Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-07-04

c-.a- U=.-J world There were giants in the
days whensit written. They &C
complished great works, but none 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 it's lines are to be read all the ro-
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 it's integrity
Freedom hangs upon it, for its great purpose is to
safeguard the rights Of the individual citizen.
The Constitution is human document that bears
directly upon the '1ife liberty and pursuit of hap
pness" of every American. Various circumstances
have combined of late to bring home this truth to
us. In consequence there is nationwide
paign promote understanding of the Constitution
by the coming generation. Twenty-eight states
have now passed a law requiring definite courses
of instruction in all the public schools. More than
100000 public school teachers are now required by
law to teach the Constitution to more than 3,00O-
600 public school children The campaign will con-
tinue until all the states shall have passed this law
The English settlers in the American colonies
brought with them the English principles of self
government and elaborated and pract:ced them to
an extent unknown In the mother country. This Is
shown by the representative chamber in Virginia
in 1919; the "Mayfower Pact of 1920; the writ
ten constitution of the Connecticut towns in 1889
The first ofciaI draft of plan for the formation
of central government was the Articles of Con-
federation adopted by the Second Continental Con-
gress of 1775. BY 1871 it had been ratified by all
the states. The government thus established con-
sisted of legislative department only. To remedy
this and other defects congress recommended the
Constitutional Convention which met May 20 to
September II, 1887, 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-
ton drawn by them. Eleven of the states ratified
the Constitution in 1888 North Carolina ratified
in 1889 and Rhode Island in 1890.
The original document, like the Declaration of
independence, has been in many hands and many
places At last 1t has found permanent and APP
proprIate home, with the Declaration, in special
~ designed repository recently dedicated by Pres
dent Coolidge, in the Library of Congress
The Constitution Of the United States consists
OF a Preamble and seven Articles supplemented by
nineteen amendments in addition to. and
amendment of, the Constitution" 1t begins:
s PREAMBLE-we the people OF the United
states in order to form more perfect union.
tabsh justice. insure domestic Tranquility provide
sor The common defense promote the general well
ssr md secure the blessings Of liberty to ourselves
and our posterty ordain and establish this Con-
Atitution FOR the United States Of America
This Preamble clearly shows that the Constitu
Non is much more than compact of states like
the Articles of Confederation which 1t replaced
These said that the states hereby severaly enter
inso d 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
one nations7 government without extinguishing
sher separ.,,s administrations legislatures and To-
-