Early Draft Constitution Found In Philadelphia

Philly.com:

After finding the draft, "I felt like an actor in the movie National Treasure, but [actor] Nicolas Cage was nowhere to be found," Toler added.

"However, what I found was a national treasure - the real national treasure."

Read the whole story: Philly.com

Comments

[2008FedUP]

04:17 PM on 02/02/2010

I thought Beck had the original!!!

[newtom]

04:12 PM on 02/02/2010

What a wonderful find. Seems there may be more of these discoveries to be made based on the priority of the way things were filed in the past. This draft was found with Wilson's other papers rather than with the other constitutional items. Perhaps others in the committee kept personal notes as well that are still there for rediscovery. Fascinating!

[ArjenBoatsma]

04:05 PM on 02/02/2010

Isn't the REAL constitution to be found in Kenya somewhere?

[lvdragonlady]

03:49 PM on 02/02/2010

Ok everyone, could to 10 and wait.............................
The GOP will be out shortly saying that it is a forgery and Obama did it.

[EHarold]

03:42 PM on 02/02/2010

Written by a bunch of rich white men to protect said rich white men.

[lvdragonlady]

03:49 PM on 02/02/2010

Nice comment EHarold and I agree.

[2008FedUP]

04:17 PM on 02/02/2010

agreed

[blacktea]

03:14 PM on 02/02/2010

Maybe the clowns in Congress will read the darn thing.

[lvdragonlady]

03:50 PM on 02/02/2010

But wait, you are assuming they can read.

[higherstrategy]

03:13 PM on 02/02/2010

wow, how many times will Oxford/England try and erase Thomas Jefferson from History and from the Constitution?

almost like they are trying to work in Thomas Pain into Jeffersons place.

the mentioning that the "We the People" was from Wilson and not Jefferson is damning.

[newtom]

04:06 PM on 02/02/2010

What are you talking about? It was Wilson's notes. Nothing in the article about Jefferson's involvement. I think you might want to read it again.

[VietVet67]

02:33 PM on 02/02/2010

Is that the blankety-blank piece of paper Bush was talking about?

[christopherflynn]

04:03 PM on 02/02/2010

the one that he constantly 'trampled on"...

[ccinny]

02:25 PM on 02/02/2010

I think this is the early version prescribing progressive tax rates, a single payer health system and it directs the redistribution of wealth in order to provide for the most disadvantaged among us; despite their own lack of effort to provide for themselves.

Is there an article on preserving a woman's right to terminate a life?

What a boon! Let's get it ratified NOW.

[madisonhack]

03:19 PM on 02/02/2010

Bet it doesn't say anything about corporations having the rights of persons....

[christopherflynn]

04:06 PM on 02/02/2010

wallow in your beck & limbaugh and/or get a brain implant....

[nirek]

01:30 PM on 02/02/2010

I can't help but wonder how many other documents will turn up with further research?

[FanaticRealist]

01:25 PM on 02/02/2010

"We the Corporations of the United States, in Order to form a risk-free Marketplace, establish Monopolies, insure our stock options, provide for the institutional shareholder, promote Corporate Welfare, and secure the Blessings of low taxes and minimal regulation to our corporate officers and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United Companies of America."

I'm guessing it doesn't say this.

[LADawson]

12:51 PM on 02/02/2010

"Wait... should that be 'Us the people' or 'We the people?"

[we-r-stardust]

02:04 PM on 02/02/2010

"We the corporations"

[muffler]

03:11 PM on 02/02/2010

Substitute the term "Royalty" for "CEO" and "Duchy/Kingdom" for "corporation" in any sentence and you might find yourself gasping. I wonder if these documents will shed light on the interpretations of the Bill of Rights.... never know.

[Mr.Fitz]

02:04 PM on 02/02/2010

I think 'us' is object, 'we' is subject.

[jsgaetano]

12:38 PM on 02/02/2010

No doubt every conservative will be claiming it contains language that does indeed give corporations and the wealthy even more rights than "common" US Citizens.

[themainpoint]

12:49 PM on 02/02/2010

Scary. I had a similar thought!

I disagree that only conservatives have allowed corporations to displace the American people in our own government. I think we voters have allowed it that and the Democratic leaders have also played a big part.

That said, I was thinking someone forger might declare, "oh, look, it says "we the corporations" ...we've made a mistake all these years!"

[jsgaetano]

01:30 PM on 02/02/2010

If you look at the history of this concept that "corporations are people too", you will see the big movers and shakers in pushing the agenda are conservatives.

When you say Democrats have helped, yes some of them have, but (unfortunately) nothing prevents a Democrat from acting like a conservative. So yes, they have helped, but bear in mind that when they do so, theyre acting as conservatives.

[muffler]

03:12 PM on 02/02/2010

No Doubt. In fact, one of them might do us the honor of buying the documents to preserve them thus making them hard to ever see except through their "experts".

[stargazer13]

12:35 PM on 02/02/2010

I would like to see the papers in question ? you know like be able to read them !!

how about it Huff post can you get them and put them online here so we could read them !!

[RandyMan7027]

12:30 PM on 02/02/2010

The interesting thing about this (to me) is how our sacred 'national script' came about. Most Americans insist the writings of our founders are somehow 'divinely inspired.' If so, then what's with all the fits and starts of these early drafts? Shouldn't 'divine inspiration' flow forth unadulterated from the Almighty? What a bunch of hooey. These early drafts show that our Constitution was political sausage making at it's finest... nothing more. No miracle.. no God.. just a bunch of guys sitting in a room banging away at it to insure their interests are protected. To therefore dress it in the robes of 'divinity' is to presume that modern man couldn't poxsibly improve on this 200+ year old artifact. Every time I hear some Tea Bagger proclaim "thus sayeth so-and-so" I want to smack em with a shovel. For every statement our founders got right there are likely just as many they blew. That sort of comes with being human.

[gimiesome]

12:35 PM on 02/02/2010

Very well said, RandyMan

[InfinteShibumi]

01:11 PM on 02/02/2010

Very astute comment.