In my last address I left Doctor Franklin predicting to the discouraged remnant of the constitutional convention that the nation then formed would be a "rising sun" in the constellation¹ of the nations. The sun, however, was destined² to rise through a bank of dark and murky³ clouds, for the Constitution could not take effect until it was ratified⁴ by nine of the thirteen States; and when it was submitted to the people, who selected State conventions for the purpose of ratifying⁵ or rejecting the proposed plan of government, a bitter controversy⁶ at once ensued between two political parties, then in process of formation, one called the Constitution ratified without controversy. In the remaining ten the struggle was long and arduous⁷, and nearly a year passed before the requisite⁸ nine States gave their assent⁹. Two of the States refused to become parts of the new nation, even after it began, and three years passed before the thirteen States were re-united under the Constitution.

It could not have been ratified had there not been an assurance that there would be immediate¹⁰ amendments¹² to provide a Bill of Rights to safeguard the individual. Thus came into existence the first ten amendments to the Constitution, with their perpetual guaranty of the fundamental rights of religion, freedom of speech and of the Press, the right of assemblage, the

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