The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-26


experiment.
During the long quarrel between the
people OF the American colonies anu
the English king, the colonists were
divided into two parties, bearing the
English names OF Wing and Tory.
The Wings were the aggressive pa
triots and the Tories were the con-
servative and cautious loyalists. When
the revolution came the Wings were
patriots and the Tories were pro-
scribed and despised traitors. After
the colonies had won the war and mad
become l3 independent Republican
states united only by that rope OF
sand" the Articles of Confederation,
the Tories were driven into exile or
compelled to abstain from political
activity. Then the Wing party d.
vided upon questions OF confederation
policy. But for the most part the
people were selfish adherents to local
state interests and the shadow OF a
confederate government almost en-
tirely disappeared
A foreign shipmaster whose vessel
was at anchor in the Potomac river,
under the jurisdiction OF Maryland,
had a quarrel with the wharfmaster
at Alexandria in Virginia. Hes ship
was discharging and taking on cargo
at Alexandria. and yet he was acting
under the authority OF Maryland law
in defying the Virginia authorities 80
feet away. This condition OF affairs
was intolerable Efforts to induce the
state legislatures TO grant to the con-
tinental congress power TO control the
tariff and to regulate commerce, had
proved unsuccessful.
But in the Virginia legislature Mr..
Madison brought up the case OF the
Alexandria wharfmaster and the for
eign shipmaster and succeeded In
procuring authorization for confer
ence Of Maryland and Virginia repre-
sentatives for the establishment OF
mutual commercial regulations. This
conference, which met at Alexandria
and later moved to Mount Vernon, de-
cided to invite the other central states
Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Del
aware-to subscribe to the same sys-
tenn OF commercial treaties. Out or
this grew the Annapolis convention
which in turn called a constitutional
convention which submitted TO the
people of the states that document
which created the American republic.
When the constitution was submit
ted the people at once divided into
two parties. those urging Its adoption
taking the name of Federalists and
those In opposition that OF Anti-Feder-
alists. BY the middle of the summer
of 1888. IL OF the states had ratified
the constitution and elections were
held. In the various states for repre-
sentatives, the legislatures chose the
senators. and presidential electors
were selected-in Ave states by the
I people, and in the others by the leg
islatures. In some states each dis
trict chose its representative In con-
gress when 1t pleased. while In others
there was a statewide election day
Most OF the elections continued for
three days. and the voting was viva
voce.
The continental congress after the
close OF the war had been treated
with slight consideration and gener'
ally was held In open contempt. There
| IA no good reason to believe that the
mass of the people expected the new
experiment in government to succeed.
The senators and representatives
elected to congress we're so careless
as TO delay their attendance, so that
more than month was wasted In
vain efforts to obtain a quorum. North
Carolina and Rhode Island had not yet
come into the union, so that there
were 90 senator's and SIS representa-
tives In the first congress which sat
in New York In the spring OF l7SS.
All of the senators. having been
elected by legislatures which had
ratified the Constitution, we're FEEDER
alists. Fifty-three Of the sixty-five
representatives also were Federalisfs,
but in the house there was tiny
minority OF twelve Anti-Federalists
who had been elected chiefly because
they had been opposed to the adop-
ton of the constitution. II soon be-
came apparent, however, that the
new experiment was worthy OF fair
trial and opposition to the constitu-
ton soon completely disappeared
The new constitution having been
accepted. but human nature not hav-
ing been revolutionized, the political
class again divided on the question
OF how the constitution ought to be
interpreted The party names FEEDER
| alist and Anti-federalist, were con-
tinued, but with a new meaning. The
| Eederaliata were those who believed