Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-12
WROTE VIRGINIA'S BILL
OF RIGHTSIN MAY, 1776
Came to Williamsburg Convention Eleven Days Late.
but by Force of Great Ideas and Personality
Performed Immortal Work

mas Fairfax home. around whose wide
h'epiaces, ana on whose great pen
'aSohal porch had gathered the wilt
ana wisdom OF the country with the
Lockburn and the Mnssies. the
MERGERS aud Bronoughs.
lhere had Patrick Henry, the ven
cradle Pendleton James Madison.
Hichard Henry Lee. Jefferson and
even Washington himself been wont
together To listen to the words of
'hiS sage. surrounded by his ROLL
ing acres. and we can understand the
ieeling OF confidence that ran
through them, when George Mason
calmly presented to the committee
his own copy Of the BILL which they
subsequently, adopted. Whether
written then or at Gunston Hail. as
mis- family would have us believe
showing US even the table on which
" was written. to bear out the trad
ition. with few alterations. II was
reported To the Convention on May -.
resolving Itself into committee %.
the whole. After three readings and
some corrections II was adopteh On
the 18th OF June. twenty-five DAYS
before tho Declaration OF Indepcn-
Gence was written.
Hind Covered Whole Subject.
Little could be said. He had over
laid the cherubim with gold. and the
work on plan OF government was
begun forthwith. After twelve DAYS.
the committee reported plan. the
original draft o. which is claimed TO
he by George Mason, which WAS read
10 the House by Archibald Cary
After rereadinR. on May Is with
some amending in n committee this
too was adopted on May %. and vir-
GINA had moulded and set up foi
herself the FIRST Constitutional State
ever known To the world.
To the assertion that George Ma
son unaualifedly grote both the Vir-
sinia bill OF rights and the frst
plan OF government of the State, IL
1" not the purpose OF this paper TO
assert. without question. Conclusive
proofs VIII be shown or his author
snip OF tho former, with slight al
tcrat!ons inserted: and conflicting
statements Will not be concealed.
though the evidence. while incom-
plete. points to the fact that the sec
ond paper wan drawn from the work
Of his hand. Built as II was largely on
the principles laid down In the nrst,
with the potent influence OF Sason's
mind keeniy at work on the minds
OF the others 80 recently held com
pletc!y in It's sway. we must be-
iieve with Madison, that he was the
master ybuildig of IL all.
Told Couain of Authorship.
For the question really resolves
itsel. into two parts:
L. Who wrote the Bill OF Rights?
III. Were these documents con-
sidered as one. or as two separate
papers, and whose was the master
hand In the building OF the plan of
government?
L. Who wrote the Bill OF Rights?
Take the testimony of the man him
self. With his rugged simplicity, in
writing Colonel George Mercer. his
cousin and confdante, two years and
three months afterwards. to my mind,
ne would seem to settle the ques-
ton.
Il enclose you a copy of the flrst
draught Of the Declaration OF
Rights. just as /, was drawn and
presented by me. to the virginia
Convention. where II received few al
'erations. some of which are not for
the bercr. This was the nrst thing
OF the Kind upon the Continent. an,
has been closely initiated by ali the
other States"
Furthermore, we VirglnIans are
well satisfied to go down into our
STATE hDrary and see there our own
proof mo immortal paper, the bull
"ark or our literatures against ty
rahhles OF Kings In the past. agains st
unIlnllen power Of my kind. in the
continued on Seventh PaEe)