The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-10-12


} gle between the American Colonies and the
British Government, which resulted in the es-
tablishment OF our national Independence. In
the beginning Of that struggle the Colonies
J neither contemplated nor desired independence.
In all their addresses to the Crown, and to the
Parliament, and to the people Of Great Britain,
as well as to the people Of America they aver
red that as loyal British subjects they deplored
the causes which impelled their separation from
the parent country They were strongly and
affectonately attached to the Constitution, civil
and political institutions and Jurisprudence Of
Great Britain, which they proudly claimed as
the birth. right of all Englishmen, and desired
to transmit them unimpared as precious leg
acy to their posterity. For long series of
years they demonstrated against the violation
of their inalenable rights of selEgovernme mt
under the British Constitution, and humbly Pc
titioned for the redress of their grievances.
They acknowledged and affirmed their ale
glance to the Crown, their affection for the peo-
pie, aud their devotion to the Constitution Of
Great Britain; and their only complaint was
that they were not permitted to enjoy the rights
and privileges Of selEgoyernment, in the man
agement of their internal affairs and domestic
concerns, in accordance with the guarantees Of
that Constitution and Of the colonial charters
granted by the Crown in pursuance oft. They
conceded the right OF the Imperial government
10 10 10 oil otc
ing the colonies which were in their nature
Imperial and not Colonial-whch affected the
general welfare Of the Empire, and did not in
terCere with the "internal polity" of the Colo
nies. They recognized the right of the Impe-
rial government to declare war and make peace,
to coin money and determine its value, to make
treaties and conduct intercourse with foreign
nations; to regulate commerce between the sew
eral colonies, and between each colony and the
parent country and with foreign countries; and
in general they recognized the right of the I'm
perial government of Great Britain to exercise
all the powers and authority which, under our
Federal Constitution, are delegated by the peo-
pie of the several States to the Government OF
the United States. .r
Recognizing and concealing to the Imperial
government all these powers Including the
right to institute gA0e1niaents for the colonies"
by granting charters under which the inhabi-
tants residing within the limits of any specified
Territory might be organized into a political
community, with a government consisting o.
its appropriate departments executive, legisla
tive, and judicial; conceding all these powers,
the colonies emphatically denied that, the I'M
perial government had any rightful authority to
impose taxes upon them without their consent,
or to interfere with their internal polity; claim
ing that it was the birth right OF all English
men--inalienable when formed into political
communicate exercise and enjoy all the rights,
privileges and immunities of self government in
to all matters and things, which were
Local and not General-Interna and not Ex-
and not Imperial-as fully as
if they were inhabitants Of England, with fair |
in Parliament.
Thus itappears that our fathers Of the Rev
oIuton were contending, not for Independence |
in the first instance, but for the inestmable
right OF Local Self Government under the Brit
ish Constitution; the right of every distinct po-
litical communty-dependen Colonies, Terri
tories, and Provinces, as well as sovereign |
States--to make their own local laws, form
their own domestic Institutions, ard manage
their own internal affairs in their own way
subject only to the Constitution Of Great Bri- |
tain as the paramount law of the Empire.
The government Of Great Britain had violat
ed this inalienable right Of local self govern
ment by a. long series of acts on a great varie-
ty Of subjects. The first serious point of con-
troversy arose on the slavery question as early |
as 1869, which continued fruitful source OIL
irritation until the Revolution, and formed one
OF the causes for the separation Of the colonies
from the British Crown.
For more than forty years the Provincial
Legislature Of Virginia had passed laws for the
protection and encouragement of African sla-
very within her limits. This policy was stead
lily pursued until the white inhabitants of Vir-
ginia became alarmed for their own safety, in |
view Of the numerous and formidable tribes of |
Indian savages which surrounded and threaten |
ed the feeble white settlements, while ship !
loads Of African savages were being daily landed |
in their midst. in order to check and restrain |
a policy which seemed to threaten the very ex-
istence OF the colony, the Provincial Legislature
enacted law imposing a tax upon every slave
who should be brought into Virginia. The
British merchants, who were engaged in the
African slave trade, regarding this legislation as
injurious to their interests and in violation OF
their rights, petitoned the King of England
and his Majestys ministers to snnul the OBJ
noxious law and protect them in their right to
carry their slaves into Virginia and all other
British colonies which were the common prop
erty Of the Empire acquired by the common
treasure-and from which few adventurers
who had settled on the Imperial domain by his
Majesty's suffsrance, had no right to exclude
them or discriminate against their property by
mere Provincial enactment. Upon full con-
sideraton of the subject the King graciously
granted the prayer Of the petitioners, and ac-
cordingly issued psremtory orders to the Royal
Governor Of Virginia. and to the Governors of
all the other British colonies in America, for
bidding them to sign or approve any Colonial |
or Provincial enactment injurious to the A fri |
can Slave Trade, unless such enactment should
contain a clause suspending its operation until
his Majestys pleasure should DO made known
in the premises.
Judge Tucker, in his Appendix to Blackstone,