The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-08-01
instaIlment II
The statea ApathetIc.

ware. New Jersey and New York.
Maryland had suddenly fallen indif-
ferent, and had not appointed dele
gates. New Hampshire. Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island and North Caro-
lima had appointed delegates, but they
had not taken the trouble to come.
Connecticut, South Carolina and Geor-
gia had ignored the call altogether.
The delegates who were in attend
ance, besides, had come with only the
most jealousy restricted powers; only
New Jersey, in her great uneasiness
at being neighbor to the powerful
states of New York and Pennsylvania,
had authorized her representatives to
consider how far a uniform system
in their commercial regulations and
other important matters might be nee
essary to the common interest and
permanent harmony of the several
| states"
HamiIton's Stirring Appeal.
The other delegates had no such
| scope; all deemed it futile to attempt
! their business in so small a conven-
1 ton; and it was resolved to make an
other opportunity
Alexander Hamilton Of New York
/ drew up their address to the states,
| and in it made bold to adopt New Jer-
! sey's hint. and ask for conference
4 which should not merely consider
questions of trade, but also devise
such further provisions as should ap-
pear to them necessary to render the
constitution of the federal govern
ment adequate to the exigencies of the
! Union"
| Hamilton held with Washington for
national government
Congress Indifferent.
He had been born, and bred as lad
in the West Indies, and had neve.
received the local pride of any colony
state into his blood He had served
with the army, too. in close intimacy
with washington, and, though twenty
five years his captains junior, hac
seen as clearly as he saw the deer
hazards of nations birth.
The congress was Indifferent, If no
hostile, to the measures which the ad
dress proposed; and the states woul'
have acted on the call as slackly as be
fore, had not the winter brought witt
lit something like threat of socia
} revolution, and fairly startled then
out of their negligent humor
The Rebellion of shays.
The central counties of Massachu
sets broke into violent rebellion, un
der one Shays, veteran of the Revolt
: tion-not to reform the government
but to rid themselves Of it altogether
to shut the courts and escape the pay
ment of debts and taxes.
The insurgents worked their will TO
weeks together: drove out the officer
of the law, burned and plundered a
pleasure through whole districts, liz
ing upon the land like hostile army
and were brought to reckoning q
, hast only when a force thousand
strong had been levied against then
States Sympathize With Shays.
The contagion spread to Vernon
= and New Hampshire; and, even whe
, the outbreak had seen crushed, til
states concerned were irresolute
the punishment OF the leaders.
Rhode Island declared her sympath
: with the insurgents; Vermont offere
! them asylum; Massachusetts brougf
the leaders to trial and convi
tioa, only to pardon and set them FIRE
again
Congress dared do no more tina
make covert preparation to check
J general rising.
: Wayhinstcn's indignant Protest.
You talk, my good sir, wrot
Washington to Henry Lee in congress
: of en- lloying influences to appeas
the present tumults in Massachusott
L know not where that influence is
be fcalnd, or, il attained, that it wou
be proper remedy for the disc
ders. Influence is no government. l.
= US have. one by which our lives. libe
ties and properties will be secured,
, let us know the worst at once"
< 1t gas an sbject-lesson for the who
countr.; tho dullest and the mo
lethareic knew now what slack go
ernmei.t and financial disorder wou
e prodl4s.
Tie states one and all-save Rhot
IslaEa bethought hem OF the co
NGutlOi CdIkcu W uSSk Ill EHlidU1iQn
N on the second Monday in May, IT'S
and delegates were appointed
Even congress took the lesson
heart, and gave its sanction to Il
N conference.
The legislature of Virginia D
Washingtons name at the head OF
# own hist of delegates. and after h
name the names of Patrick Hem
Edmund Randolph. John Blair, jam
Madison, George Mason, and Geor
It Wythe-the leading names of t
state. no man could doubt.
ID But Washington hesitated. He b
N already declined to meet the Socie
/? Of the Cincinnati in Philadelphia abo
the same time. he said, and thought
would be disrespectful to that body.
whom he owed much, "to be there
N any other occasion"
He even limited doubt whether t
convention was constitutional,