Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-23
MEMORIES OF WASHINGTON
Sons Of American Revolution Honor Natal
Day Of Great Patriot,
Effects or the WAR ON CIVILIZATION
Hovv the Current Of Government was
Turned as n Result Of the Sue
cess OF American Arms
and Ideas.

The Nebraska society Of the Sons Of the
american Revolution at it's annual meeting
In the Commercial club ~parlors last even
ing appropriately observed the anniversary
of Washlngton's birth. The Omaha chap
Ter OF the Daughters Of the American Kevo-
sutton. together with the families anu
friends Of the two societies, were the IN
vited guests. The program. which was the
conclusion Of the series given by the so
eiety during the year. commemorating his
toric anniversaries, was presided over by
Nr. Carroll @. Pearse.
"Civie Results Of the Revolution was
the opening address by Charles S. Lobin-
gier, who said In part:
~ In ,n our T.R hIfsGE5ss - Z mitch Is tRe T %a Tssd S Elosy
The bravery OF the men Of Bunker Hill,
the heroic sacrifices at Valley Forge, the
Yorktown-these are the pages of the
revolutionary record upon which we most
fondly linger. But
Peace hath her victories
No less renowned than war"
and dear as these events have become TO
us through the valor of our ancestors II Is
nevertheless true that not the military but
1.-THE civic results OF the revolution have
made II a andma in history. The first
great civic result of the revolution was
the voluntary union Of the colonies. For
nearly two centuries they had remained
in a state Of dependence upon the mother
INV anu VI thnhAV " SoNh 49,
with scarcely the sign OF a yearning for
nationality. But the guns of Concord and
mon danger, W~ashinsten. the virginian,
was placed in ommand Of a continental
srmy, Including men OF all colonies who
~ilnians and became for the first time
Americana. fighting a common foe and en-.
i'm the fierce forge of war the scattered
colonies were welded into a nation.
Development of Federation.
The federal idea. the second great civil
result Of the revolution, followed from thu
,in the successfui eestablissment Of the fed
eral system, a system which preserves tn
autonomy OF the individual state, Will,
providing a central power supreme within
Its own sphere. This, like the other, was
unique achievement. The process by which
all former permanent political unions hat
been reached was absorption or amaiga
nation, never federation. And all attempt
TO federate had failed either because tn
central government was too powerful an
absorbed the local or because the local uni
was too strong and dehed the central. Gu
iiticai gravity and the federal Idea is on
Of Americas original contributions to tn
l~ecience of government.
Again, through the revolution 1t first be
cane possible to perfect the idea Of tn
preston In Magma Charta, In the Englls
tnNtrument OF government and the Bill {
icompacts, But the full f%ruition OF the cor
stitutional idea came with the revolutio
and II was then that the first compile
constitutions were produced. Disregardin
the maxim that ''amid arms the law al
silent" the struggling colonies framed the
Individual constitutions In the very mid
of the war and with in less than four yea
from the conclusion OF the treaty of peaC
Instrument which Gladstone pronounced Il
most wonderful ever struck on at a give
time by the brain and purpose Of man.
Sovereignty of the PeOple.
sprinSing from the spirit of the r%evolutic
came a recognition of the sovereignty.
the people, In America, during the pro-
ress OF the revolution, occurs the hrst u
stance, at least II, modern times, of 4
wiling the psople to pass directly upon Il
character of their fundamental law
tTheretofore constitutions and laws ht
the people, But the first and only co
was submitted to their electors in the
town meeting. This example set by Mass
chusetts was gradually followed elsewhe
until today 1t has become the rule
America, with rare exceptions. TO subn
Other important civic achievements Il
lowed in the wake OF the revolution.
freed us from the dangers of information
and enabled US to develop those institutio
which have been at once our own pri
and the wonder Of 0berving foreigners fro
De Tocqueville, early in the century,
Spsncer. Bryce and Won Hoist in our oN
day.
Washington and the Constitution
N. b. @. True of Tecumseh, in a paper
"washington's Part In Framing the Cons
tution - naid 0loaueut frihuta hofh IN I