Milford chronicle., 1919-06-13
THE WASHINGTON TRADITION
STILL AMERICAN TRADITION
(Communicated)


In the collection of the letters of
George Washington there are over so
letters written in 17S6-87 dealing with
the ratification of the new Constitu-
ton of the United States. Washing
tons remarks are of extraordinary i'm
portance now. The question of begin
ming a federal government for these
States met with opposition very sim
liar to that which the League of Ma
tions is now receiving. The calm, the
restrained, the stately Washington is
anything but tepid in his advocacy of
the Constitution and in his condemna
tion of the motives of the people who
opposed it.
Washington did not hesitate to say
that in the desire for independent
state sovereignty lay a real danger.
Persuaded l am, that the primary
cause of all our disorders lies in the
different State governments. Whilst
/ independent sovereignty views of each
state, and separate interests, by which
they are too much governed, will not
yield to a more enlarged scale of pol
itics, incompatibility in the laws of
different States, and disrespect to those
of the general government, must rem
der the situation of this great country
weak, inefficient, and disgraceful."
The gentlemen who quote on every
occasion Washington's remark on en-
tangling alliances and who never quote
anything else might do well to realize
that the Father of Our Country did not
have the single-track mind which they
attribute to him. Washington admitted
that real League of States must mean
yielding by each State. A single ques-
ton, he said, must decide the dispute.
rs it best for the states to unite or
not to unite" If there are men who
prefer the latter then unquestionably
the constitution which is offered must
in their estimation be wrong. But
those who think differently, and yet
object to parts of it, would do well to
consider that it does not lie with any
one state, or the minority of states, to
superstruct a constitution for the
whole. The separate interest, so far
as it is practicable, must be consoli- /
dated; and local views must be at
tended to, as far as the nature of the
case will admit Hence it is, that
every state has some objection to the
present form, and these objections are
directed at different points. That
which is most pleasing to one is OBJ
noxious to another, and so vice versa.
If then the union of the whole is a de-
sirable object, the component parts
must yield little in order to accom-
plish it,"
In reference to amendments there is
a certain pithiness in our first Presi-
dents comment Again and again in
various letters he speaks as follows:
The warmest friends and best sup
porters the constitution has do not
contend that it is free from imperfec-
tions; but they found them unavoid- .
able, and are sensible, if evil is likely .
to arise therefrom, the remedy must :
come hereafter; and, as there is :
constitutional door open for it, think
the people can, as they will have the :
advantage of experience on their side,
decide with as much propriety on al
-erations and amendments which are
necessary, as ourselves. l do not think :
we are more inspired, have more wis
ION or possess more virtue, than those
who will come after us"
Washington pays his respect in no Z
uncertain terms to the opponents of +:
'atification of the Constitution: Every
'eal patriot must have lamented that Z
private feuds and local politics should :
lave Hnhappily insulated ourselves in 4:
o, and in some measure Obstructed, 4
ne discussion of great national ques- 2
ION. There are writer's in opposi- !:
ion whose objections are better cal s
ulated to alarm the fears than to 4
onVlnce the Judgment, Of their read :,
rs. They build their objections upon s
that do not exist, which the z
onstitution does not even support :,
hem in, and the existence of which s
as been, by an appeal to the cOnsti- z
ltion itself, fatty denied and then, y
II they were unansWerable, draw all 3
ne dreadful consequences that are =
ecessary to alarm the fears and ap- ::
rehensions of the ignorant and un- 81
mixing. 1t is not the interest of the Z
aJor part of those characters to be ~
convincing nor will their local views ~
ED to arguments, which do not ac- g
'rd with their present or future pros q
scts. The strength of the opposition ~
ems to lie in Misrepresentation and 81
desire to infame the passions and
alarm the fears by noisy declama- -
IN, rather than to convince the un-
by sound arguments or In
ir and impartial statements. Baf-
I'd in their attacks upon the consti-
tion they have attempted to vilify
d debase the characters who formed
Washington finally points out in
any different letters the Characters
fact that the opponents do not even
rec among themselves. "How do
e sentiments of the influential char
ters in this State, who are opposed
the constitution and have favored
e public with their opinions, quad
tie with each other? Are they not
variance on some of the most inn
rtant points? If the opponents in
e same state cannot agraa IL, their !
inciples, what prospect is there of
coalescense with the advocates of
e measure, when the different views
d jarring interests of so wide and
tended an empire are to be brought
rward and combater?"
Il do firmly believe that, whilst
any ostensible reasons are assigned
prevent the adoption of 1t (the con-
tution), the real ones are concealed
hind the curtains, because they are
t of a nature to apear in open day.