Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-23
CONTINUATION OF
BECKHTM'S ADDRESS
ON PEACE TREATY
Continued from Yesterday


Mr.. President, it has occasionally
been observed since this discussion be-
gan some months ago that there was
much in the opposition to the league
OF nations to recall to us the opposi-
ton to our Federal Constitution after
it was adopted by the convention in
1887 and before its ratification by all
Of The States. / have myself from
the beginning been greatly impressed
by this parallel between the two
events, and have been frequently re-
minded by the arguments used
against this league of how similar in
character and often in presentation
are they to the arguments used in
some of the State conventions that
were held to ratify the Federal Con-
stitution.
The adoption of that instrument
was the greatest experiment in gov
eminent ever tried by men. 1t is
easy for us now, with our long per-
spective view, to see how futile, if
not foolish, were some of the argu-
ments used against its adoption. We
naturally wonder that some Of the
eminent statesmen of that time could
have offered such objections to it or
could have hesitated to give it their
enthusiastic approval. And yet |
believe, Mr.. President, that those
men, many of them of great distinc-
ton and ability, had as much reason
to fear disastrous results from the
adoption of chat Constitution as to-
day the opponents of the league of
nations have 20 fear from the adop-
ton of this Covenant.
Let Us crdclvor to carry ourselves
hack 10 that period in our history,
unenlightened by any of the events
subsequent to the adoption of the
Constitution Let US try to look into
the future from that time as our fore
fathers did, and we can better appre-
ciate the difficulties that confronted
them. They realized what an expert
ment it would be. They dreaded lest
the young country, with it's 10 indie
dependent States, might embark upon
2 sea of greater danger and peril
than they had escaped from in sever
ing their relations with the mother
country.
Even Thomas Jefferson, whose poll
teal wisdom and foresigh have never
been excelled by any man in his or
any other generation, said in letter
to John Adams of November 10, 1887,
after the Philadelphia convention had
framed the constitution and submit
ted it to the States:
How do you like our new Constitu-
ton? | confess that there are things
in it which stagger all my disposition
to subscribe to what such an assemb.
ly has proposed. The House of Fed
eral Representatives will not be ade-
quate to the management of affairs,
either foreign or Federal. Their
President seems to be bad edition of
Polish king. He may be elected
from four wears to four years for
life.
And he goes on, calling attention
to other objections to the document.
In another letter to a friend, dated
december 81, 1887, he said:
As to the new Constitution, find
myself nearly q neutral. There is a
great mass of good in it, in very de-
sirable form, but there is also, to me
bitter pill or two. l have written
somewhat lengthily to Mr.. Madison
upon this subject, and will take the
liberty to refer you to that part OF.
my letter to him.
Does not that, Mr.. President, illus
trate the position of many Of the OPP
ponents Of the league of nations?
But as time went on Mr.. Jefferson
began to change his attitude toward
the Constitution and became one of
the advocates Of its adoption. On
Hay II, 1873, in letter to friend
and commend this, Mr.. President,
most earnestly to the consideration
Of those who hesitate about changing