The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-05-17

merchants like Thomas Mifflin, might
bring all honesty and good intention
to the task and yet miserably fail. A
provincial law practice, the easy as.
tendency Of q provincial country gen.
tleman, the narrow round of provin.
cial trade, might afford capable men,
opportunity to become enlightened
citizens, but hardly fitted them to be
statesmen + A =,
Delegates Become Acquainted.
The real first business of the dele.
gates was to become acquainted, and
to learn how to live in the foreign
parts to which most of them had
come. There was continual ROUND
o: entertainment In the hospitable
town, therefore, a universal exchange
Of courtesies, rush of visiting and
dining, a flow Of excellent wine, a rich
abundance of good cheer, such as for
a while made the occasion seem one
of festivity rather than of anxious
counsel. -. ... ..~:.> H..
Many Of the delegates had come to
town week or more before the date
set for the congress, and had settled
to an acquaintance before 1t was time
to effect an organization; but the gem
tlemen from Maryland and Virginia,
more familiar with the journey, ar
rived almost upon the day.
Make a Good Impression.
They made an instant impression
upon their new colleagues. John
Adams promptly declared them ,'the
most spirited and consistent Of any,"
and deemed Mr.. Lee particularly -
mastery man." Joseph Hawley's pre-
diction was" fulfilled. 1.-THE Virginia
and indeed 1.-the Southern delegates
appear like men of Importance" said
Silas Deane; IT never met, nor scarce
~ had an idea Of meeting, with men
of such f1rmness, sensibility, spirit,
and thorough knowledge Of the inter.
ests of America" Mr.. Lynch of South
Carolina, though he wore "the manu-
facture Of this country" and was in
all things plain, sensible, above cere.
mony,' seemed to Mr.. Deane to carry
with him more force in his very ap-
pearance than most powdered folks
In their. conversation" :.
The high bearing and capacity OF
the southern delegates came upon the
New England men like a great sur
prise: where they had expected to sec
rustic squires they found men Of ele
gance and learning. i.
But there was, in fact, no good rea,
son to wonder at the natural leader
ship OF these men. Their life had
bred them more literally than others
It required much more various ca.
pacity and knowledge of the world to
administer a great property and live!
the life Of local magnate In tho
south than suflced to put 4 man az
the. front Of trade or Of legal practice
In Boston or New York or Philadel
phia. -: ~
The southern colonies, besides, had
lived more in sympathy with the life
Of the empire than had their northern
neighbors. Their life had depended
directly upon that of England hitherto,
and had partaken Of it with con-
slant zest. They had no rival trade:
they had wanted no rival government.
The general air Of the wide empire
had blown In all ordinary seasons
through their affairs, and they had cul-
tivated none of that shrewd antago-
nism toward the home government
which had so sharpened the wits and
narrowed the political interests Of the
best men in New England. -. T..
Reasons for V1rqinla's Primacy. :.
They had read law because they
were men of business, without caring
too much about it's niceties or mean
Ing to practice It in litigation. They
had read their English history with.
out feeling that they: were separate
from it.. Their passion for freedom
was born not OF local feeling so much
as of personal pride and the spirit Of
those who love old practices. and the
Just exemptions Of an ancient consti.
tuition. -'. .> '''.. # if.:55||=a
= 1t was the life they had lived, and
the conceptions Of personal dignity
and immemorial privilege that had
soSA0 0A"0J0 WALL Atg CAoS 30G0 CAS1A
50 striking an air Of mastery. 1t was
not simply because the Massachusetts,
delegates kept themselves prudently
In the background and the rest Yield
ed to her. pretensions that Virginia
was accorded primacy In the con-
sgress: it was also because her repre-
.sentatives were men to whom power
naturally fell, and because she had
won SO honorable place Of leader
ship already In the common affairs Of
the continent. =" j
Washington Not 4 Leader.
:. Colonel Washington, striking and
forcible man though he was, did not
figure as leader among the Virginian
delegates. @:5 ILL.,. VII :#&
Peyton Randolph was elected presi.
dent Of the congress; Richard Henry
Lee and Patrick Henry stood forth 90
the Yirginian leaders On the hoooIr.. s. It.
IL you speak OF solid information
md sound judgment. Colonel Washing.