Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Sept. 21, 1972, edition 1 / Page 14
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Page 6-B Windsor Attorney Addresses Tea Party Chapter, Daughters Os The American Revolution (Editor’s Note: The follow* ing speech was given on Wednesday of last week be fore the' Tea Party Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, by Steve Burch, Windsor attorney and native of Chowan County. This is Constitution Week, therefore, we are printing the speech in its entirety). Most relevant in point of time and gender is the pro posed Equal Rights for Wom en Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. No one knows what the consequences will be if ratified, either legally, socially or in the home. You have come a long way since the law regarded women as chattels. The old common law, recognizing the fact that wives needed beatings, did protect women by restricting the size of the stick to the width of the husband’s thumb. Unfortunately, now and then, we have a client who on Saturday night for gets this law was changed. The Equal Right Amend ment has passed the Congress and has been ratified by 20 states, but not by North Ca rolina. Sen. Sam Erwin, the amendment’s greatest oppo nent during the long Senate fight, upon passage, wearily sighed, “Forgive them, Fath llj IS YOUR CHILD IlMl over active? Often, a small child with m seemingly large UJI amount of excess energy, who Is very restless, aggressive and impulsive is simply described by B loving parents as “all boy’’ or “she’s a little |SI devil.” However, it la possible that there is an underlying cause that could have 111 effects on fefefe social development as he or she grows older. pH Call it to your doctor’s attention if yon thtnfc feSf your child is hypersetive. The earlier the prob ■em is identified. If there is a problem, and feß R helped, the better the social adjustment that In will be made. There are certain prescription l||l drugs available for therapy that can be of great feU _ help. M M |H YOU OR YOUR DOCTOR CAN PHONE US ■■ R1 when you need a delivery. We will deliver 19 promptly without extra charge. A great many IkH SU people rely on us for their health needs. We H 3 JHJ welcome requests for delivery service H fed lULmmal'c In VMHM9WOTI RexaßDnqr Store TWO —WWIMUfWI ■f PHONO ttUiar ■DOHTOH.N.C. NOTICE! DOG AND BICYCLE LICENSES ARE NOW ON SALE! Dog Licenses are on sale at the Town Office and Bicycle Licenses are on sale at the Police Station. Ik fee for ALL DOGS is $3lO per year. The fee for each bicycle is 50 cents for aperiod of two years. The Code of Ordinances requires the arrest of any dog owner who fails to purchase licenses for his dogs by September 31th. TOWN OF EDENTON i WILLIAM GARDNER, ADMINISTRATOR er, they know not what they do." Did our founding fathers really know what they were doing when they bequeathed to us the Federal Constitu tion? I«t us examine this question. During the spring and early summer of 1787, carri ages piled high with buckskin trunks rolled into the city of Philadelphia. They came from north and south bring ing men wearing knee breeches, three cornered hats and buckled shoes. Ships and sails were bringing other men to the Philadelphia docks. Each had been selected in his own state to attend the con vention at Philadelphia. Among the delegates trav eling to Philadelphia was Dr. Hugh Williamson of Edenton. Dr. Williamson had been edu cated at the College of Phila delphia and was a friend of Benjamin Franklin. Surely, his was an important task. I wonder what thoughts passed through the mind of this able and dedicated statesman. It is interesting to know at this time Edenton had 150 homes and a population of 1,600, of which 1,000 were Negro slaves. He realized that - the ar ticles of confederation, while helping the 13 colonies grow into a nation, had proved in adequate. Dr. Williamson knew that the central govern ment must be stronger and have power to carry out its lews and the money to oper ate and pay debts incurred during the revolution. Surely Dr. Williamson had sensed the feeling of Eden ton’s citizenry before his de parture. Mr. Samuel John son, selected by the governor of North Carolina, shared Dr. Williamson’s convictions, as did Judge Iredell. Chowan leaders such as Charles John son, Nathaniel Allen, Michael Payne, Lemuel Creecy and John Mare advised Dr. Wil liamson to exert his influence in the formation of a stronger union with real strength in its governing body. One can visualize these gentlemen in Egan’s or Hor niblow's Tavern, sitting in Windsor chairs at tavern tables discussing the import ant question of the day. Each smoking his white clay pipe and wearing a newly curled, white wig and nodding in ap proval, for it was agreed that the mutual ‘interest of each lay in obtaining a strong cen tral government. Dr. Williamson was in the shipping business and readily saw that merchants could not * prosper in a nation where each state had wide discretion in its policies of import, ex port and currency. His thoughts were that a common currency among the states would be more convenienl than each state printing its own money. Each delegate meeting in Philadelphia knew that a statement of laws and prin ciples for governing the na tion had to be written. One of the first orders of business for the group who assembled in a building now known as Independence Hall was to elect a president of the con vention. The natural chair man for the office was Gen. George Washington. He was widely admired and knew the problems of a young nation. The delegates decided that the Articles of Conferedation were insufficient and that a new document should be writ ten. Day after day for three and one-half months, they met and debated. Their work was important James Wilson, a delegate from .Pennsylvania, wrote, “We should consider that we are providing a con stitution for future genera tions and not merely for the THE CHOWAN HERALD particular circumstances of the moment."’ People waited for the con vention to finish. They Were eager and anxious. The sum mer was hot and no one biit the delegates knew what pro gress was being made. They worked day and night and armed guards carried food to their door. 'Outside the build ing, the cobbled street had beeh covered with earth to muffle the noise of passing horses and wagons. On September 17, 1787, the work was finished. Thirty nine delegates signed the new Constitution of the U. S. Now the separate states would have to decide whether to accept or reject the work of the con vention. Dr. Williamson set his sig nature to the new document and returned to Edenton; however, his work was just beginning. On November 8, he addressed the citizens of Edenton explaining the new Constitution and urging its adoption. The town’s federal ists element adopted Judge Iredell’s resolution calling for Chowan, citizens to “use their utmost efforts to obtain a resolution of the General As sembly appointing the choice and meeting of represents ' fives of the people ih a state convention in order to delib erate on the new constitution proposed. Judge Iredell published es says in support of the new Constitution. Edenton’s news papers, the Intelligence and the State Gazette, gave strong support to the federalist view; however, the feeling through out the state was not unani mous. Farmers and many interior citizens feared too strong a government. Hadn’t they just fought a war to gain their freedom? Hadn’t they come to this new world seeking freedoms? These were not to be taken lightly. The state convention met in 1788 in Hillsborough and re jected the Constitution. Eleven of the 13 states had ratified the Constitution when the second state convention was held at Fayetteville. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina adopted the Federal Constitution. Samuel John son and James Iredell worked hard to convince the anti-fed eralists that North Carolina could not stay out of the Union. They made speech af ter speech and circulated pamphlets. Johnson was presi dent of the assembly and his influence greatly contributed | to the success. This brought great joy to Edenton and they celebrated by hoisting Union flags, dis playing colors on vessels and fired salutes. The federalists gathered at Egan’s Tavern and drank toasts to their lead ers. The cupola on the court house was illuminated and bonfires roared on the ed-e of town. Still there were many citi zens in North Carolina and other states who were not sat isfied with the Constitution. They asked “Where in this document do you find any thing to prevent the national ■ government from interfering with the liberties which we revolted? Where are our free doms of speech, of press, of religion? Many shook their heads and claimed that the Constitution failed to protect the very rights proclaimed in the Declaration of Independ ence. They asked “Why had SERVICES AVAILABLE Certified Watchmakers Clock Repairs Jewelry Repairs Diamond ' Mounting Baby Shoes Bronzed, Silvered Razor Service Silver Replating Refinishing I Engraving Wedding Invitations G. T. Davis & Company Jewelers EPCNTON, N. C. Next Tm tajUf Thextn a statement of our funda mental rights been left out? Were the proponents of the Constitution assuming too much when they assumed that fundamental liberties were probated? James Iredell’s thoughts were later reflected in his dissent after he was ap pointed to the U. S. Supreme Court in Chishom vs. Georgia when he wrote that the states were sovereigns as to *ll pow ers which they had not speci fically delegated to the fed eral government. Thus the Constitution re ceived its first challenge and withstood it well. Dr. Williamson and the au thors of the Constitution) had made promises for amend ments. One of the very first acts of the new government after ratification was to add the Bill of Rjghts to the new Constitution guaranteeing bas ic human rights to each citi zen. We were bequeathed a Con stitution that is more than a PROMOTED—AIien Briggs has just been promoted to sergeant. The airman is pres ently connected with the Computer Squadron at TAC Headquarters, Langley Ai r Force Base, Hampton, Va. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Briggs, Jr., of Tyner. - FOR - DIRT AND TOP SOIL - CALL - LAYTON AND WILLIAMS ROUTE 1, EDENTON, N. C. Phene 482-1257 or 482-4230 K1.,. YOU CAN SAVE *4O on ■■ First Quality Bedding rt and r I .pUMM'rf Os EDENTON INC Telephone I working plan for a great fed eration of states under repre sentative government. There is embedded in it the vital principles of the American system of liberty, a system based upon certain inalien able freedoms find protec tions. Among others, the freedom of worship, freedom of speech and press, right of peaceable assembly such as this meeting here today, equality before the law, just and fair trial for crime, free dom from unreasonable search, and security from be ing depriwed of life, liberty or property without due pro cess of law. These are the principles that distinguish our civilization. These principles are the invisible soldiers which guard the door of every home from invasion of coer cion of intimidation and fear. In these principles lie the ex pression of the spirit of men and women who would be for ever free. Article 111 of our Constitu tion provides that the judi cial power of the U. S. shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. From the time of John Mar shall to today,' the court has added to its power by slow accretion until today its in fluence affects every aspect of American life. Troops have been deployed, great corpora tions dissolved and little chil dren marched past angry mobs to school because nine black robed justices in Wash ington discovered new mean ings to our old and hallowed Constitution. The court has added to, de leted from, and interpreted the Constitution which has endured because of its flexi bility. The founding fathers of our Constitution, I think, really expected the Supreme Court to preserve, rather than change the Constitution for they gave us a power to amend it. The court under the system of checks and bal ances, was to keep an eye on the Congress. Alexander Ham ilton in the Federalist Papers wrote, “The courts were de signed to be an intermediate body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep j^^^£anniversaay gSjK BBBBBHBBBMBMBMBBNBA«MHfIttiitaMMap UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PRIDE IN THE PAST - FAITH IN THE FUTUP% , nc ~^ The replacement of old, worn-out machinery Is vital to your farm’s productiveness. If you need credit for new equipment, see your Production Credit Association. ; V ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT US. I ■I HOME OFFICE ALBEMARLE PRODUCTION (Tfßffiii CREDIT ASSOCIATION 107 EAST CHURCH STREET r ELIZABETH CITY, N. C. For Operating Credit And Capital Investment Credit FIELD OFFICE 102 W. EDEN ST. EDENTON, N. C. WEDNESDAYS 10 TO 12 , f STARTING OCTOBER - Wednesday BA.M. -1 P. M. Friday BA.M.-IP.M. Thursday, September 21, 197j£ the latter within the limits as- j signed to their authority.” ~1 In practice, it has not' • y r s*- worked out this way. True the court has protefj ed the Constitution: againsq illegal acts of Congress ■ add Continued on Ppgq 7 Try a Herald Classified Ad.
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 21, 1972, edition 1
14
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