View From The Ditch Bank

THE CONSTITUTION---I said in my last blog that I would be able to post several lengthy blogs on the subject of the Declaration and the Constitution and following events. I also said I would try to hold it down to two shorter ones. I think I may wind up with 3 or 4. We will see.

To start this post, I am going to return the the last post for a moment. Although the Declaration of Independence came out on July 4, 1776, the war had already been going on since the 19th of April 1775. That day the war started in Lexington, Ma. with the shot that became known as "The shot that was heard around the world." The war ended with the Second treaty of Paris signed 15 April 1783, 8 years of war later. The last British troops finally left New York on 25 November 1783.

Now, I am not going to go into a lot of the history of the War or it's aftermath. Suffice it to say that the country was living under the Articles of Confederation. And they were not working. so a convention was called and the States were ask to send delegates to Philadelphia to work on the Articles. This was in 1787. All of the States except Rhode Island sent Delegates. As the convention dragged on, some of the delegates got angry and left. Finally the Articles were scrapped and the Constitution was drafted.

There was much wrangling and dissension among the delegates, and what they wanted. The small States wanted equal representation, fearing that they would be left out by the wants of the larger and more populated States. The large States didn't want the small States to have equal representation, fearing they would lose too much by sharing. Many other issues clogged the system. Some wanted a King, some wanted a President to be elected by the people, but he would serve for life. What finally came out is the Constitution, with a preamble that goes like this We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It was not presented to the states as the law of the land, but to the people to be ratified. It was decided that it would take 9 of the 13 States to ratify it. Rally's by the federalists were organized in each State against ratifying the Constitution. Many States ratified it only by a narrow margin. The Constitution was sent to the States to be ratified BY THE PEOPLE, in September of 1787. Delaware was the first State to ratify it on December 6. New York didn't ratify it until July 26 of 1788. North Carolina and Rhode Island then ratified it after New York. Many leaders of that time were against the Constitution. However, most of those leaders then followed it after it became the law of the land. There are 7 Articles, each Article divided into sections. It spells out what the Federal Government can and cannot do. I am not going to cover those Articles, although I am tempted to do so. I urge all to read them, or reread them if you have already read them. Then read and study the amendments that have been made in the 200+ years that the Constitution has been in effect. Study it closely, and then watch what is being done, and stand up for the rights of the people and the States, if in no other way, than when you vote. And please register and vote. If you do not already do so. I had hoped to finish this subject with this post, but I feel that two more postings are needed, for me even though you may not agree. I feel that we should make our voices heard, and that we should stand up for the Constitution, as there are now, as then, those who would like to see it fail. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank.