Show the of the hie constitution of 0 the lie states our constitution is an all ancient uncertain dream come true it Is a symbol ot of all that our ambitious fathers strove to attain in governmental heights it Is the embodiment of 0 peace and liberty in ili a written system ot of national government directly it Is the result ol of a plan formulated by our colonial fathers indirectly it has evolved cautiously from the fragments of ruling ruling powers developed in very ancient times draw back the curtain of 0 years see the greeks as early as seven hundred years before christ fashioning a humble representative government ern ment see their brave sages gathered together in ili council discussing tribal affairs note the gradual arising of a governmental ern mental struggle in ili ancient athens observe their simple written code and that this weak controlling influence served in the capacity of a government until tile the people enlightened by the noble socrates recited against it in an all effort to establish a free state so on oil down through the distant centuries each great prepple have contributed to the development of the constitution the ancient romans with their laws of the twelve tables the fie english with their famous ous magna carta each advanced many underlying principles of modern government As time drifted on oil each modest baw liw or code had to bo be magnified to me meet et the demands of advancing civilization thus tile the young undeveloped science of government became breame a permanent science a science which lias has been a basis tor for more experiments than perhaps any other at times imes a success again a failure but it has weathered the tests of primitive and medieval times and today it reaches tile the summit of perfection in ill its history thorpe in his con ilk his toly of the lie states says the americans were the first people to reduce their civil organization to a written one the first to express the fundamentals of government in a written constitution amendable as tile the public judgment might demand that these ideas ot of government were not original with the american colonists is a certainty on tills this C edward merriam declares tho the fundamental political ideas in vogue among the american patriots were not the product of american soil and were not original with the men of the revolutionary day hut but were the inheritance inherit ince of english political experience and philosophy in the pre beeding centuries the form in which they were expressed was striking and dramatic but the ideas them selves were not new on the contrary they were doctrines long familiar although there had been other types of colonial governments in ex stance istance previously the articles of confederation which went into effect in the colonies in 1781 were the final precedents of the american constitution the confederation was weak its powers were inadequate it was not suited to the needs of the ho thirteen adventuring colonies and most important of all it was recognized as a mere make malce makeshift shift of government and without the support of the colonies was bound to tall fall the tha crisis bad come with shays rebellion now was the time to choose between anarchy and a stronger central government congress openly favored a convention and all the states except rhode island sent dc delegates legates the most distinguished body of americans ever assembled together sat sal tor for nearly four months behind tile the closed doors of independence hall framing the constitution conflicts ot of representation or of commerce and of advery subdued by the prudent spirit of compromise and the constitution unlike the confederation was given three po powerful departments the executive the legislative and the judicial As the trainers framers affixing their signatures to the constitution tile the venerable peace loving franklin looked up tip at a picture of 0 the sun run painted behind tile the presidents chair lie ile studied it a moment monicue and then spoke saoko 1 I have often in tile the vicissitudes of 0 my hopes and fears looked without being able to tell ell whether it was rising or setting but bui now I 1 have the happiness to know that it ft ii j a rising and not a setting sun time has proven that this thia WL wi indeed a rising sun for as the fresh flews dews of morning inspire the hungry soul so the great constitution inspired the sout soul ot of the troubled america and restored it to peace and quiet f after this great masterpiece of 0 tact and diplomacy was completed it was submitted to the states for their ratification then it was bitterly assailed some found fault with one provision some with an oth the chief objection was that to much power had been given to tile the central government such objections 0 jec however ridiculous they may seem to us were supremely important to the people at that time lime whose very hearts and souls were ready to be auctioned at the price of liberty and justice george washington saw the peril of 0 the country and urged the people to adopt the constitution for the sake of union lie ire said we are either a united people under one head for federal purposes or we are thirteen independent sovereignties sovereign ties eternally counteracting each other I 1 can call see no evil greater than disunion after a period ot of debate and discussion cus sion one after another the states ratified the constitution until nine ratifications ramifications had been made the number necessary to make it binding on oil all states slates then on that memorable day in april 1789 washington took in hand tile the reins of government and the constitution of tile the united states as a living instrument took effect thus came from obscurity the greatest laws of the past aged laws which in ili their infancy stirred the soul of the mighty socrates came now low to insure peace and union to the young america hut but the constitution constitute lon of washing tons administration was still under ve loped its powers were undefined fl t and many of the great principles JP representation that we have today were still not a part of it our experience has shown how wise was the original outline of tile the constitution and gradually its special amendments have fortified its Ile weakness akness continued next issue |