[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1623-E1624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE DOCUMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on a spring day, 55 men walked from a 
cobblestone street into the Pennsylvania state house. They had 
important business to discuss, and guards kept watch to keep any 
curious people at bay. The men, all respected, half university-
educated, had an average age of 42 years old. The youngest was a mere 
27. In their first order of business, they formally nominated one man 
to be their leader: General George Washington.
  This was the scene 225 years ago when our Founding Fathers met in 
Philadelphia. The 13 colonies had declared and won independence from 
King George, and were operating under a ``league of friendship'' or the 
Articles of Confederation. They knew that the fledgling nation was 
tinkering on failure: it could not regulate commerce between the 
states, raise revenue, or support a national defense. A few months 
before, a man named Daniel Shays had led a group of farmers, who wore 
hats adorned with twigs, to rebel in Massachusetts. The new nation had 
some trouble spots of anarchy. Something had to be done.
  Over the next few days, the men debated in secret. There was no 
transparency, no reporters and no visitors. Men from large states, like 
Edmund Randolph of Virginia, argued for a strong national government, 
while men from smaller states, like William Patterson of New Jersey, 
balked at this. Alexander Hamilton of New York tried to convince his 
colleagues to follow the British government--``the best in the 
world''--a mistake to a group of proud patriots who had just defeated 
King George III. Their differing ideas led to compromises and a new 
government. Largely influenced by James Madison, credited as the Father 
of the Constitution, a Constitution was written that established three 
separate branches of government on the federal level, a decentralized 
national government with enumerated powers and individual state 
governments empowered with

[[Page E1624]]

those powers not outlined. It was built on a system of federalism, a 
system of separation of powers between the states and the federal 
union.
  The fact that 55 men showed up was something of a feat in and of 
itself. Seventy-four were appointed to attend, but 19 chose to skip the 
meeting. They were wise in their suspicions that the goal was to give 
the national government more power, but missed a tremendous opportunity 
to shape the nation that they all loved.
  Sixteen men refused to sign the Document. One of them was firebrand 
orator Patrick Henry (my favorite of all of the Founders). He refused 
to sign the Document because it contained no ``Bill of Rights.'' 
Another, George Mason, declared that he ``would sooner chop off his 
right hand than put it to the Constitution as it now stands.'' Yet, the 
Document was signed by 39 men, and they left Philadelphia with the 
challenge of convincing the states to ratify it. Largely thanks to the 
efforts of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, through the 
Federalist Papers, the required nine states had ratified and the 
Constitution took effect.
  Two years later, James Madison introduced the Bill of Rights in the 
U.S. House of Representatives, outlining specific rights that each 
American should be guaranteed and limiting what government could do to 
the people. Without the Bill of Rights, we would not be the America 
that we are today. It guarantees that we can live in a country where we 
can speak our opinions without fearing punishment; where you can 
practice the religion of your choice in peace; where you have the right 
to share your ideas or complaints with the government; where you have 
certain inalienable rights--the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness.
  On September 17, we celebrated Constitution Day, a national holiday 
that celebrates the one document that has made America what it is 
today: the land of the free and the home of the brave. In the 225 years 
since the signing of this great document, this nation has grown, adding 
territories and states, including Texas in 1845 (by 1 vote, I must 
say). What was in 1787 a new nation trying to get on its feet and find 
its way, is today a robust beacon of freedom and democracy. May we 
never forget what this nation stands for. And that's just the way it 
is.

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