Announcer> A production of the South Carolina Educational Television Network.

♪ ♪ ♪ Tom Fowler> Monday, May 23rd, 1988 on Broad Street in Charleston, the South Carolina General Assembly processed from Saint Michael's Church to the Exchange Building.

A most remarkable event to mark the bicentennial of our state's ratification of the Constitution .

It was here in Charleston, at the Exchange Building, that South Carolina ratified its approval of the new document, one which saw substantial thought and contributions of its native sons, helped shape the benchmark of modern democracy.

[drumming cadence] ♪ ♪ Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore presided over the joint assembly gathered in the hall of the Exchange Building.

> All of us have looked forward to this occasion for, a number of years.

And I welcome you on behalf of the South Carolina General Assembly and the people of South Carolina, to this outstanding bicentennial celebration of our Constitution.

We have all been extremely pleased with the development of Charleston, South Carolina through the years.

During the past twelve and a half years, we have enjoyed the, excellent leadership and abilities of Mayor Joe Riley, who has brought Charleston a long way since his inception into office.

As those of us who have been here for, a few days can appreciate, the beauty and the history of this great South Carolina city.

We recognize that the, concert on Friday night with the music of the Charleston Symphony as they played the "Star-Spangled Banner," and then "America the Beautiful" and many other patriotic songs.

How fortunate we are to live in this great country.

How fortunate we are to have our great state and a city such as Charleston, which is one of the most, if the most, if not the most attractive centers in the entire nation today.

It all did not come about by accident.

It came about by excellent leadership.

Many of you in this room today, along with the mayoralship of Mayor Joe Riley.

Joe Riley served in the House of Representatives and also has served as President of the National Conference of Mayors.

Without further ado, I would like to call on his honor, Mayor Joe Riley, for a welcome.

[applause] > Thank you very much, Mr.

President.

Mr.

Speaker, Governor Edwards, constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly of South Carolina, ladies and gentlemen.

While we can't be certain, like many events in history, it was not recorded.

But it may well be a fact that just before the session was called to order to consider the ratification of our Constitution , that Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, one of the draftsmen who had spent the summer of 1787, in Philadelphia with Benjamin Franklin, who was greatly interested in science, that Pinckney may have called a group of his colleagues to gather and looked out one of the northern windows out towards Charleston Harbor, and he may have said "that it is my fondest hope... that someday the General Assembly of South Carolina, working with the city of Charleston, will build an aquarium for the people of South Carolina."

[laughter] [applause] We will never know.

[crowd continues to chatter] Even more seriously... It is a great honor for me as mayor of this wonderful city, to welcome this joint session of the General Assembly of South Carolina back to Charleston, exactly 200 years after a convention of the people of South Carolina met in this room.

May 23rd, 1788, and ratified the Constitution of these United States.

This room, which is now referred to as the Great Hall, was 200 years ago, The City Hall of the city of Charleston.

The delegates apparently were a little cramped for space, as you may appreciate, and appointed a committee to find a more commodious meeting place.

Like many committees, it was unable to make a decision, so the convention continued to meet in this room.

The State House at that time was down Broad Street, where our courthouse is now, or across from Saint Michael's Church, where we were earlier this morning.

But it had burned in February of 1788, and so the convention could not be held there.

There was actually some question whether or not the convention should even have been held in Charleston.

The House of Representatives voted 76 to 75 to hold the convention in Charleston.

This could explain why the Capitol burned in February of 1788.

[laughter] But the people of Charleston were glad to be hosting the convention, because the capital had been moved just the year before to a new city, which was about to be built on Colonel Taylor's plantation.

And as David Duncan Wallace, South Carolina historian, wrote, "it was given the nationalistic name Columbia."

Colonel Taylor, having had his land condemned, which contained many oak trees.

[laughter] Colonel Taylor had this to say, and I quote, "They spoiled a damned fine plantation and made a damn poor town" end quote.

[laughter] That town has become the wonderful city of Columbia and our state capital, of which all South Carolinians are very proud.

But if any of you have ever felt that a mistake was made in moving the capital to Columbia or not, we are very happy, 200 years later to have you back in Charleston.

The city of Charleston was overwhelmingly in favor of the Constitution .

And the Federalist planters and merchants wined and dined the members of the convention so as to encourage their support for the new constitution.

Nothing has changed.

[laughter] In fact, this is what the leading opponent of ratification had to say.

Adanus Burke and I quote, "But the principal cause of ratification was the holding of the convention in the city of Charleston, where there are not 50 inhabitants who are not friendly to it.

The merchants and the leading men kept open houses farther back, or Upcountry and Lowcountry members during the whole time the convention sat" end of quote.

Charlestonians led in the fight for the ratification of the Constitution .

Included in their number were all of the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the confidant of George Washington, Charles Pinckney, John Rutledge, and Pierce Butler.

Charles Pinckney is buried at Saint Philip's churchyard.

And as President Lightsey reminded us, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and John Rutledge, are buried in the churchyard of Saint Michael's Church.

So it is fitting, in 1988, that Charlestonians and South Carolinians join in celebrating the great contribution which we made, South Carolina made to the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

We must not forget, that in the early days of our republic, South Carolinians were in the forefront of winning the revolution and forming our new government and helping to create our great nation.

We take for granted today that the Constitution would in fact be ratified, but there were many who were opposed to it.

George Washington, writing to the Marquis de Lafayette in April of 1788, believed in South Carolina, and he said, "The Convention of South Carolina, which is to assemble on the 12th day of May, will certainly adopt it."

When, after 11 days of heated debate, the vote was taken.

The Constitution was ratified by a vote of 149 to 73.

Doctor David Ramsay, a delegate to the convention from the city of Charleston, wrote, and I quote, "When the result of the vote was announced, an event unparalleled in the annals of Carolina took place.

Strong and involuntary expressions of applause and joy burst forth from the numerous transported spectators.

The minority complained of disrespect.

Unpleasant consequences were expected.

But the majority joined with the complaining members in clearing the house and in the most delicate manner soothed the minority's feelings.

In the true style of republicanism, the minority not only acquiesced, but heartily joined in supporting the determination of the majority.

Ratification was celebrated with a grand procession through the city."

Charlestonians celebrated the Constitution then and we celebrate it now, and we're very glad to have you here today.

And we thank you for your service to the state of South Carolina.

When I served in the General Assembly, which was before the parking facilities, and while the Wade Hampton Hotel was still there and functioning, I usually took the steps up the front or north side of the Capitol and down every day of the session.

Not only to try to get a little exercise, but it made me think of being part of the continuum... the continuum of those others who walked those steps serving our constitutional democracy.

We celebrate today the ratification of a wonderful document.

Civilization's finest system of government.

Self-government.

And in doing so, we celebrate its constancy and its longevity.

And in doing that, we must celebrate and thank all who have served our government.

You, our state legislators, are a part of that long line who served our state and our Constitution so very well.

And for that we give you thanks.

In honor of this occasion, and on behalf of the City of Charleston and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition I would like to present this limited edition print of "The Patriot" to the General Assembly of South Carolina in commemoration of the ratification of our Constitution .

Thank you very much.

[applause] Tom> Speaker of the House Robert Sheheen of Camden addressed the Assembly.

[applause continues] > Thank you.

Thank you very much, Governor.

Mayor Riley, it is a pleasure for us to gather here in Charleston on this day to celebrate.

I would like to, on behalf of the South Carolina General Assembly thank you and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition for the magnificent limited edition, "The Patriot" which has been presented to the people of South Carolina.

But I must confess that if you are able to take that 500 dollar framed print, and swap it for a 13.5 million dollar aquarium, the Louisiana Purchase and the purchase of Alaska will seem minuscule in the general... [laughter] [applause] "Seward's Folly" would become, "Riley's Triumph."

And, would truly go down in South Carolina history.

Being a main proponent of the bond bill and, things, bonding activity in South Carolina, it is a genuine pleasure to be here in Charleston to help participate in the celebration.

But perhaps more poignant for me and some others here, when you realize that those folks who traveled to Philadelphia from South Carolina and who governed South Carolina some 200 years ago were limited by a constitution of ours, which said you had to be white male, Protestant in order to participate in government.

For the grandson of a Lebanese immigrant, a Roman Catholic, who didn't even come to this country until 110 years later, it is particularly important to join in the celebration not of those words on that paper, but on the spirit of a people and a country which endures now and will endure forever.

So we join today not to look at a piece of paper or a document, but to celebrate those white male Protestants Issy, Theo, who went to Philadelphia and who created a document under which we prosper today all of us.

And will continue to prosper.

So, on behalf of the South Carolina House of Representatives, I join today in a true celebration of the spirit of this state and this country.

A spirit which will endure through these difficult times the next two weeks.

[laughter] A spirit which will endure for the next 200 years, so that when those who come after us join once again I hope in this glorious city, in this glorious place, they will be able to celebrate that same spirit as represented through that same piece of paper.

Tom> Dr.

Christopher Collier is Professor of History at the University of Connecticut.

He gave the keynote remarks of the morning.

> In economic value, they were approximately equal.

It was not a large state spatially, but it dominated Georgia.

And Georgia was the largest state by far, in spatial area.

Although, almost the smallest in population.

So that... South Carolina then, was essential for the success of any new nation that would be formed.

And therefore it was essential for the success of the Constitutional Convention that South Carolina agreed.

Now, Connecticut, had a similar concern.

And that is, it too was dependent upon the export trade.

Connecticut had a very high standard of living.

We had no rich and very few poor, but a high middling standard of living.

And that was based upon the export trade to the West Indies.

And there were two things then that made these two the leading, states' rights delegation at the convention.

They each had very special state interests to protect.

Among these state interests for South Carolina was the export trade, and for Connecticut, the export trade.

Historians have for years noticed that there was some sort of a Connecticut-South Carolina axis.

They could never really figure out how this axis was put together.

By August of the convention, the leadership of Virginia had fallen by the wayside.

James Madison had lost control of things, and there seemed to be a Deep South-New England coalition At the core of this Deep South-New England coalition were the delegations of South Carolina and Connecticut.

And at the core of those delegations were John Rutledge and Roger Sherman.

Historians have tried to figure out what brought this about.

One distinguished historian, Forrest McDonald, has suggested that, that he has some evidence which I've been unable to find that Rutledge got Sherman up into his room and got him liquored up and had him agree, to a bargain.

From everything I know about John Rutledge, that strikes me as might be quite possible.

From everything I know about Roger Sherman, it seems utterly, out of the question.

But I think I have the clue.

And I think the clue lies in their, interests in the export trade and other, very important states' rights matters.

These as I say, were the two most effective states' rights members at the Constitutional Convention.

That, of course, is why John C. Calhoun thought Sherman was so great and so important.

And they brought about a series of compromises.

Sherman bringing in the New England Delegation and, Rutledge bringing in North Carolina and the Georgia Delegations.

And so you had, 6 to 5 votes, 6 to 5 votes, 6 to 5 votes, over and over and over again.

And when you do the analysis, you can see exactly what is happening and the middle Colonies had fallen by the wayside.

Virginia and Maryland, Delaware, were no longer able to dominate matters.

Madison had lost control.

Control had passed to these two, key figures.

Now, why were they successful?

They were successful because they share that common characteristic, cunning.

They were extremely able politicians.

And when you look at the, work of this Constitutional Convention, you look at the dogmatic and doctrinaire figures like James Madison, James Wilson, Governor Morris on one side.

Patterson... Martin, Martin Luther from Maryland, you see that these doctrinaire types ultimately failed.

James Madison is referred to as the father of the Constitution .

I think it's an exaggerated appellation.

He did not get the two most important things he wanted.

He went down there, looking for proportional representation in both houses for instance, he didn't get that.

He went down there looking for a congressional veto of state legislation, and he didn't get that.

And he went away thinking that he had failed.

And indeed, in his two paramount objectives, he had failed.

Others succeeded better.

But they haven't been given that, the kind of credit that they should, should have.

And why did they succeed?

If you look at the Constitutional Convention and if you analyze the work that goes on, you find that these doctrinaire people lost control because they were doctrinaire.

They would not compromise.

It was the compromisers, the practicing, practical, pragmatic politicians who got the work done.

Gave us a Constitution that lacks the logical consistency, the theoretical foundation that Madison would have had it, have.

But if we'd gone Madison's way, we wouldn't have had a Constitution .

We had to go the way of Rutledge, and we had to go the way of Sherman to have a constitution because they knew the public.

They knew that you couldn't write the best constitution possible, that you had to write the best constitution that the public would accept.

That's the democratic way.

And the democratic way is to put yourself in the hands of the pragmatist of the practicing politician.

Let them go to work on the problem.

That's what they're paid for.

And in the case of 1787, they succeeded.

And that's success is due, it seems to me in a very, very central way to the work of John Rutledge and Roger Sherman.

Thank you very much.

[applause] Lt.Gov.

Theodore> We all enjoyed inspirational comments today.

It's been an inspirational morning from the church service through this particular meeting.

But there's still one question that remains to be answered.

If we had it all to do over again, would South Carolina ratify the Constitution ?

My answer to that question is a resounding "yes."

As I look at my colleagues here and those who are not with us here today.

I recognize that in the history of South Carolina presents many answers to that one question.

Because we have a Constitution that has withstood the trials and tribulations of wars, aggressions, depressions, and many other adversities that would have caused any weaker document to have crumbled.

And here today, in a world where we find documents of this type that only have an average lifespan of 15 years, we can certainly say that the United States Constitution is the "granddaddy of them all."

And in spite of all of the problems and disagreements that we've had and on many occasions, the lack of meeting those expectations for all of the people in our nation, it still has prospered.

It's prospered under, we've prospered under this masterful document.

As we gather here today to reflect on great men such as Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler and others.

Let us recognize the fact that we must do more than to reflect on the past.

We must reflect on our present and our future.

We must not, and we cannot take the United States Constitution for granted.

And certainly, while we should remember to celebrate this, the end of the year of the bicentennial of our Constitution , let us be mindful of the fact that we must reflect on the future years to come.

As we move forward into the year 2000 and beyond.

Under the greatest government known to mankind.

Thank you all for being here today.

It's been a more, most significant, inspirational and meaningful event.

I thank you all for attending.

I ask that the, upon adjournment the sergeants of both houses, the Senate and the House lead forward with the symbols of the sword and the mace.

Following them, The members of the General Assembly.

Having concluded the purpose for this session, for which the joint session of the General Assembly was organized, I hereby declare duly and regularly adjourned.

[gavel banging] [applause] Tom> The General Assembly concluded its rare Charleston Assembly, which call to mind the days when the port city was the capital before Columbia was established.

Legislators would return to Columbia the following day to continue their current session and go forward with the experiment and constitutional democracy initialed by South Carolina 200 years ago.

For South Carolina Educational Television, I'm Tom Fowler.

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