II.

COME, up with the plates, lay them firm on the wall,
Like the people at large, they're the ground work of all;
Examine them well, and see that they're sound,

Let no rotten part in our building be found:

For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be
A government firm, and our citizens free.

III.

Now hand up the girders, lay each in his place,
Between them the joists, must divide all the space;
Like assemblymen these should lie level along,
Like girders, our senate prove loyal and strong:
For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be
A government firm over citizens free.

IV.

THE rafters now frame; your king-posts and braces,
And drive your pins home, to keep all in their places;
Let wisdom and strength in the fabric combine,
And your pins be all made of American pine:
For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be,
A government firm over citizens free.

V.

OUR king-posts are judges; how upright they stand,
Supporting the braces; the laws of the land:
The laws of the land, which divide right from wrong,
And strengthen the weak, by weak'ning the strong :
For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be,
Laws equal and just, for a people that's free.

one of the
earliest
American
humorists,
and besides
wrote much
in prose and
verse to favor
the cause of
indepen-
dence. The
phrase "New
Roof" was
popularly
applied to
the Constitu-
tion. - For
Hopkinson,
see Contem-
poraries, II,
Nos. 96, 196.
- For the
going into
effect of the
Constitution,
see Contem-
poraries, III.

VI.

UP! up with the rafters; each frame is a state :
How nobly they rise! their span, too, how great!
From the north to the south, o'er the whole they extend,

And rest on the walls, whilst the walls they defend :
For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be
Combined in strength, yet as citizens free.

VII.

Now enter the purlins, and drive your pins through;
And see that your joints are drawn home and all true.
The purlins will bind all the rafters together:

The strength of the whole shall defy wind and weather:
For our roof we will raise, and our song still shall be,
United as states, but as citizens free.

VIII.

COME, raise up the turret; our glory and pride;
In the centre it stands, o'er the whole to preside:
The sons of Columbia shall view with delight

Its pillar's, and arches, and towering height :
Our roof is now rais'd, and our song still shall be,
A federal head o'er a people that's free.

IX.

HUZZA! my brave boys, our work is complete;
The world shall admire Columbia's fair seat;
Its strength against tempest and time shall be proof,
And thousands shall come to dwell under our roof:
Whilst we drain the deep bowl, our toast still shall be
Our government firm, and our citizens free.

Francis Hopkinson, Miscellaneous Essays and Occasional Writ-
ings (Philadelphia, 1792), II, 320–322.

HE President advanced between the Senate Pennsylvania

in 1789-91.

THE
Tand Representatives, bowing to each. He He had

was placed in the chair by the Vice-President; the Senate
with their president on the right, the Speaker and the
Representatives on his left. The Vice-President rose and
addressed a short sentence to him. The import of it was
that he should now take the oath of office as President.
He seemed to have forgot half what he was to say, for he
made a dead pause and stood for some time, to appearance,
in a vacant mood. He finished with a formal bow, and the
President was conducted out of the middle window into the
gallery, and the oath was administered by the Chancellor.
Notice that the business done was communicated to the
crowd by proclamation, etc., who gave three cheers, and
repeated it on the President's bowing to them.
As the company returned into the Senate chamber, the
President took the chair and the Senators and Representa-
tives their seats. He rose, and all arose also, and addressed
them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more
than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket.
He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to
read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before.
He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of
what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches, chang-
ing the paper into his left hand. After some time he then

served both in the French

and Indian Revolution

and in the

ary war.

In

Congress he was noted for

extreme democratic

views, and became a leader of the opposition to Washington. His journal presents a

he soon

graphic picture of the social and

political life of the period, enlivened though somewhat distorted by the violent prejudices of the

author. It is

the only account that we debates of the

have of the

Senate during the First Congress,

for it sat in secret ses

sion. This piece first describes Washing

did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands ton's inaugu- of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read ration, April 30, 1789.-On off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking Washington, his from the eyes see above, for I felt hurt that he was not first paper, in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal ganization of buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword..

Nos. 39, 59.

On the or

the federal

government,

see American

Orations, I, 75-143;

[Aug. 27.] Senate adjourned early. At a little after four I called on Mr. Bassett, of the Delaware State. We went to Contempora- the President's to dinner. . . . The President and Mrs. ries, III, ch. Washington sat opposite each other in the middle of the table; the two secretaries, one at each end. It was a great dinner, and the best of the kind I ever was at. The room, however, was disagreeably warm.

mony at that time.

First was the soup; fish roasted and boiled; meats, gammon, fowls, etc. This was the dinner. The middle of the table was garnished in the usual tasty way, with small images, flowers (artificial), etc. The dessert was, first apple-pies, pudding, etc.; then iced creams, jellies, etc.; then watermelons, musk-melons, apples, peaches, nuts.

It was the most solemn dinner ever I sat at. Not a health drank; scarce a word said until the cloth was taken away. A usual cere- Then the President, filling a glass of wine, with great formality drank to the health of every individual by name round the table. Everybody imitated him, charged glasses, and such a buzz of "health, sir," and "health, madam," and "thank you, sir," and "thank you, madam," never had I heard before. Indeed, I had liked to have been thrown out in the hurry; but I got a little wine in my glass, and passed the ceremony. The ladies sat a good while, and the bottles passed about; but there was a dead silence almost. Washington at last withdrew with the ladies.

Mrs.

I expected the men would now begin, but the same stillness remained. The President told of a New England clergyman who had lost a hat and wig in passing a river called the Brunks. He smiled, and everybody else laughed. He now and then said a sentence or two on some common subject, and what he said was not amiss. . . . The President kept a fork in his hand, when the cloth was taken away, I thought for the purpose of picking nuts. He ate no nuts, however, but played with the fork, striking on the edge of the table with it. We did not sit long after the ladies retired. The President rose, went up-stairs to drink coffee; the company followed. I took my hat and came home. . . This was levee day, and I accordingly dressed and did Dec. 14, 1790; the needful. It is an idle thing, but what is the life of men but folly?— and this is perhaps as innocent as any of them, so far as respects the persons acting. The practice, however, considered as a feature of royalty, is certainly antirepublican. This certainly escapes nobody. The royalists glory in it as a point gained. Republicans are borne down. by fashion and a fear of being charged with a want of respect to General Washington. If there is treason in the wish I retract it, but would to God this same General Washington were in heaven! We would not then have him brought forward as the constant cover to every unconstitutional and irrepublican act.

William Maclay, Journal (edited by Edgar S. Maclay, New
York, 1890), 8-351 passim.

the Levee was the President's public recep

tion.

Even Washington did not escape calumny.

72. Speech on the Tariff (1789)

WHE

WHEN it was asked, What is the occasion of a high
duty? it was answered, that it is necessary in order

to come at the proper tax on rum; but I insist that there is

By FISHER AMES (17581808), a strong Federalist, for eight years a member of

Congress