Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-26

Constitution we're not in Dir. Reads
handwriting, Eut were probably I'D
that of the seci etary OF the conVehtipn.
since The secretary would be the proper
one tn supply copies of changes and
amendments TO the presiding officer,
Mr., buchanan says that it is probable
that this paper is the one Mr.. keao
had before him.
Ciecrpe Read seems never to have
claimed that he framed the Constr
tuition. But why should he make
cony of itY he was chairman OF the
COMMITTEES 10 frame the Constitution,
and as chairman he would be likely to
take leading part. 1t would not
nayo beep unnatural for him to draft
a constitution as a basis for the com
mittee's work And if he had done
ga it would not be strange for MIN
ia keen his rough draft, to which the
secretary might add the amendments
ne thew we're made But whatever the
argument, tho fact remains that. the
claim for Mr.. Read is not conclusiveiy
nroyep, He is not quoted as making
the claim himself, and it is possible
that the ''origina draft was a copy
Let us now look into the claim for
| Mr.. Mexican. This is based, as already
stated, on Mr.. :dcnean's own state
mept. Thus he writes to Gov. Rodney
in 1913: when the associators we're
discharged | returned to Philadelphia,
took my seat in Congress, and signed
the declaration on parchment. Two
DAYS after went to New Castle, Joined
the Convention for forming constitV-
ton for the future government OF the
State of Delaware y which
wrote in a tavern without book or
any assistance This is Mr.. Mexican Is
story of the matter. As given by San
derson in his Biographies of the
Sigpers, the story is more striking. Fol
there it is said that when Mckear
reached the seat of the convention
latter fatiguing ride. committee o.
gentlemen waited on him, and requested
that he would prepare n constitution
for the future government of the state
, To this he consented. He retired to hit
, room in the tavern, sat up all the night
, and having prepared it without a book
] or any assistance whatever, presented
] it, at 10 o'clock next morning, 10 tn
! House, when it was unanimousl.
adopted. "
. MIR. McKean's biographer, Mr.
' Buchanan. accepts the account as givel
1 by Sandersnn, with the exception o
! the last part which says that Mckea!
: himself presented the report and indi
Q Gates that it was Immediately adopted
Q A comparison of Mr.. Mckean's state
( ment with Sanderson's account show
= that Sanderson says much more thu
: Mexican. IL is the story as told b
1 Sanderson that William T. Read use
o in his argument against the lain fo
$ Mr.. Mexican. Just one thing is clehi
S and that is that Thomas Mexican say
# of the Constitution (which | wrote j
n a tavern without book or any assist
# ance." His integrity is without que'
tion.
% Thomas Mexican certainly did nj
n lack the ability to do what he says |
IS did. He was an active public mar
d He could fill more than one office su'
y cessfully. He had taken an active pa
in procuring the Declaration of Ind
% pendence. He was member of I'll
d committee to prepare and digest Il
!; form of confederation for the colonie
., He was eminently we'll fitted to Wi
,r constitution. His statement that |
did 30 has never been disproved.
D. This Constitution remained in for,
is until 1892 when new one was adopte'
r. This was succeeded by the Constitute
ID of 1881, and it by thatsof 1897.