|
to secure their right to life, liberty, and
pursuit of happiness; and acknowledging
our duty and responsibility to posterity, do
establish and ordain this Constitution."
This was the result of a great deal of
work and effort, and I frankly realize that
if each of you had undertaken to write a
Preamble each of you would come up with
your own. However, let me just call these
few things to your attention.
It starts ont, "We, the People" because
we, the people, are the ones who are mak-
ing this Constitution.
It says "grateful for our civil and re-
ligious freedom". This means all persons,
we, the people, grateful for civil and re-
ligious freedoms to all of us. This is not
just a part-way preamble.
It establishes and recognizes that all po-
litical power is in the people "recognizing
that all political power originates in the
people and that all government is insti-
tuted to secure their right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness."
This government we are establishing then
is one to secure the right of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. Then we
acknowledge that we have a duty and a
responsibility to posterity, not just to write
this thing1 for the day after tomorrow but
for a long time to come. And finally I come
to the very last thing, ladies and gentle-
men, "grateful to God." This is not just an
idle phrase, because this country was
raised in religious toleration and in reliance
on a divine power. I suppose we have re-
ceived more letter requesting that we retain
God in the Constitution than on any other
subject.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have tried to
formulate words that can describe what I
really believe we are talking about when
we talk about God as our guide in these
matters and to whom we are grateful. I
would just like to close very briefly with
the words of a famous hymn which I think
is known to most of us. I believe this really
expresses what we are saying when we
state in this Preamble our gratitude to God.
"God of our fathers, whose almighty
hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry
band
Of shining worlds in splendor through
the skies,
"Our grateful songs before Thy throne
arise.
"Thy love divine hath led us in the
past;
|
"In this free land with thee our lot is
cast;
"Be Thou our Ruler, guardian, guide
and Stay;
"Thy word our law, Thy paths our
chosen way."
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what the
Constitution is all about. We can write all
kinds of forms of government, but if we
do not preserve the. rights of the individual,
if we do not recognize the source of our
divine power in building this great State
and this great country, we have missed the
boat.
We have tried to present a restatement
for you, terse and brief, setting forth these
rights. If we have failed, we are sorry. If
we have succeeded, then we believe maybe
we have helped contribute something to-
wards a monument which I believe this
Convention is going to be proud of, the
state is going to be proud of, and so is the
nation.
THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you.
If the questioning of the Committee
Chairman is likely to be brief, the Chair
would like to conclude it. If it will be ex-
tensive, 1 would like to postpone it until
tomorrow.
Would the Delegates who have any in-
tention of asking questions please now in-
dicate so to the Chair or stand?
The Chair recognizes Delegate Powers.
DELEGATE POWERS: Mr. Chairman,
I move the Committee of the Whole rise
and report its approval of the Committee
Recommendation S&E-2 with amendments
and further report that it has not con-
cluded its consideration of Committee Rec-
ommendation R&P-1.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Clerk will please
ring the quorum bell.
Delegate Clagett.
DELEGATE CLAGETT: A point of per-
sonal privilege.
We simply wanted to make your day a
little less long.
THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you.
All in favor of the motion signify by
saying Aye. Contrary, No. The Ayes have
it. It is so ordered.
(Whcrcnpnu, al t! :2() r.MM the Committee
of the Whole ro.sv, a nd the Convention re-
convened.)
|
