The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-05
The Cont: :.itution of 17s7

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 Representative Oliver of your state placed in the Congressional Record of the 18th inst. some matter relating to the constitution, d subject which is always interesting to me. I was especially interested in the oration of young Mir. Turner on account of the ex- tensive information evidenced in it's prepara- tion. It is one thing to perceive al object and another and quite a different thing to tell precisely what the object is.
 Young Mir. Turner is as periodically welded to the constitution of 1787 as l am that is the constitution under discussion yet the constitution which he applauds is a constitution for the people; while the consti- tuition that applaud is a constitution for the United States. A difference which a great many men, older than Mir. Turner, have failed utterly to perceive. And that failure is the prolific cause of the lamentable trou- bles that afflict the government of the United States at this time.
 Mir. Turner, after an Oratorical prologue, calls the Articles of Confederation "a rope of sand,' while the preamble to the articles declare them to be articles of perpetual union" And l maintain that the union" formed at that time exists today, uotwith- standing all the efforts that have been put forth to destroy it.
 The forty eight states are today as firmly bound in union" as were the thirteen states in 1777. Mir. Turner quoted Abraham Liu- coln's famous Gettysburg aphorism.
 With due regard to Abraham Lincoln s great reputation and his greater services to his country, I must declare. that the consti- tuition of 17S7 did not form a government of that kind. That declaration is as firmly established by historical fact as the RevO- lutiOnary War.
 It is universally conceded that the govern ment of the United States under the Articles of Confederation was a government of states, for states, by states in congress assembled. This congress had not only legislative, but executive and judicial, powers as we'll The first effort made to amend the articles was in the form of a resolution passed by con gress on the second day of Febuary, 17S1.
 The constitution of 17S7 was framed by body of delegates appointed in every case by the authority of state governments and as a necessary consequence the govern ment formed was a government formed by states for the government of states.
 Then Mir. James Wilson, delegate from the state of Pennsylvania, and later dele gate in the convention of that state which ratified the constitution. raised the question of the authority Ofrthe state legislatures to ratify the constitution by saying that 1t should be founded on the bread foundation
 
 commended that the congress should submit 1t to conventions of the people in the several states. But wlio are and what are "the p4o- ple?" It is we'll understood and unchal- iensed principle of international law that 'the people, and it's equivalent, ''the com munity," have no legal standing. And can confer no legal authority until and when they become legally organized body polite" So this great patriotic acclaim, We, the pco- ple," vanshes without leaving any smoke to indicate It's explosion,
 The constitution WAS indeed sent to con .ventlons of "the people," but these eonven- tions were not spontaneous gatherings of .the people," but regularly called delegate conventionse by the authority of the several states. So the constitution is-or was--a form of government made by states, ratified by states, for states. The federal govern ment could not touch single citizen of any one of the states unless that citizen vio- lated the law of nations, cOunterfeited the ,oin or securities of the United States. or entered the army or navy of the United States. H. l.. TRISLEt.
 Long Beach, Cal, June p, 1924