Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-08-23
Y Two Leaders
u and Their Ideas


He was in France, the representa-
tive of this country, and hence
was unable to make any record in
that convention which tells what
plans he had or favored, touching
the Federal Constitution. His cor
respondencc with friends who were
members of the convention will
show q great deal as to his views
of what the constitution should be.
That correspondence is not accessi-
BILE to the writer at this time, nor
is it needed to tell any one where
Jefferson stood in those exciting
days. His record is written in let
tiers and syllables and sentences
that will live in the minds and
hearts of the American people
when his slanderers and enemies
shall have been forgotten.
But Mr.. Hamilton was a MEM
Der of that great convention. He
made a record in it, and it will live
as long as the printed page is read
by the students of history.
He was not the friend of the
common people. He had no faith
in them except as members of the
serving class. He boldly said they
were incapable of self-government.
Power could not, and, in his opin-
ion, should not be entrusted to
them.
In those days the world did not
enjoy the facilities now common
for reporting debates, etc; but
there were members of that con-
vcntion who placed on paper with
pen and ink what was said and
done. The secret debates in the
convention have been written out
quite fully and printed in book
form by reliable men; and they
say that Mr.. Hamilton was earnest,
active, determined, persistent, a.
bic and powerful in his contention
for a strong centralized govern
ment; that in one of his speeches
he used this language:
"I believe the British govern
ment forms the best model the
world ever produced; and such
has been its progress in the minds
of the many that the truth gradu-
ally gains ground"
Hamilton did not succeed in all
his contentious. He did in some.
1t is due to him that the Federal
Judges hold Office for life. He
wanted all high officers of the gov
eminent to do likewise, but the
friends of Jefferson were too strong
for him.
Let us pause here moment and
ask and answer, each for himself,
one or two questions: With a
President, United States Senators,
all the Federal Judges holding Of
flee for life, accountable to no trib-
unal of the people whatever, en-
tirely beyond their reach, what
sort of government would the A
merican people have in this good
year of our Lord, 1900! What
chances and opportunities would
the plain people have today under
Hamilton's theory Of government
What was Jefferson's idea about
the federal government! Did it
harmonic with Hamilton's! Did
he, in any way whatever, seek to
cut off the plain people from that
share in the federal government
which the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and the old Virginia Bill of
Rights said they We're entitled to
in all governments!
The Declaration says that TALL
just powers Of government are de-
rived from the consent of the gov
erned;" and the Virginia Bill of
Rights says, all power is vested
in and derived from the people;
that magistrates (that is, all pub
lie oflicials) are their trustees and
servants and mt all times amenable
to them" This great paper fur
Their says that mo man or set Of
men are entitled to exclusive or
separate emoluments or privileges
from the community, but in con
sideration of public services"
The enunciation of these princi-
pies by Jefferson and their adOp-