The Dolores star., 1924-06-27


f-mWIN States of America But only the
III ShW y able and eloquent and impasslOned
t@SIT|l should attempt to do justice to this
tE TN II most remarkable document in all the
| C-..4 world. There giants in the
days when It written. They
complished great works, but greater than the
Constitution
But a dry-as-dust document, you say? Not So
The Constitution is the very substance of our free
dom. Between its lines to be read all the
nance and history and aspirations of the Repub-
lie. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have
fought and died to maintain It's principles The
success Of representative government in the world
depends upon its maintenance in all its integrity.
Freedom hangs upon 1t, for its great purpose is to
safeguard the rights of the Individual citizen.
The Constitution is II human document that bears
directly upon the life, liberty and pursuit hap
piness" of every American. Various circumstances
have combined of late brin, home this truth to
In consequence there is nationwide cam
paign to promote understanding of the Constitution
by the coming generation. Twenty-eght states
have now passed law requiring definite courses
of instruction in all the public schools. More than
100000 public school teachers required by
law to teach the Constitution to more than 3,OOO-
600 public school children The campaign will con-
tlnue until all the states shall have passed this
The English settlers in the American colonies
brought with them the English principles of self
government and elaborated and practiced them to
an extent unknown in the mother country. This Is
shown by the representative chamber in Virginia
IN 1913; the "MaNiiOWer pact' OF 1870; the writ
ten constitution of the Connecticut towns In 1889
The first official draft of plan for the formation
of central government the Articles of Con-
federation adopted by the Second Continental Con-
gress of 17T5 BY 1871 it had been ratified by all
the states The government thus established con-
sisted OF a legislative department only. To remedy
this and other defects congress recommended the
Constitutional Convention which met May 20 to
September II, 1877, at Philadelphia. Fifty-fve
delegates attended, all the states except Rhode Is
land being represented.
Washington presided Among the leaders In the
convention were Hamilton Morris, Wilson, King.
Madison, Franklin, Sherman, Pinckney Ellsworth.
Randolph, Mason Gerry, Lansing, Patterson, Dick
inson and Yates. Congress approved the Constitu-
tion drawn by them. Eleven of the states ratified
the Constitution in 1888. North Carolina ratified
in 1888 and Rhode Island in 1900
The original document, like the Declaration of
Independence has been in many hands and many
places. AT last 1t has found permanent and ap-
propriate home with the Declaration in a special
ly designed repository recently dedicated by Presi
dent Coolidge. in the Library of Congress.
The Constitution of the United States consists
of Preamble and seven Articles, supplemented by
nineteen Observation-Disclosures in addition to. and
amendment of, the Constitution" 1t begins:
PREAMBLE-we the people of the United
states in order to form more perfect union. es-
tabtsh justice insure domestic tranquility. provide
for the common defense. promote the general well
fare and the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity ordain and establish this Con-
sttution for the United States of America.
This Preamble clearly shows that the Constitu-
ton Is much more than compact of states like
the Articles of Confederation which 1t replaced.
These said that the states thereby severally enter
into firm league of friendship with each other"
The Constitution is plainly the establishment by
the people of federal system Of government
the uniting Of the states Into one nation under
ons national government without extnguishing
their separate administrations, legislatures and 10