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Happy 225th Birthday, Bill of Rights
Rerun from last year.
On this day in 1791, the Bill of Rights became law when it was ratified by the Virginia General Assembly.
Perennial writer of letters to the editor Ellen Latane (it's pronounced "laa'-tuh-nee," not "luh-tain'"
Tabb noted last year, as she does every year, the legacy of George Mason. Oddly, the article at Wikipedia about the Bill of rights has pictures of Patrick Henry and James Madison, but not George Mason. We shall correct that omission now:
What this country needs is a good 18-cent Mason:
Here's Ellen Latane Tabb's letter from 2013:
Give George Mason his rightful place in American history
26 December 2013
By Ellen Latane Tabb, Alexandria
To the editor:
December 15 marked the anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791.
George Mason IV, of Gunston Hall, (George Washington’s next-door neighbor on the Potomac; both considered themselves Alexandrians) is the person most responsible for its inclusion. He refused to sign the U.S. Constitution without a statement of our rights — and he also wanted it to provide for emancipation.
When the Virginia General Assembly debated its adoption, he was among the foremost opposing it for those reasons. Virginia narrowly voted to ratify the Constitution with the proviso that a Bill of Rights must accompany it.
This also is an appropriate time to remember Mason because his birthday was December 11. It should be widely observed; he was one of the most important Founding Fathers.
Mason authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Fairfax Resolves (ratified in Alexandria), which set the precedent of one colony supporting another in resistance to British tyranny. He was a major contributor to the discussions resulting in the creation of our federal republic.
....
26 December 2013
By Ellen Latane Tabb, Alexandria
To the editor:
December 15 marked the anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791.
George Mason IV, of Gunston Hall, (George Washington’s next-door neighbor on the Potomac; both considered themselves Alexandrians) is the person most responsible for its inclusion. He refused to sign the U.S. Constitution without a statement of our rights — and he also wanted it to provide for emancipation.
When the Virginia General Assembly debated its adoption, he was among the foremost opposing it for those reasons. Virginia narrowly voted to ratify the Constitution with the proviso that a Bill of Rights must accompany it.
This also is an appropriate time to remember Mason because his birthday was December 11. It should be widely observed; he was one of the most important Founding Fathers.
Mason authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Fairfax Resolves (ratified in Alexandria), which set the precedent of one colony supporting another in resistance to British tyranny. He was a major contributor to the discussions resulting in the creation of our federal republic.
....
And then she heads off into a diatribe, but never mind that. The big deal is that there's a reason that George Mason has an elementary school, a high school, and a university named after him.
So make sure as you spend the day, that you "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
I could say more, but it would only upset people.
Celebrate the achievement, and the birth, on December 11, 1725, of this founding father.
ETA, Monday, December 21: here's her letter for 2015:
In Appreciation Of George Mason
Letter to the Editor
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
To the Editor:
The Bill of Rights, one of the most important bulwarks of our freedoms, was the product of the wisdom and determination of George Mason IV of Gunston Hall, a proud native Alexandrian. This forceful statement was adopted on Dec. 15, 1791, when the Virginia legislature provided the decisive vote. Although it is the best-known section of the Constitution, many founding fathers, including George Washington, opposed its inclusion. George Mason IV deserves our honor and thanks for his many important contributions to our local welfare as well as that of our state, nation and the world.
....
Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights was adopted by our General Assembly on June 12, 1776. It included the lines: “That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent natural Rights … among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.” Jefferson’s most famous lines in our Declaration of Independence are a close paraphrase. It also served as the basis for our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen adopted in 1789, and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
Mason wrote the first constitution for the State of Virginia, which served us well for almost 200 years. It was an important model for the U.S. Constitution, the oldest written constitution still in active use in the world, distinguished for its separation and balance of powers, a doctrine Mason adopted after careful study of contemporary thinking and the best features of all governments until his time. Mason was the genius who set the framework for our country’s Constitution, and his tenacity in insisting that a Bill of Rights be included ensured that a citizen’s rights are protected at all levels of government.
Mason recognized the moral and practical obligation of the nation to ensure freedom for all people and end slavery at the earliest opportunity. He advocated education and gradual emancipation of slaves. Because the proposed Constitution postponed freeing the slaves for 20 years and lacked a Bill of Rights, although he favored a stronger central government, he voted against its adoption, and thus incurred the enmity of his great friend and closest neighbor, George Washington.
....
His birthday is Dec. 11 (1725) and Bill of Rights Day is Dec. 15 (1791). Alexandria should declare and celebrate George Mason Week to honor this exemplary citizen.
Ellen Latane Tabb
Alexandria
Letter to the Editor
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
To the Editor:
The Bill of Rights, one of the most important bulwarks of our freedoms, was the product of the wisdom and determination of George Mason IV of Gunston Hall, a proud native Alexandrian. This forceful statement was adopted on Dec. 15, 1791, when the Virginia legislature provided the decisive vote. Although it is the best-known section of the Constitution, many founding fathers, including George Washington, opposed its inclusion. George Mason IV deserves our honor and thanks for his many important contributions to our local welfare as well as that of our state, nation and the world.
....
Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights was adopted by our General Assembly on June 12, 1776. It included the lines: “That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent natural Rights … among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.” Jefferson’s most famous lines in our Declaration of Independence are a close paraphrase. It also served as the basis for our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen adopted in 1789, and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
Mason wrote the first constitution for the State of Virginia, which served us well for almost 200 years. It was an important model for the U.S. Constitution, the oldest written constitution still in active use in the world, distinguished for its separation and balance of powers, a doctrine Mason adopted after careful study of contemporary thinking and the best features of all governments until his time. Mason was the genius who set the framework for our country’s Constitution, and his tenacity in insisting that a Bill of Rights be included ensured that a citizen’s rights are protected at all levels of government.
Mason recognized the moral and practical obligation of the nation to ensure freedom for all people and end slavery at the earliest opportunity. He advocated education and gradual emancipation of slaves. Because the proposed Constitution postponed freeing the slaves for 20 years and lacked a Bill of Rights, although he favored a stronger central government, he voted against its adoption, and thus incurred the enmity of his great friend and closest neighbor, George Washington.
....
His birthday is Dec. 11 (1725) and Bill of Rights Day is Dec. 15 (1791). Alexandria should declare and celebrate George Mason Week to honor this exemplary citizen.
Ellen Latane Tabb
Alexandria