The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-26
WP' FAMOUS ,tR OF STATES y is Anniversary of Rati- fication of Constitution STORIES OF THE EARLY DAY Virginia Today Is Striving Hard to Make Money to Recover the
 Prestige of Fomer
 Days.
STORIES OF THE EARLY DAY
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

By majority of only ten votes the con- yentlon of Virginia on June %, 17SS, rati- fled the constitution of the United States, and proposed the amendments which in- corporated the bill of rights into the | fundamental law of the country. The de- bate was long and earnest, and no more important vote has been recorded in the history of the United States. Men of the highest patriotism fought it earnestly be- cause they believed the new constitution threatened the liberties of the people. Without the approval of Virginia, the rati- fcatlon by New York would have been | impossible, and without New York and Virginia the union would not have been consummated.
 The commonwealth of Virginia was once a greater and more powerful gov | ernment than the United States of Amer ica, even after the adoption of the fed eral constitution. When there were no funds to build a capitol at Washington, the rich state of Virginia loaned the im- poverished federal government the money to build it. Strange to say our great gov- ernment, now rolling in wealth, has never paid this debt. Virginia gave to the fed eral government the territory from which the states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were carved, and the states of Kentucky and West Virginia were also set up direct ly from Virginia. The nation probably never will be able to pay the debt or gratitude 1t owes to Virginia for many features of our national system, but Vir- ginians hope that the government will some day pay the money 1t borrowed oyer a century ago to build the very house in which Congress sits.
 June is the month of state anniversaries In Virginia. It was on June 29, 1776, that the commonwealth of Virginia formally declared herself an independent state and elected Patrick Henry governor. On that day the Virginia delegates to the eonti- mental congress were formally instructed to vote for a declaration of independence of the thirteen American colonies. Vir- ginia sent Jefferson to write that famous paper, and gave Washington to lead the army that was to make 1t effective. on June 20, 1861, the people of the western counties of Virginia, who did not believe in secession, formed a separate govern ment. and on June 19 1863, the state of
  Kentucky another state which Virginia gave of her free will from her territory came into the union on June l, 1792.
 The Virginia convention which decided for the federal government under the constitution by a vote of S9 to 70 was forum for masterful debate by giant minds. James Madison, the father of the constitution, was it's principal advocate, backed by John Marshall and Richard Henry Lee. Opposed to him were the mighty Patrick Henry, the fire-brand of the Revolutions; George Mason, who wrote Vlrginia's bill of rights: and James Mon- roe, who was one day to be President under the very constitution which he fought so bitterly. Henry, who had said give me liberty or give me death, h de- clared that the new constitution gave too much power to the President, that 1t "squinted at a monarchy" He demanded to know by what right the national con- ventlon had said We, the people, in stead of We the states
 Madison and Marshall met every argu- ment and counselled union and harmony. Their views prevailed, a month later New York also ratified t'e new plan of gov ernmert, North Ce 9Hna and Rhode ls- land dropped into 9iswithin the next two years. making ,S sinn of the thir teen stat com, ,det, ! la gave Wash ingtO he Sldent, Tn 1act four 'ta ~ Presidents were VirEssl sr 'aDef Vi. ginia, two othelr a. IS. svfrom other states were an1. a, and one Vice Presid, It ls to the presidency was
 vi . ,stiOn fof the American sta ~s-.~f p,,,, ,,,, nent, the exposi- t,c inen hnestown celebrat- ir class tn three centuries. ; and South Caro- in the movement .E sit+i,,o in obo; the separation from
 -- ggle that ensued Vir-
 eadily becominsre troops and money Aley are already-ate. Later on, in the
 f,noo+ Virginia gave ,Zacharay
 e9Peo' .er leaders to the American rnative-born sons, Houston
 fresluen' had led the fight for the
 is.-ssA@ Texas.