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Show T - - - i I ?! '7TFT1 SfVTI T m . ,, ,.r,, rr v I (Jii V I r If : i clf i; 1 j ; ffr u f7 1 : ' H if j p-i ! ih r I II ; k l : h i ! H THE SIGNING OF THE CONSTITUTION (From the painting by Albert Herter in the Supreme Court, State Capitol, Madison, Wis.) Once when they had reached an impasse, he suggested that the delegates seek guidance in prayer. What if this did bring from Alexander Hamilton the sneering retort that "no foreign aid was needed" a thrust at Franklin's well-known fondness for the French? Franklin could afford to ignore the taunt, for his suggestion of the efficacy of prayer somehow shamed the angry an-gry delegates into a more reasonable reason-able frame of mind and the business busi-ness of the convention went on. There remained innumerable points of difference, of course, all of Which resulted in exhaustive and exhausting debate. But the delegates were mainly divided on the question of whether, in the new government, one state's influence in-fluence should be equal to that of any other state and should be based on population. Edmund Randolph of Virginia and William Paterson of New Jersey submitted submit-ted plans which were diametrically diametric-ally opposed. Randolph advocated representation represen-tation in the two houses of congress con-gress according to population and Paterson wanted only one house of congress and an equal vote for each state. Then Stephen Johnson John-son of Connecticut had proposed tions in an effort to compose a masterpiece which would be acceptable ac-ceptable to everyone. At last the finished product was given to a "committee on style" to polish up its phraseology. Out of that committee, headed by Gouvereur Morris of Pennsylvania, Pennsyl-vania, had come the sonorous, "We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, etc., etc." as the preamble of the completed document doc-ument which they would now be asked to sign on this seventeenth day of September in the Year of our Lord, 1787. There are still a few who are unwilling to sign. Morris wins over some of them by suggesting that they approve of the document docu-ment as representatives of their states, even though they may disapprove dis-approve of it personally. Three of them are obdurate. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts and Edmund Ed-mund Randolph and George Mason Ma-son of Virginia still will not sign. Doubts and Fears. But there are enough of the others who will sign to guarantee that their labors have not been in vain. Even so, they are none too sure that they have wrought well and, instead of a feeling of elation ela-tion that their task is ended, there is an atmosphere of doubt and gloom in the room as the convention adjourns. That atmosphere atmos-phere is reflected in the letter which George Washington will write to the Continental Congress in submitting the final draft of the Constitution. In it he said: In Convention, September 17. 1787. SIR we have now the honor to submit to the" consideration of the United States in Congress assembled, that Constitution which has appeared to us the most ad-viseable. ad-viseable. The friends of our country have long seen and desired, that the power of mak. tal war? peace and treaties, that of levy inl money and regulating commerce, and the correspondent executive and judicial authorities should be fully and effectually vested In the general government govern-ment of the Union: but the impropne y of delegating such extensive trust to one body of men is evident-Hence re-suits re-suits the necessity of a different organi- tlon- . . ... It Is obviously Impracticable In the foederal government of these States to secure all rights of independent sover. wv to each, and yet provide for the fnferest and safety of all-Individuals entering into society, must give up a stare of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude of the sacrifice must de-Mnd de-Mnd as i well on situation and circum-Ence circum-Ence as on the object to be obtained I Tat all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those right, which must be surrendered, and those which may be reserved: and on the pres. 2nt occasion this difficulty was increased bv a differencelmong the several State, is to their situation, extent, habits, and particular interests. '8 oil V scOTT WATSON i'ej L is September a.pit' 1st. , j .place is Independ-, Independ-, in Philadelphia, more than 11 : 'j group of 56 men tosignadacu- declared that n Jited Colonies are M -ht ought to be free fl endent states." ilj !ther group of men H Le-has gathered It : :gn another docu-' docu-' ' jitis even more im-an im-an the Declaration sn Endence. With it, f the people ef the ates will "form a J ect Union, establish I insure domestic in ;y, provide for the I I defense, promote I I al Welfare and se- llessings of Liberty E ,es and our Poster- I knows, there's need 3r all those things! e last 10 years (since r 15, 1777) the new founded by the 56 If the Declaration, f: i trying to function i Articles of Confed-id Confed-id it hasn't been very il. There has been 1 cough tranquillity, I much of justice or f defense or general j As for a "perfect well, there was more despairing citizen led his country the Id States! s5 men, who had gath-I gath-I on May 14, 1787, to lurabie form of govern-Jew govern-Jew what a stern task I ahead of them. It was I enough scene to six of Jger Sherman, Benja-Jnklin, Benja-Jnklin, Robert Morris, tymer, James Wilson e Read. They saw in ' the same furnishings i been here on that July years ago when they fie American Magna There was the same mahogany desk and high iff in which John Han-sat Han-sat as he presided over orations of the 56 im-ho im-ho were risking their placing their signatures 'instrument of sedition." s the chair in which !he secretary who record-proceedings record-proceedings Charles . Maj. William Jackson Charles Thomson's 'A instead of John Han-Mther Han-Mther man sat in the its chair." His indom-rf indom-rf age even in the "times J men's souls," his will I'm unshaken faith had impendence a living real- of just a vague ideal for. So it was only , George Washington reside over the deliberate delibera-te men who were to destinies of the nation striven so mightily to .fing. And, in all truth, need his strong hand 'ntta dUrIng the neXt j0DI Bitter Months. Seuwere t0 b 'our Rebate, argument, con-f con-f and bitterness as per-and per-and opposing view-Jed view-Jed and men's tem- short in the sultry heat " we h0ttest summers 'a had ever known. n the tremendous Z1"8 j0 save a nation " and working behind and closed windows, e eJ terribly from the J y also suffered from .weariness with the Jss of some of the Jan once the great Vir-9 Vir-9 almost despaired in J0 lust as he had JWured on the snowy J Valley Forge. For at jemed I certain that the would break up with hed-and he knew JinWhich he haJ But more than iUn had saved the day. V -! - ..lA.iJ y ( ways found it difficult to distinguish distin-guish in their art a rising from a setting sun, and I have ofton and often in the course of thi3 session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears to -its issue, looked at that behind the President Presi-dent without being able to tell whether it was a rising or setting sun. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun." Prophetic Ben Franklin! One hundred and fifty years later a President of the United States will be calling upon his fellow-Americans fellow-Americans to honor this date of September 17 and in so doing "affirm "af-firm our debt to those who ordained or-dained and established the Constitution Con-stitution ... we shall recognize that the Constitution is an enduring endur-ing instrument fit for the governing govern-ing of a far-flung population of more than one hundred and thirty thir-ty million, engaged in diverse and varied pursuits, even as it was fit for the governing of a small agragrian nation of less than four million . we shall think afresh of the founding of our government under the Constitution, Con-stitution, how ft has served us in the past and how in the days to come its principles will guide the nation ever forward." C Western Newsiaoer Union. GEORGE WASHINGTON a compromise of two houses, with an equal representation in the senate and a proportionate one in the house. His colleague, Oliver Ellsworth, moved the adoption of this plan and thus the first important im-portant compromise was eliect-ed. eliect-ed. More Compromises. ofour Union I" which , to involved our lLrtv felicity, safety, perhaps our Fn ?he Convention to be less rigid on Solnto of inferior magnitude than rmgh have been otherwise expected; and thus ThP Constitution, which we now present ruit ofj- spirit or -may -nf of lhmtU eUalpecu"arilCye of "our political Ration rendered Indispensible. That it will meet the full and entire h.tinn of every State to not per-approbation per-approbation of every w(l d()ubt haps to be "pecte a . o jerests been less consider. Uiath f 3 might Sir Seen patiicariy disagreeable or have De.e" T,herg. that it to liable to T&'X&" "uid reasorbb1ey as iinected. we hope and be- t!aV! t It SS promote the lasting Ueve. that " may0untry s0 dear to us S"S secTon , and happiness happi-ness to our most ardent wish, ness, . We have the honor . TIR 'E"'' M0St nbedtent and humble ServanU. Ir j WASHINGTON. PRESIDENT. CRur:anirnourOrder of the ConvenUoa. As the last signature had been affixed, Benjamin Franklin had Sted to the sun that was paint-Tthe paint-Tthe back of George tWash-taeton's tWash-taeton's chair and said to a fe SSelegate: "Painters have al- Then there arose the troublesome trouble-some problem of regulation of commerce by congress. It was filled with as much cause for dissension dis-sension as the question of representation repre-sentation in congress. But tne differences of opinion were ironed out to the satisfaction of all concerned con-cerned and this danger was averted. avert-ed. Next the dispute over slavery came up to plague the Constitution-makers. But, by making certain cer-tain concessions to the Southern states, again they earned the ship of state safely over the breakers of sectional interest. And thus it went on and on-wrangle, on-wrangle, dispute, threat compromise. com-promise. Finally, on July 26 the convention had turned oyer the job of making a final draft of the Constitution to a "committee on detail " Then it adjourned until August 26. When the delegates returned to their labors ttere was dispute again as they ' carefully care-fully studied over every sentence and every paragraph of the draft |