The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-03-20

w n6fI inc IaIitES -! liz Nr''IlH>lA IAIFil
had carried into effect their splendid
pr!rc;rl. : ~ personal liberty and tTc"
rcrr, sentative Env~rnEl.fa.. suddenly
they discovered hat thlr" was still
something larkirc Freedom: and p"?u-
lar roTcrnmrn; could only hr carried our
under some kind Of formal organizations
That was an easy matter IN tn" former
colonies. which transformed themselves
into Snlf-grIcrun"nt states 50 quickly
Ms TO suggest that ih"% had enjoyed
4 rcmn rkabic d"@r,,r % S"lf -E"r"rn'n'n II
befurr th. t"vnlutiur- Thcs" stat" gov
"rnm"nts however. had :hcir troubles
-landG rahlw-S. unwilling taNEaNcTS. RI
uirrs Good old Massachusetts jhah -"
PRACTISE pr, par"dncSs 70 pr"rcn. beng
thrown into chaos by tho ShayE' rebel
hon of 1856. Vermont. connecticut.
Pennsylvania. other states. w"r'. dis
turbci and uncomfortable"
Tho lesson was plain enough that
thirteen small n.ighborinr c"mmuni-
t,cs could not liv" comfortably and
safely each for itself. and ought 70
unite In some kind OF union. -Four New
England colonies though, Of hat as
lar back rs lGi3. when they formed III"
New Enrliud Confederation "t 1913.
Tor mutual help and strength in all!
our future GOVERNMENTS: That. as IN
nation and religion. as in Other respects
we bc and continue one" There w"r"
slants n: the Same idea In III" Albany
Congress OF l7Gi. AMI II" Stamp Act
Congress Of 1865. and III" FIRST CONT
ncrtal Congress Of 1774. RcnJanln
Franklin drew up Il federal constitution
IN tI15. which WIS too good Tor That
crisis. and WIS a:tcrward workc'i over
into he Articles ct Confederation.
which drS pilc it's many defects WAS the
bcSt-knlt and almost sensible r0nStltu-
tion tina; TIA" world had eyer ST"r. In
decd. when III" nrw Federal Convention
aS$"ln bird in I7$1 here wls three fr,'
"ral constitutions at woyi. II Europe
Switzerland. the Dutch Confrdc ratios.
and The Holy Roman Umpire. Ncrcrthr-
loss ~, machinery WAS fast running
down in all OF them and tho main l"*-
sun that n" fathers Of the Constitution
learn was to steer clear OF their week.
ncSScS.
Everybody knows the dramatic tale
Of the Federal Convention. sitting In
secret state in Independence Hall pull
adclphia. presided over by that tried
statesman. that undiSput"d FIRST Citi-
zen OF tho United States George Wash
ingtGn. His virtues affected even tla'
hardened imperial sinner. Napoleon VII"
later In life recorded that Had | been
tn America. ! would willingly have been a
Washington and l should have little
merit IN So being: for / do not soc how
could reasonably have acted other
wise" We can SCI the benign Franklin.
nodding in his delegates chair bu.
ruusing from time u time to drop one
of II. droll illustrations for which h"
was famous. AMI ending his partcina.
ton with tho famous prophecy. New
know that 1t i" rising aad not =
setting sun" Madison buS,lrs alb Ut.
rrystallizinE tho Wisdom AMI c."Qurnc"
Of his colleagues into. those immortal
Notes" which have so much contrib.
utrd 10 his own immortality. Nhr
would not have liked 10 have seen in
session these finely drest. powdered
gentlemen. who mr;ap h"rlcLlly took Off
their coats 10 build the new roof OF
The ConStItution""
Even these mon. whose membership
was g. patent of American untitled no.
rility. saw only dimly the splendid re-
suit If their five months work. They
doubtless felt q sense or relief Mt tho
close Of debates which sometimes ross"
10 = threat Of what would happen to the
Union If certain states withdrew from
It: they did not realize that nations yet
IL. l. -
Switzerland. Germany would adopt or iinl-
tate the federal principles which they
embodied in a formal constitution. They
little guessed the vast cNpanSc which the
constitution tree Was to OvCrShnGow. IN"
multitudcs who would find refuge be-
meath its branches.
There were some critics then MS now:
Samuel Adams OF Massachusetts. a once
took alarm. Il confess. that as l enter
the Building. l stumble NJ tho Threshold.
| meet with National Government in
stead Of Il Federal Union Of Sovereign
States" 4 farmer member forcsaw that
'ia%:crS and men OF learning. aud
IiuuI"d mGn-will swallow up all us lit
Tie folks. like In" great Leviaihan."
Others. and fortunately 4 majority of
the others in the state conventions. real
ICED what the Constitution waS--a nlranS