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<br />It hAd n g-rcn!: tnf~k to perform, Ilnmrly, the cstnblishmcnt of
<br />R government of the people nnd n g:o\'~rnment of thirteen sov-
<br />erclgntic8, caeIl jealous ot their rights Ilud each desil'illg to
<br />yie1l1 ns little as possible of their powel's fiS ~tlltes. By the
<br />plan proposed "fOI' the rflUfit'ntlon of the ConRLill1tion. it must
<br />hltvc the Sl1ppOrL both of the people liBel the States nUke. Was
<br />n greater lfiE];: eyer seL for men tlHl.l1 thia? r think !lot. Un-
<br />dei. this plan tile ~tntes lllust cneil call n com"cution of its l)CO-
<br />vIe to ratify t11e net of tile nntional COllyenlioll. In December,
<br />17,s1. Pelllls~'I\'nnlll, l'\ew Jersey, Ilud J)elnwHre Imd ratified. In
<br />Jrwuary, 17~8, Georgia and ConnCl't1cut did likewise, while
<br />Mnr,ylnncl, Smtih Clll'olina, and New Hnmpshil'f' postponed tlieir
<br />l'Rtifictltion for some tIme, but all of them llflcl acted b,y Jnull-
<br />tlry 21, and tl1erc being n. ratificntion by nille ~tates, the Con-
<br />stitution became effective according to its terlllS.
<br />New Yorl;:, Virginia, ~'orth Curoliull, find Rhode {"laBel hlld
<br />nol rfitified, Would tuey do so'l The result iu New York aud
<br />Vil').~inin was doubtful, find when New York fiuRny acted it wa!'>
<br />by a ma,1orlty of ouly two, while Virginia gave a majority ot
<br />ten for the Constitution. ,It was not ontIl May 20 that the
<br />thirteen Stnlcs lUld ratified the Constitution.
<br />The WllOlc Humber of delegateR in tbe convention WU!;; Hlxty-
<br />five, but ftfty-Ihe wns the greatest Ilmubel' tbat E'\'er attended
<br />fit Oile time, uull of the fifty-five, forty afterwards became Mem-
<br />bers of Congl'esR.
<br />When nine States had ratIfied the Constitution, COllgr~ss
<br />determlned to proceed to the orgnJlizatlon of the llew Govern-
<br />ment. In F'ebl'llury the electors were elected, and ou the 4th
<br />or March, 17SH, Congress met, and tbe present Govel'llment was Y
<br />then born. But neither the House of Representatives nor the
<br />Senate lmd n quorum, and It was not until tbp- Gth of April that
<br />a quorulll of both Houses was obtained, aud on April 30 the
<br />Pl'l,$ldcnt was inaugurated,
<br />Wilo were in lhe convention tlwt made the Constitution?
<br />\,TnslJington, the greatest man of American history find as
<br />good as he was great, For eight yeaL's he had !leen at the head
<br />01 tlw RevolutionRry Army. Au American writer says of him:
<br />'['he mot'lt fnmons Il1fln alive; Idolized at horne, naml'd by every
<br />tongue In Eurolle, 1ll'nlFled by k[n,[:"s nnd ~rent rnluist~rs, who CUlDIllll'ed
<br />him with CreSIlI', Chl\I'lorull~ne, and Alfl'ed the Great-hlA head SIlOW
<br />whIte, but wIth st.<!adfHRt h<!art and mind he moved In the sImple pur-
<br />suit ot his country's weRI.
<br />Lord Brougballl said:
<br />Until tlme shall be no mOl'e, will be n te~t of the profP'ess which
<br />OUI' "flCC hRS lllndc In wisdom Qud vlrtllf' which wlll be dCLlved from
<br />the velleratlon }lflld to Ute Immortal name of Washington,
<br />Gladstone said:
<br />If omong nit the I'Cdestllls SUllPlled by hlstol'Y fol' publle ehnrnehm~
<br />or ('xtL'llordlonl'Y fibl ily and pur tY1 I !law one hlglH!I' tban all the ['est,
<br />nncl If I wel'c ,'cqlllred I\t n moment s notice to 1l1l.U1e thc fitte1<t occupant
<br />.fOl' It, my choice wOllld light on WashIngton,
<br />I have said he was great-he WfiS great as a soldier, great as
<br />a I>ll\tesmall, great in vIrtue, gL"eat in his ]01'e of liberty pre-
<br />served and supported hy Inw. His >eight yeurs of warfflre \mdcr
<br />the circumstances and conditions Slll'l'Ollnding him finds 110
<br />parallel in tile history of the world. No militnry cilieftain wl10
<br />p)'{~ceded him or has followed has eclipsed hi~ fame, It is fiR
<br />world-wide ns. it WfiS the ony he ~lll'rendercd his rOHllllissioil to
<br />the people whose liberty he Lwd \\'(Ul.
<br />44400-7810
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