The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-05

I'VE now approach the period of his
services as a statesman. His sagacity had
ena bled him to observe with clearness
the defects of the government which
had for a paper title the old Articles of
Confederation, that pageant of state SOW
ereignty' which all now agree was gov
eminent in name and not in fact. 1t was
on the 18th of October 1881, when the
famous regulars of Lord CORVALLIS
marched out OF their works at Yorktown
and in the presence of the spick and
span regiments of Washington, piled their
arms in capitulation. Their bands were
not permitted to play either a British or
American martial air and so the red
coated fife and drum corps OF King
Georges army, as in lugubrious process
sion it marched by, struck up the music
of an old song, entitled, The World
Turned Upside Down Doubtless singular
ly expressive of their emotions at that
time.
'"The preceding years. since the shot
heard round the world at Concord, On
the 18th of April 1775, had been pregnant
with the fortunes of America. and yet Tor
the last term of seven months and half
of the actual struggle, the war was car
ried on without a government, save the
uncertain, insufficient and largely inutile
authority of the Continental Congress-
This body termed itself The delegates
appointed by the good people of these
colonies
Benjamin Franklin, with his rare sa-
gacity, had previously suggested to Con-
gress a scheme for union between the
colonies until reconciliation with the
mother country, and if that should fail
a perpetual union. For a time his sug-
gestion met with little favor. When how
ever, the commissioning desire for COM
Dlete independence dominated the dele
gates they began to think of union, ana
so. on the 18th day of June, lN6, the daN
after the committee was selected TO drdII
the Declaration of Independence, another
committee was appointed to prepare anu
digest a form of confederation. Ihcpe
was much debate, many changes, and not
until the 18th of November, lT7, year
and six months after the movement was
begun. did the draft receive the final ap-
proyal of Congress. 1t mad now TO De
adopted by the states There was much
hesitation and objection, and not uhlll
March J. 1881, when John Hanson anu
Daniel Carroll, representing the state Oh
MARYLAND, affixed their names TO the N
strument did the thirteen states possess
any semblance of an orderly union
I'm the absence of anything like union,
tho previousyears were teeming with events
which every patriot should know when
every American youth who for moment
has permitted himself to indulge IN
dietr,1st of our government should nave
slammed ,lpon his memory as if they were
chiseled into the living adamaht'
Weakness OF Confederation.
.srbe old Confederation termed itself
the United States of America bur 1t had
10 a1,acutive no courts, no judiciary not
a dollar TO pay a judge or juror,no crlrnlhai
law against the general government NJ
law defining crimes against the sehel a.
government nor any procedure TO prllls
criminaIs to Justice howsoever Migrant
~ violation might have been. Said a
writer of the period, they may declat
a,-ervth,ug and do nothing, and finally
tbo CONGRESS- of the Confederation, after
reneated efforts under the Impossible sys-
tenn TO better affairs, silently ana INFORM
ally disbanded in disgust. Ine frehch
minister wrote to his government there
is row in America no general government
no President nor head Of any one admins
trative department
ITO nobody, save perhaps Hamilton anu
yvasbipotoh were these conditions more
plainly apparent than they We're TO JIM OH
Marshall We may believe that the IRON
MAD entered his soul, when, flaming with
natriotic fire. he had trudged afoot from
vireinia to Philadelphia TO take anew ms
n1ace with the colors, and, pehnheSs
cantain of the Continental line, ne mao
beeu denied admittance to Pniadeiphid
inn He knew that John Adams, our hrst
minister to the Court of St James, though
met bv the venerable Oglethorpe' the
founder of our state, VINO had surNlNeN
- Grst welcome the first minister of the
ta1
Inv inc British ministry, who sent no am
I,ass,f0r in return He knew when our
commissioners offered a commercial treaty
,yitb Great Britain that they were asked
whether fbev had credentials from the
serarate states; that the pubic dep'
could not be renewed; that the interest
could not be met; that civil war; plood-
shed and disintregation would follow II
an attempt 10 cocrce state 10 pay lts
assessment was made, that our securities
were therefore valueless that BRUSH SOL
diers yet held Detroit ana other WeS''rH
| nosts confessediy within the Anne can
boundaries fixed by the treaty of peace
that spain was striving to withdraw tue
| allegiance Of our people west OF the Alle-
phanies: that each of the Thirteen States
was a separate collection district win
revenue laws antagonistic to the others
! mai Connecticut taxed Massachusetts
| bigher than British imports; that his gal
liant comrades. without pay or pensions
or hone. had repaired to their homes OF
ncnurv and distress and that our COM
| trv at home and abroad was rapidly ac-
| cunulating the contempt Of mankind
| How John MarshalPs soul must nave
thrilled with joy. when the state OF MS
birth forwarded to the Constitutions
! convention at Philadelphia the gilded roll
| of MIS- delegates. at the head of the list
! Inc name OF George Washington win
what hope then did he hail the efforts OF
| that immortal body, who with patriotism
| The most DISTINGUISHED, prophetical and
nrnscieut OF whater the future had IN
! tore labored with swerveless devotion
! "a construct for our country constitu-
| lion worthy Of its heroic past, adequate
| 40 fhc necessities Of the hour, comple-
| bendinr in its majestic design powers to
nrovide for exigoncies Of an expanding
|. nonnIation Unparalleled in the annals OF
man. securing the enlightenment, he hap
ntnnas the freedom OF uncounted millions
~ an imperial race, who IA the ages 70
oon,e viii turn with ever increasing ado
ration 10 the las Of the freemans home
and hope.
Advocacy of The Constitution.
"Nor was .nis Grcat Virginian senti-
mental. tllr supporter of the constitution.
! ria ,lo.tion to tto virginia convention
a.. t.s b, tle u.0ple 81 HDnrico 'o"niN
t....I.... f..l 81. 81 ItI HItIDflH.