ABSTRACT
In Philadelphia, a gala water carnival and a Solemn Pontifical Mass got almost as much attention as the Constitution’s actual anniversary. The Commission urged the appointment of a comparable planning group in each state, territory, “and insular possession as soon as practicable.” The mayors of every city and town were exhorted to form local Constitution committees that would cooperate with state and national commissions. A pilgrimage certificate would be awarded as a “souvenir and keepsake” to show that the owner had visited either of the cities but especially “the Shrine of the Constitution,” the case in which the document was displayed at the Library of Congress. Conservative politicians and journalists found enemies lurking where none but ordinary scholars sought to set the historical record straight. Both dealers and their customers have reason to pay homage to the Constitution which has so promoted their general welfare.
