Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-08-27

h.
s,,o,e oyernpen,s separate institutions ana naons,
diversified and in many respects, rival and conhcus
interests with many important ana uoooe' v". ~
t;ons of iurisdction and boundary Ench co,o"y was
sn,;,nv indeoendeat of al the Others and NE aiegI
,nra and snheclut 10 Grpa, Britain being thrown on
Independent of all the woEtd we on'y oo"u - uhIes
between them Curing The carly ievu'ah nay send
and mill ,Go years after The DECLARATION % ~" an
erce was the common feeling PRODUCED " h,omahou all
i,ressions aud the growing disposition ", he home
The colonies 10 throw off their s!eiehnce ,d,n, =
government and become sovereign a,u ,,ips If men
As necessary consequence ue announcement of
and money by each colony. auer entirely voluntary,
hosli,ities to carry the war, "sls 49, asso,;n,ion
az ~. :, limo or coercve power OF any oesc'p;h'
over the person properly vi ''e =; go ,h,i dele
the local legislatures extensively times
-, en- The different colonies wefe at various -
81 ,l,ces assembled for consultation ana ou' ~
ta,t Without any pretence Of right 10 exercise any
s}ser or to make their acts binding upon" a"' y ''
one, even Of The colonies Represented s;.,,,, n a
,,onoer LIGHT the determination, public sP"' u pa'
,otism Of The period, than the iacts tna. "e - ~
ton of Independence was so universally n,,rc con.
DELEGATES Of the colonies in one OF these voluntary so
~ .,ser,bled that il universally assehleo 70,
s"ssd and sustained by the legislatures and Inc
pnle Of an the colonies, and that defensive war was
actually carried on, tor PERIOD OF nations Of
th e.y,b under circumstances such as have oech oe
scribed and solely by these voluntary a.oe rom .ne "
rislaures and the people of the respective eoones
In ~,
de,,ook the establishment ef cen raj and cosmon 90
,e,nmeot and 10 TIA, end the 10th day oil November
of that year. adopted certain "articles OF coheuet
and perpeluul union between them when are suoni't
ted 10 The respective local legislatures tor approval as
,ha dIegses 10 the Congress appointed by those
legislatures The articles met The APPRECIATION OF 'ne
States expressed through their respective eeis'atues
and their delegates to The congress OF I!o " o or
rised 10 ratiry and confirm them On the 9h o'y o.
JpIv in this wear the full delegations W Inc Sohgiess
from six OF the States and portions OF the delegates rom
five others signed the necessary ralihcatons CT Tue ar
tcIas and from that day. il is believed they were con
;aad so IN force and thus acted upon, ahough ma
ori,y Of the delegates from one State DO mol appear
have s:rped the ratification until August, from an".nri
mill November and from another until February i'y
while from single Slate no Iaiihcauo" ""
place until March, 1871. e; 20
These articles of conederstion, Piaceo he oIeIgh &c
lstiops Of the country within The p'wer OF The Cohe.
established by them, and saGe that oooy eos,
considerable extent, The army ana navy o. Tue Wv
fedeIacy: bat experience proved that LOT os' ~
terna purposes the form without the sues'a"e'
of qovernment- that The power to PRESCRIBE was NOV az
conpanied by any power TO execute 'he p"~e' ~
clare and carry on war, by no power 10 ta'se eh "
money: the power direct what the national e8p
should be- by no power to collect revenue TO meet NOSE
expenses or pay their own wages; an lnese la.
ter classes of powers were reserved 70 ane 80 ,hS
.vey while the exercise Of the most essential OF 'nse
Granted depended upon the assent, through thei oee
yates in the Congress, of out of the Is States.
Still such was the spirit of the tines ano such 'ne
n,totism and love of liberty of our Revolutionary an
cesors that the s4 os independence was successfully
prosecuted and VIGOROUSLY terminated under national
government, If government il could properly De csea'
thus t,ered aud crippled, thus poweIess ana oePe"'
ent. 6
Asa necessary consequence, the treaty OF peace OF
1888, which acknow lodged ''the U of America 10 oe
Free sovereign aud independent States, mercy put a.
rest all questions Of dependence upon or sooecuoh u
any foreign power, and left our internal governments
Ss,e and National where they Each State, there
FORE was completely Free sovereign and as
bonnd 10 ,hcm ,lsn BY the articles Of confederation
which have been briefly described, and which, at the
strongest, contained no higher obligation, or binding
force than ordinary treaty between independent So
u at the close of the of The Revolution such was
the bond of union between them, and such The common
Government for the protection Of national rights and The
maintenance Of national Independence
ITO be continued in our ns1t