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TO CELEBRATE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, WHICH TOGETHER ENUMERATE OUR UNALIENABLE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES, AND TO PROCLAIM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016, AS "LIBERTY DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Whereas, our rights and liberties are rooted in the cherished documents of our nation, the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, which set forth the principles on which the United States of America stands; and
Whereas, during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison's Virginia Plan became the foundation of the new American Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation and establishing our present form of government; and
Whereas, Charles Pinckney of South Carolina was a delegate to the convention, and on the same day in 1787 on which Edmund Randolph presented the Virginia Plan, Pinckney presented a draft of a constitution, which is known as the Pinckney Plan; and
Whereas, although the Virginia Plan was made the basis on which the new constitution was ordered, Charles Pinckney's plan is credited with the substance of some thirty-one or thirty-two provisions of the Constitution, and he made valuable suggestions regarding phrasing and matters of detail; and
Whereas, a leading architect of the Constitution, James Madison also served in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1797; and
Whereas, during his time in the United States House of Representatives, James Madison introduced several amendments to the Constitution to safeguard individual rights that became known as the Bill of Rights; and
Whereas, Charles Pinckney later served as the president of the State Convention of 1790 that framed a new constitution for South Carolina. He also served as governor of the State from 1789 to 1792 and from 1796 to 1798, and as a United States senator from 1799 to 1801; and
Whereas, as Americans, we enjoy our freedom and the rule of law through these documents created by our founding fathers; and
Whereas, it is fitting to proclaim March sixteenth "Liberty Day" because it is the 265th anniversary of the birth of James Madison, one of our founding fathers and the fourth President of the United States; and
Whereas, the rich culture and history of the United States of America can be sustained as long as each succeeding generation maintains an understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of our founding documents; and
Whereas, it is fitting and proper for the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives to pause in their deliberations in recognition of "Liberty Day" and to pay tribute to the remarkable achievements and extraordinary vision of our founding fathers and the rights, privileges, and responsibilities they secured for the people of the United States of America. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, celebrate the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, which together enumerate our unalienable rights and liberties, and proclaim Wednesday, March 16, 2016, as "Liberty Day" in South Carolina.
This web page was last updated on February 24, 2016 at 11:00 AM