Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-17
H CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

Every school boy knows why we have a holiday on the fourth
e July, but few people have ever been aware of anything unusual
happening on the seventeenth of September. Yet that which hap
pened on the seventeenth of September made secure that which
happened on the fourth of July, and had it not been for the seven
teenth of September it is very likely that we would not be celebra-
ting the fourth of July.
It was on the fourth day of July, 1776, that the Declaration Of
independence was signed, declaring the American colonies free
and independent. But it is one thing to proclaim a new nation,
and ii is an entirely different thing to thoroughly establish a new
nation and carry it through its early stages to success SO that 1t
will stand firmly before the world as a power in international re-
lations, capable of supporting a happy and prosperous people at
hcme and unfolding the honor and dignity of the flag abroad.
Anyone who has read history knows how loosely the American
states, as they were called after the Declaration of Independence,
were first held together. 1t was plain to thinking men of the
time that the Articles of Confederation that were first adopted,
would never do. The states, in those days, were more separated
from each other than are the nations of the earth today. Many of
them had little in common once they had thrown off British SOW
ereignty. Each one was inclined to think itself sufficient unto
itself: there were jealousies and rivalries that caused frequent
ruptures in their friendly relations.
After the close of the Revolution American currency had sunk
10 almost where the German mark is today. The credit of the new
aation was nil; there was no central power with authority to do
anything, and it was apparent that unless something was done
quickly to establish a centralized government and knit the thirteen
states into a solid nation the Revolutionary War would have been.
fought in vain, and the Declaration of Independence would
become a mere scrap of paper.
1t was then that the leaders in the different states got together
and issued a call for a convention. The original intention was to
try to make the Articles of Confederation more workable, but the
outcome was the present constitution which was finally adopted
September II, 1857, just 1876 years ago today. 1t established a real,
centralized government with power, and marked the actual begin
ming of this nation although nearly twelve years had passed since
the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
1t was no easy matter, however, to get the constitution of
which we now are SO proud, adopted. Not only were there spirited
and sometimes acrimonious debates in the convention, but there
was the bitterest kind of opposition to the document after it was
submitted to the states for their adoption. The antagonism was
similar to the present antagonism to the covenant of the League of
Nations that is before the nations of the world today, just as the
constitution was before the American states at that time. Just
as several states held out for a long time before accepting the
constitution, 50 we find a number of nations holding out against
the league covenant at the present time.
The preamble of the constitution is as follows:
eve, the people of the United States, in order to form a
more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the
United States of America"
Then follows one of the most remarkable documents that has
ever been written. There had been numerous so-caned republics
before, but never had there been a nation with a written consti-
tuition to guide its conduct. 1t divided the government into
three distinct branches, Legislative, executive and judicial. 1t
made the citizens subjects of two governments, national and state.
This is the complication that, even today, many people of Europe
cannot understand.
To overcome the opposition of the smaller states, the trainers
of the constitution compromised on the matter of representation
and provided for two houses in congress, one to have equal repre-
,entation for all states, and the other to have proportional repre-
ientation according to population. But in spite of everything that
was done, the constitution was adopted by the separate states only
after it had been agreed that at the first session of congress certain
amendments would be passed still further guaranteeing the liber
lies of the people.
Following its adoption came the election of George Wash
ington as the first President, and from that time on the United
States Of America has grown and prospered until today it is recog
nized as the greatest, the richest and most powerful on the face Of
the earth.
We, then, who have had this priceless heritage handed dow
to us do well to observe this day, the anniversary of the adoption
Of the constitution. That document is the very foundation of
government under which our lives and our property are safe, anC
where there is equal opportunity f0E all -