WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE FOUNDATION FOR A CONSTITUTION, THE FOUNDING FATHER’S CONSIDERED AN EXERPT FROM ARISTOTLE’S “POLITICS:”

      "HE WHO COMMANDS THAT LAW SHOULD RULE MAY THUS BE REGARDED AS
      COMMANDING GOD AND REASON ALONE SHOULD RULE;

      HE WHO COMMANDS THAT A MAN SHOULD RULE ADDS THE CHARACTER OF THE
      BEAST”

      ARISTOTLE’S GREECE OF CITY-STATES, LIKE ATHENS, WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE 13 AMERICAN STATES. STILL, SOME 2,000 YEARS AFTER ARISTOTLE'S TIME, THE FRAMERS AT PHILADELPHIA UNDERSTOOD ARISTOTLE'S POLITICAL IDEAS AND PASSED THEM ON TO US IN THE DOCUMENT THEY CREATED. AMONG THESE IDEAS ARE THE BELIEF IN THE RULE OF LAW, MODERATION AND A GOVERNMENT THAT SERVES THE COMMON INTEREST OF ALL CITIZENS.

      WHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON, JAMES MADISON, AND OTHER FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION ASSEMBLED AT PHILADELPHIA, THEY SOON DECIDED, WITHOUT MUCH DISCUSSION, TO ABANDON THEIR ORIGINAL TASK OF REVISING THE "ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATION". INSTEAD, THEY SET ABOUT CREATING A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.

      ON 17 SEPTEMBER 1787, THE 55 DELEGATES TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION HELD THEIR FINAL MEETING. ONLY ONE ITEM OF BUSINESS OCCUPIED THE AGENDA THAT DAY, TO SIGN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.


      AFTER BEING SIGNED IN SEPTEMBER 1787, CONGRESS SENT PRINTED COPIES OF THE CONSTITUTION TO THE THIRTEEN STATE LEGISLATURES FOR RATIFICATION. DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS THRE WAS A LOT OF PRO AND CON DISCUSSIONS AMONG THE STATES. BY JUNE 1788, THE NINE-STATE MINIMUM FOR RATIFICATION HAD APPROVED THE CONSTITUTION, FINALLY FORMING "A MORE PERFECT UNION".

      NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE ARGUE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF ITS MEANING TODAY, IN THE OPINION OF MANY, THE CONSTITUTION SIGNED IN PHILADELPHIA 17 SEPTEMBER 1787, REPRESENTS THE GREATEST EXPRESSION OF STATESMANSHIP AND COMPROMISE EVER WRITTEN. IN JUST FOUR HAND WRITTEN PAGES, THE CONSTITUTION GIVES US THE OWNER'S MANUAL TO THE GREATEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. WE HAVE NO TRIBAL COUNCIL, NOR CAN WE VOTE ANYBODY OFF THE ISLAND. BUT, WE DO LIVE IN A LAND OF THE FREE, AND AS LONG AS THE CONSTITUTION STANDS, WE ALWAYS WILL.