF an imitation of English or Dutch
forms OF government. Cloth 81 20 Phila
oelphla; ). r. Lippincott Company
MademOiseIle Blanche.
John d. Barry is a rising Aroar,oo, -,
thor. He has written some 1rst-rata eto-
rIes and done other creditabie literary
work. A new novel by him, entitled "NIad-
emoiselle Blanche" is very clevar e+
the French style. The scene of the stor,,
Is laid in Paris. Mile. Blanche was On
acrobat who performed at the Chrome pa
risian in white silk tights a wonderf,,l
backward plunge of more than seventv-eve
feet into a net. With this beautiful ora
brave young creature Jules LIE Baron a
young French business man, fell in love
He was thirty years old and vain and sell
fish, yet when he obtained an introduction
TO Mile. Blanche he met a woman so pure
so sweet and pious that for q time the
blase Partisan fell desperately in love with
her, The girl was working TO support her
mother and two sisters. lie Baron wooed
her in knighuy fashion, and won and mar
ried her. a imost Immediately after the
marriage his selhshness began to appear
Although he had a little property OF his
own and could have supported his wife he
at once became her business manager and
began TO live off her daring feat She an-
cepts the situation uncomplainingly. while
he becomes engrossed with his duties as
her manager. He is impatient with the in
terrupton which comes through mother
hood, and jealous of the little one until the
performances are resumed. Then tremors
and misgivings begin TO assail the yoIng
woman and she begins 10 fear that She
viii be nervous and lose her courage In
deed, she IS nervous. This develops a sort
Of selfish brutality In the husband who
after all. seems to have fallen In love with
the performer rather than the woman. She
resumes her performance but is soon re-
CURED by her physician to desist at least