periority of the free commonwealths will, no doubt, increase from decade to decade till slavery in the United States shall be no more. This is a question that cannot be finally settled at this time." (The motion is then put and a tie vote results. The president may vote no or decide the motion is lost without his vote.) Mr. Randolph: "Mr. President: I move that the Committee rise and report favorable on the Constitution." (This Motion is seconded, put, and carried. Mr. Wilson then yields the chair to George Washington, and after taking his seat, rises and reports.) Mr. Wilson (Penn.): "Mr. President: I have the honor to inform this House that the Committee reports 'favorable' on the Constitution of the United States." The President: "What will you do with the Constitution?" Mr. Madison (Va.): "Mr. President: I am in favor of adopting the Constitution of the United States, because it is, I believe, by far the most important production of its kind in all history. Never in the history of the world has a Federal National Government been created. It combines national strength with individual ability in a degree so remarkable that it will attract the world's admiration. Never in the history of man has a government struck so fine a balance between liberty and union; between state rights and sovereignty. The world has labored for ages to solve this greatest of all governmental problems, but it has labored in vain. Greece in her mad clamor for liberty had forgotten the need of the strength that Union brings, and she perished. Rome made the opposite mistake. Rome fostered Union-Nationality-for its strength until it be came a tyranny and strangled the child liberty. It has been left for us to strike the balance between these opposing tendencies; to join them in perpetual wedlock in such a way as to secure the benefits of both. "Only the small states here oppose the Constitution because they believe that the great states will combine against them. Why think of such a thing? Can such States ever form such a combination? Does not the history of every country on the face of the earth disprove it? I call your attention to incidents in the history of Sparta, of Athens, of Carthage, of Rome, of the House of Bourbon, or of the House of Austria. It is the strong States that fall out, the weak ones that combine. "Sir, I predict that this Constitution of the United States will be pronounced by future historians and statesmen of the world as the greatest work ever struck off by the mind and purpose of man.” Benjamin Franklin: "Mr. President: I have lived a long time and have often been obliged to change my opinion on matters on which I was once sure I was right. The older I grow, therefore, the more I am apt to doubt my judgment and to pay more respect to the judgments of others. I agree to the Constitution with all its faults, if it have any. I had expected no better and I am not sure that it is not the best. It astonishes me to find this system approaching so near to perfection. I hope that each member who still has objections will doubt a little of his own infallibility and put his name to the instrument. I propose the following form: "Done in Convention by the unanimous consent of the States present, the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of our United States of America, the twelfth.' "In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names." George Washington (holding one hand on the Constitution and the other uplifted holding the pen) said: "Should the States reject this excellent Constitution, the probability is that opportunity will never again offer to construct another in peace. The next will be drawn in blood." (Washington signed the Constitution first and the States signed in order from the East as follows): New Hampshire-John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman. New Jersey-William Livingston, David Bearly, Wm. Patterson, Jonathan Dayton. Pennsylvania-Thos. Fitzsimmons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Governeur Morris, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Geo. Clymer, Thomas Mifflin. Delaware-Geo. Read, Gunning Bedford Jr., Jno. Dickenson, Rich Bassett, J. Broom. Maryland-James McHenry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carroll. Virginia-John Blair, James Madison, Jr. North Carolina-William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson. South Carilona-J. Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Pierce Butler, C. Pinckney. Georgia-William Few, Abraham Baldwin. William Jackson, Secretary. (Thirty-nine signed.) (After all (39) had signed Mr. Franklin made the following remarks). Mr. Franklin: "Mr. President: I have often and often, in the course of this session and the vicissitude of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that painting behind the president without being able to tell whether it was a rising or setting sun! But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a RISING SUN!!" In place of taking the time for signing the Constitution a better plan might be for all to repeat in con cert the Preamble to the Constitution: We, the people of the United States of America, Insure domestic tranquility; Provide for the common defense; Promote the general welfare; and Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. (In case the preamble is recited, insert Franklin's last speech here.) (A hint: It is recorded that after the Convention adjourned sine die they went in a body and dined together, Washington with a short speech excusing himself and retiring immediately after dining.) Scene 2. A Platform or Stage cleared for Drills. DRILLS Objective points of drills: No. 1. To show the contest between the SMALL and LARGE States. No. 2. To show the contest between the Northern and Southern States. No. 3. To show the order in which the States entered the Union. DRILL NO. 1 The Small States (Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina) represented by smaller players and the large States (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia) represented by larger players may be shown very well in contest by a dance, "Pearls of Dew Mazurka," by the Victor Dance Orchestra. (Victor Record No. 35037-A). DRILL NO. 2 In like manner, by a dance or military drill may be shown a contest between the Slave States, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia on one side and the Free Soil States, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania on the other, but in different costume, however not in "blue" against the "gray" at this time. The Palmetto against the Pine would perhaps be better. DRILL NO. 3 The following drill is suggested: Let the Goddess of Liberty, Columbia, stand on platform in rear of stage at the center, with thirteen flags each having thirteen stars in a circle in the blue field and thirteen stripes. Let players enter in the order the states ratified the Constitution and entered the Union. First, Delaware marches in from Left Upper Entrance, kneels and raises hand appealingly for a flag; Columbia gives one of her small flags; Delaware marches down stage waving her flag and repeats: "I am the State of Delaware, the Diamond State, the first State to enter the Union. My birth day (date of entrance) is December 6, 1787. (She may give her boundary and any other fact of her colonial history, her capital, largest city, or any appropriate characteristic of her State). With a skip she takes her place on the Left down stage. Next the State of Pennsylvania enters and follows the same routine for her state, the Keystone State, but takes her place on the opposite side of stage to represent a Free State. The States follow the same routine till after New Hampshire enters. She being the ninth State to enter the "Union," is established by the terms of the Constitution. These Nine States may join hands and sing "America" or do a dance, giving their flags to Columbia until completed, when they retake their flags and resume their respective places. After this "Uncle Sam" appears at the door up Left and announces to Columbia that the State of Virginia seeks to enter the Union. Columbia replies: "Admit her." Virginia enters and follows the same routine, as also do the remaining States. Rhode Island being the last and smallest very haughtily and independently enters and takes her place at the head of the Free line and completes the double line with six states on the Slave side and seven on the Free Soil side. Columbia may come to center with a large flag and all waving flags the act may end and the CURTAIN FALLS Or the drill may continue as outlined in Act IV. Scene 1. The Evolution of the Flag. (See Act IV.) The following table will assist the director in ar |