Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15
Made Requisition For Money.

~ ~ " dihSlu unem Dy majority OF
uAe vote of the thirteen colonies.
Made Requisiton For Money.
Hamilton, with his intuitive genius
saw the serious defect in this and fav-
Cred calling convention of all the
states for the purpose of amending
the articles. 1t was only after several
attempts IN which the plan to amend
/ the constitution was defeated by the
tenacious insistence of the several
states upon their Sovereign rights"
that the plan of Hamilton was carried
and our present constitution was
accepted. The great weakness in the
Articles of Confederation was their
inability to regulate congress and to
provide for the levying of duties.
| Congress could get money only by
making acquisitions on the different
states which were seldom paid. Be
tween the years 1885 and 1888 requi-
sitions were sent out for Sc 100000 and
but $1,000,000 was paid The contin-
entail currency had deprecated and
| it was worth only about Is per cent
of its face value. The finances of the
confederacy were in a bad way and
Hamilton constructed a bill autheriz-
ing congress to levy an import of 5
per cent to pay the running expenses
of the government, but Rhode Island
defeated the measure and more requi-
sitions We're levied which were never
paid
Constitution Adopted.
| The four years which followed were
| the darkest in the history of the coun-
| try and it was in the darkest hour that
help came and from an unexpected
quarter. Commissioners from Virginia
and Maryland met at Annapolis to dis
cuss the navigation of the Potomac
river,which is the division between the
! two states and it was decided there to
call a meeting of all the colonies to be
held at Annapolis. The meeting was
| called and Hamilton was on the dele
cation. But five states were represent
ed, however. and another meeting was
called to be held at Philadelphia. Hap
PLY for history, We may say the con-
vention at Philadelphia was success.
Washington was chosen president of
the assembly. Men did not know what
went on behind those closed doors I'M
til fifty years later when Madison's
notes were published. have not got
time to go into detail, but suffice to
know that the articles of confedera-
ton were not amended but an entire
ly new constitution was adopted.
Two Parties Arise.
Nov the next step was to secure
the ratification Of the constitution,
and it was over this great struggle
that the first political campaign was
held In the course of the struggle
over ratification the Federalist and
! AntiFederalist parties arose and a
bitter fight ensued, the adoption of,
the constitution finally being secured.
The fourth of July, 1888, was the oc-y
casion of celebrating the ratification.
On August 1 of that year Washington
was chosen the first President of the
United States, and his great wisdom
was shown in his first actions when
in the appointment of his cabinet he
made Alexander Hamilton secretary
of the treasury, Thomas Jefferson sec
!. rotary of state and Randolph secreta-
ry of war. 1t now devolved upon them
| to put the government into operation
and to restore public order.
The Establishment of Capital.
"Under the leadership of Hamilton
! the federalists advocated a series of
/ financial measures designed to restore
/ the public credit. The first measure
proposed was the payment by fund
1 ing of the foreign debt, amounting to
4 $4,000, 900, with interest aecruing of
$2,OO0,OOO, and the domestic debt. of
S29,O00,00o, with interest accruing of
i $11 100000, and this at time when
United States securities had shrunk
twenty-five per cent. Another part of
the financial policy was the assump-
|. ton of state debts. Some of the states
had debts from the Revolutionary Wer
| and he held that these should be pa i'd
by the government There was much
opposition to this measure and Ham
hilton went to Jefferson and struck a
bargain with him whereby the latter
was to use his influence in the south.
ern states to secure the passage OF
the bills, while in return Hamilton
promised to secure the situation OF
!, the national capital on the Potomac
which was much desired by the south
} ern states
National Bank Organized.
j Hamilton also proposed the estab-