[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11843]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S REQUEST FOR PRAYERS AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL 
                               CONVENTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on July 28, 1787, there was a 
real problem with the Constitutional Convention. They couldn't reach 
agreement on a Constitution. So Benjamin Franklin stood up in 
Constitution Hall and he said this. Let me read what was going on. I 
want to draw you a picture first.
  The Constitutional Convention was on the verge of breaking apart 
completely over the issue of representation, a stalemate created by the 
concern of smaller States that they would be overpowered by the larger 
States, and the concern of larger States that smaller States would be 
given representation out of proportion to their relative size.
  Tempers were short, and the ship of state seemed headed for the rocks 
before its maiden voyage had barely begun, when Benjamin Franklin rose 
and said these immortal words:
  ``In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark 
to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when 
presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto 
once thought of applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our 
understanding?
  ``In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were 
sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine 
protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously 
answered. All of us who were engaged in a struggle must have observed 
instances of superintending Providence in our favor.
  ``To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting 
in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And 
have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no 
longer need his assistance?''
  And this is the part that I think every American remembers, when he 
said, ``I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more 
convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs 
of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, 
is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?''
  Tomorrow is National Prayer Day. And I hope that everybody in this 
country during these perilous times with our economy and the problems 
around the world will join together, regardless of their faith, and 
pray that we solve these problems and that there is peace and 
prosperity in America and around the world. The President of the United 
States, President Obama, will be signing a proclamation tomorrow 
observing National Prayer Day. And we appreciate that he is going to do 
this. And if he has time tomorrow, I hope the President will manifest 
his support for this great day by showing publicly his support by 
praying with a number of his members at the White House. I think it 
would be a great example.

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