88 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



tinental Congress representing the thirteen original colo- 

 nies, at the beginning of the Revolution, and the difficulties 

 it labored under. He said it was a marvel that the war 

 was successfully carried out under such conditions as 

 then existed, with our little colonies poorly equipped, 

 with a scarcity of supplies and with but little experience 

 and want of training against the fearful odds of the large 

 armies and supplies of England. Our victory was not 

 due to superior fighting, but more than anything else to 

 the sagacity and wonderful ability of General Washing- 

 ton. Then came the necessity for a new order of things ; 

 the articles of confederation of 1777 had no power to tax 

 the states or do anything of a positive nature ; business 

 was ruined and amendments were proposed repeatedly 

 which could not be passed, owing to the antagonizing 

 state of feeling and jealousy between the states. It was 

 the most critical period in our history. In 1787 a gen- 

 eral convention was held in Philadelphia, a new constitu- 

 tion drawn up, discussed, amended and signed, and after 

 a long and excited discussion in the several states, was 

 adopted in the course of the next year. Rhode Island, 

 however, did not adopt it until the beginning of 1790. 

 Party spirit ran as high at this time as it ever has since. 

 The lecturer made some reference to the position of 

 Patrick Henry on the new constitution and to the mis- 

 statements about the life of that patriot. In conclusion 

 he spoke at some length of the national power and growth 

 of our country with its possibilities and undeveloped 

 powers and of the exigencies that have never yet been 

 met by any nation, but will of necessity arise. 



Monday r , Feb. 6, 1893. Mr. John Robinson gave an 

 informal talk on the old houses of New England. It was 

 an interesting sketch of the houses of our forefathers from 



