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HISTORY OF THE CELEBRATION
OF THE
ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE PROMULGATION OF THE
Constitution of United States.
flje
EDITED BY
HAMPTON L CARSON,
SECRETARY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CENTENNIAL COMMISSION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL.
I.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION
AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION, BY
B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY,
J.
PHILADELPHIA.
1889.
LIBRARY
Or CALJFQBWA
DAVIS
PREFACE.
THESE memorial volumes have been prepared by direction of
the Constitutional Centennial Commission.
The magnificent demonstration at Philadelphia on the I5th,
16th, and iyth of September, 1887, showing alike the popular
and the official allegiance, on the part of the States and of the
nation, to the great Act of 1787, created a profound impression
upon the vast throngs of witnesses. It is not known that upon
any other occasion in history a great and contented people have
united with their rulers in giving a like expression to their satis-
faction with their government. Industry, commerce, labor, learn-
ing, literature, religion, statesmanship, the arts of peace and of
war, the official and the private world, all happily participated
in this imposing display of affection and reverence for the
Charter which gives equal liberty and equal protection to all.
The executive, the legislative, and the judiciary of the Union
were associated with the like representation of the State gov-
ernments, in the perfect harmony of a common devotion.
The presence of honored citizens and subjects of foreign
lands, both official and private, added to the interest of the
ceremonies.
The frequent expressions of delighted surprise and admira-
tion, coming from all classes, justified the belief of the Commis-
PREFACE.
vi
sion that the leading features and incidents of the celebration
should be collected and preserved in a durable memorial. It
was believed that .it would be alike interesting to the people of
this generation and to their posterity who may hope to celebrate
another centennial commemoration in the same historic
city.
The executive officers of the Commission have therefore
undertaken the task, and now offer to the public the result of
their labors. They venture to hope that it will serve to excite
the interest of their fellow-citizens in the principles of our gov-
ernment, as well as to perpetuate in the hearts of our country-
men the memory of its noble founders.
As an auxiliary to this object, and as a prelude to their
account of the ceremonies which belonged to the celebration,
they have prepared a compact history of the progress of the
American Colonies towards a general confederation, and of the
imperfection of that first act of union, which rendered a more
A
perfect constitution necessary. history of the formation
of our present Constitution follows, carefully derived from the
authentic records of the time, and showing the meaning of
its framers in respect to various clauses which are still the
subjects of debate.
Besides these notes upon the invaluable work of the founders
of our government, they have prepared brief sketches of the
lives of the men who took part in that memorable convention,
that their memories may be preserved with their work.
They acknowledge their obligations to the patriotism and the
generosity of the citizens of Philadelphia, by whose aid alone
the Commission is enabled to publish these commemorative
volumes, and desire particularly to express their grateful appre-
PREFACE.
vii
ciation of the invaluable aid of Mr. Frederick D. Stone, the
accomplished librarian of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
The portraits of the fratners of the Constitution are from
original and authentic sources, and in all cases preference has
been given to those which have not been repeatedly engraved.
Acknowledgment is due to Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, of New
York City, for the most generous assistance.
The Constitution is produced from photographs taken directly
from the original document in the State Department at Wash-
ington.
In illustrating the civic and industrial display a selection has
been made from instantaneous photographs of the procession.
To supply omissions, occasioned by insufficient light towards the
close of the day, individual exhibits have been used as far as
practicable.
Each State participating in the military display is represented
by one or more regiments, or by grouping individual photographs
of soldiers and officers where no other illustrations could be
found. Efforts were made to secure an illustration of the repre-
sentatives of North Carolina, but without success.
Memorial Day is illustrated by a phototype from a painting
by Mr. H. R. Poor, of Philadelphia, from a number ofphotographs
taken on the
spot.
But few of the commissioners responded to the request for
reports of the share taken by their States and Territories, and
such as were received could not be printed without constant repe-
tition of matter which appears in the History of the Constitutional
Centennial Commission, and the reports of its sub-committees.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME
I.
PAGES
HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OFTHECAUSES WHICH LED TO
ITS ADOPTION. By JohnA, Kasson I
BIOGRAPHIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION. ByHampton L. Carson 135
THE CONSTITUTION OP THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 238
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 255
HISTORY OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 259
HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. By Hampton L. Carson . 261
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION. By William J. Latta 331
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE VOLUNTEER MEDICAL CORPS. By C. J.
M.D
Cleborne, 338
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF RECEPTION OF GUESTS. By William H, Staake .... 355
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON Music. By William Henry Lex 398.
SELECTIONS FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE COMMISSION 401
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONOFTHE FRAMINGOFTHE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES BY A FRENCH SPECTATOR. By L. Vossion 447
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME
I.
George Washington .... Frontispiece. Richard Bassett Facing 182
The Capitol atWashington .... Facing I James McHenry " 184
Independence Hall (Exterior) . . " 135 Daniel of St. ThomasJenifer ... " 185
Independence Hall (Interior) . . " 136 Daniel Carroll " 187
"
John Langdon 144 John Blair 188
Nicholas Oilman " 146 James Madison " 189
Nathaniel Gorham " 147 William Blount " 193
Rufus King " 148 Richard Dobbs Spaight " 194
William Samuel Johnson " 149 Hugh Williamson " 195
Roger Sherman " 150 John Rutledge " 196
Alexander Hamilton " 152 Charles Cotesworth Pinckney ... " 199
William Livingston " 155 Charles Pinckney " 202
William Paterson 158 Pierce Butler " 203
Jonathan Dayton " 160 William Few " 205
Benjamin Franklin " 162 Abraham Baldwin " 206
Thomas Mifflin " 165 William Jackson " 207
Robert Morris " 166 ElbridgeGerry " 209
George Clymer " 168 Edmund Randolph " 211
Jared Ingersoll " 170 George Mason " 214
James Wilson " 171 Caleb Strong " 215
Gouverneur Morris " 173 Oliver Ellsworth " 219
George Read " 176 John Francis Mercer " 223
Gunning Bedford,Jr " 178 Luther Martin " 225
John Dickinson " 179 George Wythe 227
