The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-10-28
A STRIKING PARALLEL.


been pointed out between the
adoption of the Constitution o.
the United States, which created
a nation out Of l3 incohereni
states, and the League OF Ma
tions. which seeks to realize Ten
nyson S vision Of "the parma
ment of man, the federation OF
the world. " But comparatively
few of us realibe today the m
tense. bitter and almost hysterl-
cal opposition to the new form OF
government a little more than
130 years ago, says the st. LOUIS
Post Dispatch.
George Washington, the prime
mover of the constitution, also
had his Henry Cabot Lodges and
Hiram w. Johnsons to contend
with. Although the feebleness OF
the then existing confederation
was notorious and had all but
brought the American cause to
ruin during the war, and al
though there was imminent peril
of anarchy and disintegration,
there were found malcontents
and nervous persons who prophe-
-sied only the direct issues from
the new constitution. One patriot
uttered the solemn warning that
the pope of Rome might be elect
ed president. Others deIared that
the president would promptly
make himself king and the
members of congress would create
themselves lords.
Elbridge Gerry, Gov. Randolph
and Mason of Virginia refused to
sign the constitution Jefferson,
Hancock, Samuel Adams, Gov.
Clinton of New York, Benjamin
Franklin, Nathan Dane, Chase OF
Maryland and Gen. Sumter hesl-
tated or criticized it. Patrick
Henry and Richard Henry Lee
fought it with al their power.
Even Washington, intensely eager
as he was for its adoption, wrote !;
~ wish the constitution which is
offered had been more perfect but
it is the best that could be OBJ
tanned at this time, and a door is
opened for amendment here
after.
Though the constitution was a
wonderful achievement. the result
of earnest Efforts and much con
cession and compromise, it was, of
course, not perfect. 1t was
fiercely attacked in many Of the
state conventions, called to con-
slider its ratification, and some of
the speeches against it, as report
ed in "Eliot's Debates" sound
strange in our ears today-as
strange as the present violent at
tacks on the League of Nations
may perhaps sound to our de-
scendants a century hence.
The tempest subsidized One hun
dred an dthirty years have
passed, and the fierce contest is
almost forgotten. The struggling
young republic has grown into an
immense and prosperous power.
1t has not become monarchy,
nor an aristocracy. The constitu-
tion is universally accepted. 1t
has not destroyed the states, nor
deprived the people Of their
rights and liberty. The fame of
Patrick Henry and Richard Hen
ry Lee rests on other services to
the republic, No tombstone com
memorials with melancholy pride
the honest but misguided struggle
against the great change. 1t was
the W9Rderful work OF Washing
ton and his associates which, with
all itsLdefects, when accepted by
our ancestors. created the great
nationsof today.
Our descendants viii wonder,
no doubt, why the malcontents
of today feared that England
would reduce the United States
TO vassalage. that Ireland would
be shackled against gaining free
dom, that Europe would become
he master of America.