Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1966-12-01 / 12. szám

8

FRATERNITY

A. C. N. S.:

HISTORICAL FACTS TO REMEMBER

THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR

On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 — 25 years ago — the Japanese naval and air forces made a surprise attack on the United States fleet at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. On the same day, the Japanese launched assaults on the Philippines, Guam and Midway Island, and on British forces at Hong Kong and in the Malay Peninsula. The attack on Pearl Harbor lasted a little less than two hours, but in that time eight American battleships were either sunk, capsized or severely damaged. Altogether 19 ships were disabled. About 120 U. S. planes were destroyed, and the casualty list of American soldiers, sailors and civilians was high. The following day, December 8, 1941, the United States Congress, with only one dissenting vote, declared war on Japan. On December 11th Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, which then declared a state of war with these nations.

FIRST WRITTEN PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

On December 8, 1801 — 165 years ago — President Thomas Jefferson established a precedent when he sent to Congress the first written Presidential Message. George Washington and John Adams, the first two Presidents, had both spoken personally before the Congress in reporting — as provided in the Constitution of the United States — on “the State of the Union”. Jefferson, however, believed that it was more democratic to send a written message to Congress. Personal appearances were not revived until Woodrow Wilson became President in 1913, more than 100 years later. In recent years it has again become the custom for the President to deliver his “State of the Union” message to Congress in person.

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

On December 15, 1791 — 175 years ago — the first ten amendments, having been ratified by three-fourths of the states, became part of the Constitution of the United States. These first ten amendments,

known today as the Bill of Rights, grew out of criticism of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention of 1787. Many delegates contended that the Constitution did not sufficiently protect the rights of

the individual. As a result, the first session of the First Congress in

September 1789, approved twelve amendments to the Constitution and submitted them to the states for ratification. Two, relating to the apportionment of Representatives and the pay of Congressmen, were rejected. The other ten, guaranteeing such rights as freedom of speech and religion, peaceful assembly, the right to petition the Government, and trial by jury, were ratified. The Bill of Rights is one of the bulwarks of our democracy.