The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-17

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the flag and destroy for twenty-five
!, years the value of the conquest TIL.
mississippi was to be closed to Amer
lcan commerce; Spain was to have abso-
iute, exclusive control Of the stream
IL was this astonishing bargain between
ne northern men In Congress and the
Spanish minister which aroused the
first outbreak of sectional feeling af-
ter the war. 1t was this which changed
Patrick Henry and so many others and
caused them to fear that in the new con-
Slulfohal government the Southern
states would be nothing more than trb-
I'ary provinces to the North
TO Washington overwhelming in
nlence the success of the Philadelphia
/ convention had been due. But the YER
dlct OF Virginia herself was yet to be
rendered Whether the new Constitu-
non would be accepted by her was ex-
tremely doubtful. Washington put forth
all his strength in favor Of ratification.
out did not himself attend his State con-
vention.
Inc brunt of battle was borne by James
Madison and Edmund Randolph 1t
might be altogether more accurate To
| say mat 1t was borne by Edmund Ran
uoiph and James Madison
" nile the Governor had refused to
iiiiiue4phla, ana while he had
peen extremely reluctant to give the new
constitution his support, he had decided
to do so, and to whichever side Ran
! dolph went he was tower OF strength
II may that there was some defect
! In Edmund Randoiph's character which
/ kept him from carrying the weight of
such men as George Mason and James
madison; but any one who will take the
PAINS 10 study impartially the records
VI enat epoch viii be pretty sure to reach
me conclusion that, In mental equipment
Huhlund Randolph equaled any Ameri-
can OF MS time. There was clear PEN
etratiVeness about his mind. n facuitv
1or easily mastering the most compli-
Gated questions, fertility OF resource
III oeoate. which made up a combination
possessed by few Of his contemporaries.
When he was In his prime, he was in
'ellectually giant. The disgrace which
leil upon him during Washington's ad-
ii'iiliSTatlon Wlthered his laurels; other
wise 1t is hard to account for the fact
that he receives so little credit for +ha
victory which the Federaists won over
Patrick Henry in the Virginia convention
OF 1855 '''A0A
The calmly contemptuous manner IN
"hich blographers pass by Randolph to
iaud Madison is first cousin to tho iq-
norance, or the injustice, which chisel-
ed the name Of John Eager Howard So
oDscurely on the Cowpens battlefield
monument. Madison was great but ba
was man of the closet. a fighter win
ms pen 10 claim him as an orator an
1.f.4 uepater IN a rough-and- tumble
nght a match for PatrjcJ, Henri, hfY,
e" :. .,o -iovf,sau WHO was wOrthv Of TIpn-
~ steel in that convention was Ed
mund Observation-Disclosures a master of
fence tried on a hundred fields.
"A profound lawyer. a deep student of
political questions, fresh from constitu-
uonal deliberation and discussion at Phil
adelphia. familiar from court house com
bats with every popularity Of IIenry's
methods, a debater whose varied gifts
OF mind and whose splendid physical ad-
vantages captivated the ear and the eve
of every listener, politician SO popular
and 50 skiful that he had but recently
given Richard Henry Lee Waterloo in
the race for governor, Randolph was
precisely the man we would expect to
cross swords with Henry in this great
debate. Between these two, both lawyers
both orators, both men accustomed to
think on their feet. both equipped with
every weapon Of mental warfare, we
would instnctivey feel that the real
fight would take place.
| James Madison--tive and q half feet
high a thin voice awkward manner. no
! flow of language, no single element OF
! the orator in his make up. not much ac-
/ customed 10 public speaking, trained
rather to work with his pen and to confer
! with d group around a table, holding his
| hat in his hand while speaking as though
uncertain what to do with it, using writ
ten notes, his voice SO low that the re-
porter often missed what he said, so
slight IN stature that It was rot easy for
all the delegates to see him, I'll and feeble
and absent for two days from the hall
such Is the portrait drawn By biographers
who declare that here was the man who
! bore off the honors IN the great debate
! In the Virginia convention
Thomas jefferson was abroad during
the results Of the Philadelphia conven-
ton he was alarmed and painfully dis
appointed. He had thought that the arti-
Giles of conf -deration needed amendment,
but he had not favored any such revolu-
ton a 5 this. There was no bin Of rightsl
No safeguards agaist monopoly; nothing
to limit terms Of office. The president
seemed TO be a poor edition OF "a Polish
king, and be was not certain that the
good articles In the new constitution
preponderated over the bad.
After the constitution had been made
and after such friends as Washington,
Madison and Randolph We're committed
to 1t, he would not oppose it. He even
became It's advocate. but with condi-
ton He advised that nine states adopt
It, and the other four hold off unit
amendments could be made curing the
defects which he pointed out.
Had Virginia and New York acted If
concert, this would have been done, ant
they came very near acting In concert
} Clinton, the governor OF New York
failed to get a letter In tme-a lette
/ mailed in Richmond in December, 1877
: and which did not reach New York til
March Z, 1888 Then, again, New York
, | reply did not reach Richmond till tive
> days before the final vote. and lay I'm
y opened on the table in the Legislative
, chamber while the great contest rage
In another hall!
n Had there been no delay. or tricllery
r with these letters, the two great state
= would have understood each other, wou
h have acted In concert, and would hay
g compelled amendments which even Ed
Il mund Randolph thought ought to m
> made
a While the American colonies had AWAY
r. recognized their dependence on the crow
# and had owed allegiance to the mothe
" hoy TO H.