PART II: THE 225-YEAR REVISITATION
Chapter 4
Ghosts of Independence Hall
George Washington rubbed his eyes. Focus was hard in the dim-lit hall as he strained for some enlightenment in the mists of a grey-green haze. The quietness suddenly stirred with murmurs and whispers and he could make out movement and, then, figures of others in the shadows.
As he stood to orient himself, and straighten a tall, worn, stature of 6' 2", he began to recognize the familiar surrounds of the room. Was this where it all had started - "Independence Hall" in the heart of Philadelphia? As more light filled the room, he began to see familiar faces and was this? Yes! - this was once more that great assembly that had changed the course of a nation and yet even a world. It had been the Seat of the drafting of the "Declaration of Independence" one month after his commissioning as the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army in June, 1776.
Here it was 1787 again, six years after the end of the Revolution in 1781, and four years after the "Treaty of Paris" with the British in 1783 -- These were indeed the men who had forged and melded their great differences with four months of heated and great debate into a written document that would forever change the course of history. Washington saw one who had missed the 4-month long Convention but was seated with the Virginia delegation. Thomas Jefferson had been away as official emissary to Paris during the summer of 1787.
But what was the meaning of this Apparition of that great event from May 14th to September 17th, 1787?
As more light permeated the Historic Chamber, a sudden flash pierced through the Hall in a moment of flashback, brilliance, and rememberance and with it came a gripping injection of Providential past and purpose and with them a strange sense of future yet to be.
A white cloth, suspended from the ceiling beside Washington, suddenly became alive with words and animation and pictures and sound and the haze gave way to clear attention as the Hall shifted to the review in front of them. The General too, sat and turned in rapt awe as an old date displayed and a surrounding, resounding, Voice began the recounting of "recent" events - - - .
"The date is May 25, 1787, the date of the first quorum...
".., freshly spread dirt covers the cobblestone street in front of this Pennsylvania State House, protecting all of you inside from the sound of passing carriages and carts." "Here stand the guards at the entrances to ensure the curious are kept at a distance." "And yes, I'm sorry gentlemen but the windows are again closed so no information from inside flows out into the streets", said the Voice.
"Here you are on the screen, Mr. Morris (Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, the "financier" of the Revolution), as you opened the proceedings with a nomination-- "Gen. George Washington for the Presidency of the Constitutional Convention!". "The vote was unanimous."
To which Robert Morris bravely responded "And I again nominate General George Washington to preside over this august meeting for whatever purposes are to be revealed!" To which the entire (heretofore timid) assembly replied in loud rapport - "Here! Here!" It was a unanimous repeat. General Washington nodded, as he briefly stood and gave a quick rap of the familiar gavel he found at his right hand.
The Narrating Voice continued..
"And you General, in accepting the nomination on that day with characteristic ceremonial modesty, were equally humble with your professed "lack of qualifications to preside over such an august body" and your humble request "for forbearance for any errors into which you might fall in the course of the deliberations."
"All knew of your honesty and integrity and Commanding presence, General, and to many of those assembled, especially to the young looking, 36-year-old delegate on your right from Virginia, Mr. Madison, your mere presence boded well from the start of the convention. You, General Washington, and your illustrious reputation gave to the gathering the air of importance and legitimacy it needed."
The Voice began to tell the assembly a story that they hadn't known as public. That the General's decision to attend the convention had been an agonizing one. The "Father of the Country" had almost remained at home.
Suffering from rheumatism, despondent over the loss of a brother, absorbed in the management of Mount Vernon, and doubting that the convention would accomplish very much or that many men of stature would attend, Washington delayed accepting the invitation to attend for several months. Torn between the hazards of lending his reputation to a gathering perhaps doomed to failure and the chance that the public would view his reluctance to attend with a critical eye, the General finally agreed to make the trip.
At this point George Washington was visibly uncomfortable but nodded in acknowledgement as reassurances came back from the floor that with all these things the assembled individuals could identify for they all, regardless of ideologies, had their own stories of doubts and challenges and many had dealt with hardships as well.
The room took on an empathetic nod all around and their bond took on a closer depth of utility and unity.
Once again the boyish looking James Madison was pleased though in this strange revisiting all his senses were on acute alert and suspense. Though small in stature (5' 4" 100 lbs) and soft spoken, he would later be called "The Father of the Constitution". He wanted to speak up and say so many things especially to General Washington to let him know he had gone on to be President himself and that the tenets so arduously hammered out amongst the 13 States had prevailed intact two decades after President Washington had passed in 1799. But, the visions were already passing in swift review as another white sheet descended from the ceiling to the General's right and Mr. Madison focused to keep up.
The two words "Federalists" and "Anti-Federalists" were flashed on the screen and Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were immediately on high alert for their chance to participate and revisit their fierce opposing views of how strong a central government should be versus the strengths of the individual States.
But they would have to wait as much of their fire and rhetoric had since been doused as the Constitution worked its way toward ratification in 1789. Many of the safeguards and redundancies demanded by the Anti-Federalists would be compromised to and included within two years into the Bill of Rights, i.e. the first 10 Amendments ratified in 1791. (While the Federalists won the day with the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists won the day with the Bill of Rights and had their fears assuaged by the third layer of safeguards installed against the tyranny of a runaway central power.).
The screens came faster and more fervent now.
" 'Tyranny' ", the Voice said, "had been rightfully recognized by this entire Constitutional effort as the vile and ultimate culprit and threat to the new principles and aspirations of Free and Just Societies."
"In breaking the bonds of tyranny from Britain, the collective fear to avoid its recurrance produced, through the fervent work of this body, the brave new concepts of Liberty on a whole new plain of elevation that were embodied in the Latin words that would find their way later to the currency and to "The Great Seal of the United States", i.e. "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM" -- "A New Order for the Ages".
"Gentlemen of the Convention, your checks and balances with the establishment of the three branches of Government and the limited and enumerated concept of power in the central government versus the infinite and residual powers to the States and to the People have provided countless examples of other Sovereign attempts at reproduction to thwart the twin evils of the accumulation of excessive Power and its frequent accomplice, Corruption."
"Preventing all forms of future Tyranny and preventing the gathering and amassing of control over the People was intrinsically and correctly understood as the paramount and dominating force that had guided the debates and the decisions and directions in the delegations now present looking back on the amazing formation of a New Nation and its Constitution."
"The New Constitution has been called a "miracle" at a critical time in Man's evolution and has proven to be indeed a "beacon" for the world to model."
"But.." the Voice went on (as a strange futuristic scene on the screen made the assembly gasp), "the foibles of Man and the temptations of evil are inherently and subtly incessant and alluring and the quest by many for power and money is itself an insatiable and ever-changing and ever-present foe.
The Voice continued, and addressed "Mr. Hamilton" and "Mr. Madison".
(Alexander Hamilton had been the leader of the "Federalists" who wrote extensively as author of 51 of the 85 "Federalist Papers" from October 1787 to August 1788, to explain the new Constitution to his countrymen (through newspapers and essays read aloud in taverns and bars ) and especially to the citizens of his doubting State of New York (his own New York delegation had walked out on the Constitutional Convention) and define the need for a strong central government ).
(James Madison had been actively involved in the "Virginia Plan" on which much of the Constitution was based (and who wrote 29 of the 85 "Federalist Papers")( and as already stated would become known as the "Father of the Constitution").
The tone was laudatory, "Both of you gentlemen through exhaustive hours, days, years have participated in the preparations and lead-up to what has been established here. You both helped your fellow delegates as all strove to whittle and hone and mold the abstract aspirations on the one hand and repel and rebutt and reflect again and again the great concerns and anxieties and wisdoms and counter wisdoms on the other hand and you gave a firm foundation of information and patience that provided steady purpose and serious direction leading up to the work of the 'Committee of Detail' and the 'Committee of Style'."
"But it was the genius of your time and your work and your words from October 1787 to August 1788, in the form of 85 papers and essays that made the case for the Constitution to the common man and gave a guide to the principles and theories behind the words that, you will be glad to know, have endured as the basis for the "Original Intent" of virtually every word and nuance in the 4-page draft Constitution that new Americans were being asked to accept and to ratify. As you will see soon, these Federalist Papers have been used over 200 years in 294 Supreme Court cases for the opinions rendered."
"The 175,000 words that flowed from your quills in the form of the 85 "Federalist Papers" under the pseudonym "Publius" was the next to the last "Miracle" needed to define and defend and shape the Constitution toward the final stages of understanding among men of such diverse backgrounds and regions and religions and opinions and beliefs about to come together as one Nation."
"Had not your extraordinary visions and accomplishment been undertaken and the employment of such voluminous and erudite timing and insight not been brought to bear then the following 46
"Federalist" words that close out Federalist #1 might have been the most prophetic had they been non-existent:
"Nothing remains as obvious as the fact that either the new Constitution will be adopted, or the Union will be torn apart. It is therefore necessary to examine the advantages of the Union, as well as the evils and danger that would result from its disbanding."
A chart appeared next on the screen that showed the key states of Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and New Hampshire and how close these four were to not Ratifying.
Yes 
No
1 December 7, 1787 Delaware 30 0
2 December 11, 1787 Pennsylvania 46 23
3 December 18, 1787 New Jersey 38 0
4 January 2, 1788 Georgia 26 0
5 January 9, 1788 Connecticut 128 40
6 February 6, 1788 Massachusetts 187 168
7 April 26, 1788 Maryland 63 11
8 May 23, 1788 South Carolina 149 73
9 June 21, 1788 New Hampshire 57 47
10 June 25, 1788 Virginia 89 79
11 July 26, 1788 New York 30 27
12November 21, 1789 North Carolina 194 77
13 May 29, 1790 Rhode Island 34 32
Since there was a pause in the narrative, A hand from the Pennsylvania group went up and George
Washington recognized the oldest member of the Convention sitting next to Mr. Hamilton. At 81 Benjamin Franklin remained seated as he spoke:
"All the evidence indicates that we owe a great debt to the three men behind these 85 "Federalists Papers", Mr. Madison and Mr. Hamilton and Mr. John Jay (who wrote 5 of the 85 essays but who is not himself a part of this convention).
"These gentlemen have written what Mr. Jefferson from Virginia has called "The best commentary on the principles of government ... ever written". "I would therefore like to put into nomination a motion that we give these gentlemen our considerable appreciation and applause" whereupon James Wilson, from the Pennsylvania delegation (the most prolific speaker at the convention) immediately seconded and before the chair could respond "so moved" the ovation was loud and long and appropriate.
Whereupon the Voice resumed: "Gentlemen, congratulations all around as the historical document all here so ardently and arduously honed with penned workmanship and oratory and cajoling, debate and diplomacy has survived well into the future to match the visions and the prayerful hopes and aspirations for this great work."
"Please give your eyes time to adjust as the drapes close and darken the illumination for the enlightenment of the two screens on the front wall."
"What you are about to see are the forward progression of the embodiments of your work and the manifestations on the Proud and Powerful Nation you have created and unleashed as it hurdled over more than two future centuries on its journey with Destiny. Please summon all of your faculities for you will not only have to suspend your disbelief but you will have to juxtapose the simple truths you have laid down for its governance with the vast and monolithic nature of its size and scope and effect on the human experience in the distance of time."
At the end of it all you will be asked to account with a rendering of all that you collectively have endeavored to pretend and propose and provide to Posterity as Original Intentions and Original Meanings and Original Understandings and Original Designs for the Governance of man by man and you will be asked to superimpose this Original design over the eventual outcome and you will be asked to comment and conceive and commend out of the goodnesses and successes of man and likewise you will be asked how to prevent and repair and reprimand and demonstrate for consideration how to rein in the reprehensive and reviled natures and the recitivisms and perversions and weaknesses of man and conclude how to ameliorate the avenues that lead to those abominable cases of commandeering government, and amassing and rerouting the power given in stewardship that further evil for gain and despotism.
"Gentlemen, from the year 1787 two hundred and twenty five years hence to the year 2012 you will see the unleashing of the unfettered human mind create and attain things of such unimaginable proportions that you will not believe them to be true. But I say to you that even the motion pictures on these screens now that you are seeing are common place and mundane in the 21st Century and you will see so much condensed in hours and hours of fast moving pictures documenting the rise of American technology that you will eventually come to understand that you have here in these foundational beginnings truthfully unleashed these hundreds and thousands of mushrooming realities that you are seeing. Just the volume of them will convince you that they are true."
"You will see the 44 Presidents in ascending order and each year of their Presidencies and each President will take up roughly two to three hours. Everything that transpired for the good and for the advancement of Mankind will be seen on the right screen. Everything from wars to world conflicts to tragedies to disgraceful happenings will be seen on the left screen."
You will each be given what is called in the 21st Century a "laptop" and over the course of the weeks and months ahead you will be shown how to replay anything you have seen to review and analyze.
"Your laptop is connected to "the Internet" of the 21st Century and virtually anything that has transpired in Man's recorded history is at your fingertips by just typing in a few words of the subject and finding virtually any information. The information available in 2012 at the touch of a finger about each one of you will surprise and maybe even flatter you that you are not forgotten centuries later."
And that is why you are here and that is why this re-assembling of what you did here is of historic import at another milestone in the history of a young nation that had the good fortune to have the Creator of the Universe smile on her beginnings and inspire great men of wisdom and statesmanship and Faith and Courage to map out a way for just such a Divinely inspired nation to evolve to maturation only to be challenged again to determine if her roots and her Faith in herself and her Creator and her people can long endure.
"One more word, Gentlemen, before you embark on the first leg of this educational, enlightening, empowering and entrepreneurial endeavor."
"While you are assimilating the groundwork to come to the aid of your country from over such a vast landscape of time to reaffirm the intentions and interpretations of these founding documentaries, the universe that you are parallel with is also coming to terms with the education and enlightening and empowering and entrepreneurial of the years 1913 to 2013 and the "100 Years War".
"The 100 Years War" is ideological between "Progressives" who believe the Constitution is a {quote} "living thing" to be flexibly interpreted and who in 1913 legislated an income tax upon the populace and immediately began trying to collect 77% from the yearly incomes of the well-to-do (and kept it at 24% to 94% for 99 years) and "Conservatives" who believe in the principles of a "limited" central government with limited and "Enumerated" powers and who believe that tyranny of the minority (the well-to-do) by the majority (politicians who take their money to give to the majority (and buy their votes)) is no less than "taxation without representation" as were taxes by the Crown that triggered the Revolution."
"The state of affairs in 2012, while generations far removed, is in earnest need of your sagacious and discerning and erudite inputs and knowledge and recommendations. In 2012 there is a re-awakening about what was done here by a growing and grateful descendancy that understands the heritage hammered out from the genius visited here in this great Hall. The remainder have forgotten or never learned their rich history, are in need of this revisiting, re-evaluating over the ages and rededication and reliance on the fruits of History and truths of Liberty and are going to be asked to join with those forging a faithful way forward.
Be well-pleased as you marvel at the heights to which your America soared as she even slipped the bindings of Earth and ventured out into the realms of space to set foot on the surface of the Moon and plant the Stars and Stripes of the United States as a pinnacle salute to what men of unlimited Faith and Freedom can accomplish and hand off for all of "Posterity".
"Mr. President, thank you for presiding once again and We shall resume in four weeks from today with coordination over the centuries when the delegates are much possessed of the discernments of the vast history created upon their magnificent accomplishments and after they gather up their questions and feedback and inputs to the urgent challenges requested of them by "Posterity" from across the ages."
