The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-05-16

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affairs Only since the passage of the
stamp act had they taken any thought
for each other. There was no assur-
ance that even the best leaders of
colony could rise to the statesman's
view and concert measures to insure
the peace of an empire. Rising law
yers like John Adams, brusque plant
ers like Colonel Harrison, well-to-do
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 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.
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 a continual round
of entertainment in the. hospitable
town, therefore, a universal exchange
of courtesies, a rush of visiting and
dining, flow of excellent wine, rich
abundance of good cheer, such as for
a while made the occasion seem one
of festivity rather than of anxious
counsel.
Many of the delegates had come to
town a week or more before the date
set for the congress, and had settled
to an acquaintance before it was time
to effect an organization; but the gen.
tlemen from Maryland and Virginia,
more familiar with the journey, ar
rived almost upon the day.
Make 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 "a
mastery man" Joseph Hawley's pre-
diction was fulfilled. "The Virginia
and indeed all the Southern delegates
appear like men of Importance" said
Silas Deane; 81 never met, nor scarce
ly had an idea Of meeting, with men
of such firmness, 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 mene like great sur
prise: where they had expected to see
rustic squires they found men of ele-
gance and learning.
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.
1t required a much more various ca
pacity and knowledge of the world to
administer great property and live
the life of local magnate in the
south than sufficed to put man at
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 a 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 Gull
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.
Reasons for Virgina's Primary.
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 il. 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.
1t was the life they had lived, and