Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-17
Wednesday. September II, 1919.
"censtitutien Day"

"censtitutien Day"
Today, September II. has been pre-.
claimed Constitution Day" by the
governors Of 20 states and IL being
made the occasion Of the holding Of
patriotic meetings from tie largest
cities to the smallest towns through
out the country. One hundred and
thirty-two years ago today, in 1857,
the Federal Convention which drew
up the Constitution Of the United
States completed the document.
signed it and adjourned. having given
to the world the charter Of liberties
characterised by William E. Clad
stone. the great English statesman.
"the most wonderful work ever
struck of at a given time by the
brain and purpose of man."
The celebration of the 132nd birth
day Of our Constitution is largely due
to the efforts of the National Securi-
ty League which has had the active
cooperation of other patriotic So
cieties Of the land This movement
for a nation wide expression of Am
ericanism is protest against the
infltration of distinctly n-American
radicalism which is growing to
alarming proportions and is throwing
out of balance certain groups Of our
citizens who are not fully grounded
in the true principles of American
liberty. The ::s:ional Security
League believes the best aatidote for
this form Of poison is knowledge
and understanding by all the people.
native and foreign born. of the Amer
lean ideal Of representative govern
ment as embodied in the Constitu-
ton. The same idea was expressed by
General Pershing in a letter endors-
ing the movement:
our county Is no longer in the
throes OF war. but the state of unrest
which disturbs the citizens of ali ma
tons at the present time makes it OF
nigh importance that the minds of our
temptation Of the bulwark on which
their future peace, happiness and pros
perity rests-the Constitution Of the
United States.'
When the Constitution was drawn
the Union consisted Of Is small, poor,
struggling colonies without solidarity
and without means of communication
to bind them together. Throughout
the Revolution they had felt the
common tie Of enmity against the
mother country. but at the end Of the
war they fell apart and were openlv
more or less hostile toward each 9TH
er. Under the Articles of Confereda-
ton they drifted along from bad to
worse. and the new nation threatened
to commit suicide before It was tan
years old. The Constitutional con.
vention had met to pull together the
fragments by a frantic effort, but
what 1t did was to write the .docu.
ment under which the 10 colonies
have grown to 4s states. the richest
and most prosperous nation Of the
world. This. the first formal written
constitution ever devised for a m.
ton. has become Synonymous with
liberty and has served as the modal
Tor other nations in drafting subse-
quent constitutions. The Constitu.
ton has made the American people
one nation with q fundamental law
ana common purpose.
As we have 1t, the Contribution
consists Of a preamble. seven articles
ana eighteen amendments. The f,rst
ten amendments were adopted soon
after the document went into effect
ana are always considered together
under the name Of the Bill Of RIGHTS.
In reality the Constitution has bean
changed in only eight particulars and
SIX Of these amendments have been
made necessary by the growth of n.
country. Just two changes hav. ham
made In the original content Of the
instrument. fact which <ives
strength to the testimony of NJ
Gladstone. The most remarkable ,.c,
of all is that the provisions Of III.
fundamental law of this country are
not yet understood by it's statesmen.
although they and we. the people,
trust it and obey it.
The sponsors Of the Constitution
Day movement earnestly recon-
mend that every American citizen
and every dweller on American soil
devote some time to the study md
Interpretation Of the law under which
we live. The Constitution IL the bull.
wark between the American people
and chaos which today reigns in the
old world. Our fathers left the old
ideas and the old stransling tradi-
tions behind that they might found
here q government Conceived in lib
erty and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal" I'm
der the Constitution every man has
had . chance. our people have been