Evening star., 1960-08-12
Mysterious Date

In The sunday Star there
appears an article by John
McKelway entitled Capitol
Statue Bears a Mystifying
Date" Describing the statue
Of Justice" on the Capitol.
Mr.. McKelway states that the
date of September IT, 1887,
inscribed on the representa-
ton of the Constitution held
in the hand Of the statue, is
a mystery and that no one
seems to know why Justice"
has been holding the wrong
date in her hand.
When this writer was a
school child, the date Of Sep
tember II. 1887, was known
to us all. 1t is the date Of the
signing of the Constitution by
the representatives Of the
States at the Constitutional
Convention. The signature on
that date by delegates Of IL
Of the 13 States represented
a momentouS achievement,
after months Of debate and
compromise on an instrument
Of supreme historical impor-
tance. That date is celebrated
every year. September II is
known as Constitution Day.
Eleanor H. Finch
Editors Note: The article
was incorrect in not stating
that at September, 1887" is
known as Constitution Day"
as we'll as implying that the
date is obscure. The "mys-
terry" surrounding the date
exists because it is not known
why it was selected after
President John Quincy
Adams had recommended
another date. March 4, 1889.
the day the Constitution was
declared "in effect" by
CongresS.)
The date at September.
1887" on the Capitol statue of
Justice" described as mys-
terious in your Sunday arti-
Gle, is no mystery at all. It
is the date the Constitution
was signed in the Federal
Convention. Any full text Of
the Constitution containing
the testimonium clause and
the signatures Of the delegates
will give it. The date is also
that of the resolution of the
Federal convention recon-
mending the form of action
to adopt the instrument by
the Congress and that of
Washington's famous letter
of transmittal,
OF the three dates men,
toned in your article only
one is identified correctly.
The Declaration Of Independ-
ence is ascribed to July 4.
1776, throughout our history
because it was published on
that date. That is accepted,
though the document was
adopted on July 2 and
the signatures were attached
later.
March 4, 1889, is not the
date the Constitution was
declared "in effect" It is the
date that proceedings under
the Constitution" commenced
The resolution of the Con-
tinental Congress which pre-
scribed that date and the
dates of the necessary prior
elections, adopted September
13, 1888, declared ratif1ca-
tions of the Constitution ito
be sufficient for the estab-
lishment Of the same" The
ninth and qualifying ratifica-
tion, that of New Hampshire,
had been completed June 81.
1888, and was first noted by
the Congress in a draft re-
solution dated July 2. The
Constitution was "in effect"
June 81. 1888, according to
Article VII, though it was
not. operative until the re-
solution of September 13.
September II, 1887. is the
date of the Constitution be-
cause the document drawn
up by the Federal Conven-
ton so describes itself and it
was SO signed by delegates
of IL States. 80 in number.
In a strictly technical sense
it was at that time the
Report of the Convention, "
to the Congress, which sub
mitted it to the States for
ratification under that title.
1t became the Constitution by
the ratif1cations of the States,
which retroactively gave its
name validity and vitality.
Denys p. Myers.