Constitution of the United States

The Constitution of the United States is the product of a few at minds a embled in convention. he Convention was composed of 55 members; the Constitution was signed by 39, including Washington; 51 members took part in the debates. It is generally a umed that Washington took no part in the debates; but Profe or Fiske has said in words which cannot be too often brought before the American citizen: “Tt was suggested that palliatives and half measures would be far more. likely to find favor with the people than any thorough-going reform, when Washington suddenly interposed with a brief but immortal speech, which ought to be blazoned in letters of gold, and posted on the wall of every American a embly that shall meet to nominate a candidate or declare a policy or pa a law, so long as the weakne of human nature shall endure. Rising from his president’s chair, his tall figure drawn up to its full height, he exclaimed in tones unwontedly solemn, with suppre ed emotion, ‘It is too probable that no plan we propose will be adopted. Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be sustained. If, to please the people, we: offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterward defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the event is in the hand of God.’ ” Some of the 55 took no real part in framing the Constitution, and some were obstructionists. Their objections may have exercised a wholesome influence on the Convention, but added much to the cares and perplexities of the greater men who a umed the responsibility and did the work. At the beginning, spronoeliioms for consideration and discu ion were placed before the Convention in an abstract form. These propositions were embodied in 15 resolutions, which were referred to the Committee of the Whole. They were taken up one iy one, and discu ed, amended, rejected, adopted, or postponed for jater consideration.. At the end of two weeks of consideration and discu ion (June 13), the Committee of the Whole reported the conclusions which had been reached in the form of 19 resolutions. But everyoy was still abstract and tentative. No line of the Constitution had yet been written; no eeaan, had yet been agreed on. The 19 resolutions were taken up one. tk one, and amended, rejected, adopted, or postponed to L later date. Other propositions from other sources were considered; and the work went on until J wy 26, when the conclusions of the Convention were referred to the Committee of Detail, and the work of reducing the abstract to the concrete began. The Convention then adjourned to Aug. 6, to enable the Committee to “ prepare and report the Constitution.” On Aug. 6 the Committee of Detail reported and furnished every member with a printed copy of the proposed Constitution. Again the work of consideration began, and went on as before, section by section, line by line. Vexed questions were referred to special committees, amendments offered, changes made, the Committee of Detail incorporated new and additional matters in their draft until, on Sept.