New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-02

originated and carried this. and the az
gyage in which II was passed was uiaie
ed by James Madison, the pupil OF q"
other Scot, Witherspoon Oh frliloe'o"'
a few months later came the DeclaId-
ton of independence, summing up H.
conclusions to which for years VI"
Scots and Ulster Scots had been ieaoin7'
out of the iifty-siX members VINO Coit
posed the Congress that adopted ~
eleven were of Scottish descent; anu
among them were such consplcuouo
leaders as John Wtherspoon. Of New
Jersey; James Wilson, of PennsyiNaiiia;
Philip Livingston, of New York anu
Edward Rutledge, of South Carolina "a.
the momentary and natural hesi'a'lo'
to put their necks in halter by SIGH
ing this document after its Adoption II
was one of these Scots, John wilmer
spoon again, who came TO the front anu
carried the day. He that will not re-
spond to It's accents and strain every
nerve to carry into effect its PROVISIONS
he said, rs unworthy the name CT free-
man. For myself, although these gray
hairs must soon descend into the sepul-
chre. | would infinitely rather they
should descend thither by the mana OF
the public eXecutioner than desert at
this crisis the sacred cause of my couh-
try" on that appeal of a Scotsman
guard 1t now sacredly preserved In tine
handwriting of the Ulster Scot who was
the Secretary of the Congress; II was
first publicly read to the people by an
Ulster Scot, and first printed by thlrd
Ulster Scot Well might Froude write
in another century: THE foremost, the
most irreconcilable. the most determined
in pushing the quarrel To the last eX-
tremity were those whom the bishops
ard Lord Donegal and Company had
been pleased 10 drive out Of Ulster
Before this, the next gale had brought
from the North. as Patrick Henry pre-
dicteG, the clash OF resounding arms
and again Scotsmen were in the front.
At the first news Of the skirmish at
Lexington, John Stark, an Ulster Scot.
of Londonderry, ~ H.. started for Cam
bridge hurriedly gathered together eight
hundred backwoodsmen, and marched
with them toward the sound Of the en-
emys guns at Bunker Hill. 1t was
there. facing the well fed British troops,
that he gave the still remembered order.
: BoJs aim-at their Wristbands"
Scot from f'ifeshire was on the staff cf
Genera. Warren in the same action.
After Nathaniel Greene, the other most
noted general officers from New England
were John Stark and Henry Knox.
Ulster Scots. and John Sullivan, an
Irishman. Three others of Scottish
origin were among Washingtons major
generals at the close of the war-Will-
iarI Alexander. of New Jersey; Alex
ander McDougall. Of New York, and the
gallant and pathetic figure of Arthur 81.
clair. out Of his twenty-five brigadier
generals nine were wholly or in part OF
Scottish descent ana among the gen
erals no longer I'm the ranks at the close
If the war similar proportion had been
maintained.
Two of the most noted battles in South
Carolina. where half the population was
Ulster Scottish, were those of Kings
Mountain and the Cowpens. At the first,
five If the colonies were Presbyterian
ruling elders. and their troops we're
mainly recruited from Presbyterian set
Elements At the Cowpens, General Nor
gan. who commanded, and General Pick
ems were both Presbyterian elders, ana
most of their troops were Presbyterian'.
Several other Presbyterian elders held
high commands i'm the same state
throughout the war.
when the states gained their indie
pendence and II came 10 framing colt
stitution for the new Nation similar
proportion was observed. out OF rs
nfty-four members twelve were OF Scot
tsh descent But here. as on many
other occasions. the Scotsmen weighed
far more than their numbers would indI-
cat, or the college bred men in the
convention over one-half were OF Scot-
fish descent. one OF them stood easily
at the head, and for pure intellectual
eminenCe and the genius Of statesman
ship outranked then and TIL his pre-
mature death any other living American.
This was that marvellous West Indian
- huI tgh lItIKnGnOt
French, Alexander Hamilton, who came
10 America for an education at the age
of fifteen. who persuaded Kings College
To let him take its curriculum IN less
than the prescribed four years, VINO lett
il TO plunge into the popular discussions
al the outbreak Of the war. addressing
effectively tumultuous public meetings
am writing powerful appeals who was
q captain of New York artillery at nine
teen priyate secretary to George WASH
ington at twenty. and at twenty-four the
dashinc soldier who led the assault on
Cornwallis's first rcdoubt before York
town. At twenty-five he was member
Cf Congress. did his best to restrain the
unwise persecution of the defeated 10y
alsts and the dscreditable reputation
OF debts into which the victorious SHE
were plunging. and did not hesitate 20
Uppos, Clinton, the powerful leader IN
the controlling spirit i'm the Annapolis
convention. which prepared the way FOR
and called the convention that next year
secured the more perfect Union and
framed the Constitution Of the United
States. His thirtieth year found him
not the most conspicuous or talkatNe
member Of that body. but easily the one
welding the most influence IN FAVOR OF a
strong government. and realizing his
4 l.. 10 o. Tee sf.s 4 %
umert II framed-the first successful
Constitution for great free govern
ment the one that has lasted the longest
and achieved incomparahiy the highest
results
70 draft such a Constitution had been
n task of the highest craftsmanship. To
secure it's adoption from jealous and
iangling states. which did not like IL
and did not even care for the more COM
plcte Union for which II provided, was
2 greater task and at the outset even
more hopeless; and I'm this Hamilton,
now a young man of thirty. did the
most valuable work of his life. Always
a leader of men, he carried the timd
but sngularly persuasive Madison long
WAY i'm favor OF a strong government
i'm the convention. and now enlisted him
as a most efficient aid In commenting
their plan To the people. The result was
n great book. published first I'm short
ESSAYS i'm the daily newspapers. then
collected into THE Federalist.' and
studied now, after the lapse OF 10 years,
as still one Of the most vital and cogont
presentations Of the principles of sue
90 ssful popular government known To
the literature OF the world The plan
was Hamilton's, and most of the work
was his. out of oighty-five papers he
wrote over fifty. Madison perhaps
twenty-five. John jay few
So far as the Press could secure the
adoption ~ the new form of government,
The Federallst" did IL. But there re-
manned the need Of personal influence