The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-09-21

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stimulated by the British Government
and carried on with more vigor by the
English merchants than at any other Pc
riod in the history Of the Colonies; and
this fact,i taken in connection with the
extraordinary claim asserted in the Mem.
orable Preamble to the act repeating the
Stamp duties, that parliament possessed
the right to bind the Colonies in all cases
whatsoever" not only in respect to all
matters affecting the general welfare of
the empire, but also in regard to the do
mestic relations and internal policy of the
Colonies-produced powerful impress
sion upon the minds of the colonists. and
impaired peculiar prominence to the
2rincipls involved in the controversy.
Hence the enactments by the several
colonial Legislatures calculated and de-
signed to restrain and prevent the in-
crease of slaves; and, on the other hand,
the, orders issued by the Crown instruct
ing. the Colonial Governors not to sign
or permit any legislative enactment pref
Judicial or injurious to the African Slave
Trade, unless such enactment should coz
tain clause suspending its operation uu-
til the royal pleasure should be made
known in the premises; or in other words
until the King should have an opportu-
nifty of annulling the acts of the colonial
Legislatures by the "inhuman use of the
Royal negative" -, .r,,... ar
! Thus the. policy of the Colonies on the
slavery question had assumed direct an.
itagonism to that of the British Govern
ment; and this antagonism not only added
to the importance of the principle of To-
cal self government in the Colonies, but
produced a general concurrence of opin :
ion and action in respect to the question
| of slavery in the proceedings of the Con-
tinental Congress, which assembled at
| Philadelphia for the first time on the 10Th
| of September, 1774. a. 55fss9ssoq dsi,il
i On the l4th of October the Congress
\ adopted a Bill of Rights o for the Colony
in the form of a series of resolutions, in
} which, rafter conceding to- the British
Government the power to regulate com
merce and do such other things as affect
/ ed the general welfare of the empire with
: out interfering with the internal policy o
/ the Colonies, they declared "That they
: are entitled to free and exclusive powe
, in their several provincial legislatures
. where their right OF. representation n cal
: alone be preserved, in allcascs of taxation
3 and internal policy" Having thus de
: fined the principle for which they wer
j contending, the Congress proceeded t,
f adopt the following "Peaceful Measures,
: which they still hoped would be suficien
: to induce compliance with their. just an,
: reasonable demands These ,"Peacefu
4 Measures" coosisted of addresses TO th
: King, to the Parliament, and to the peo
4 pie Of Great Britain, together with an AS
t sociation, of Non Intercourse to be oh
/. served and maintained so long as thei
a grievances should remain unredressed.
e The second article of this Association
J. which was adopted without, oppositio
and signed by the Delegates from all th
y Colonies, was in these words: o yoj,
s THAT we will neither import nor pur
a chase any slave imported after the frs
) day of December next; after which tim
h we will wholly discontinue the Slave
! Trade, and will neither be concerned in
), ourselves, nor will we hire our vessels
r nor sell onr commodities or manufacture
! to those who are engaged in it,"
n This Bill of Rights, together with thes
/ articles of association, were subsequent
If submitted to and adopted by each of th
s. thirteen Colonies in their respectiV
il Provincial Legislatures. ,di - a358a d.
o Thus was distinctly formed between th
of Colonies and the parent country that is
q sue upon which the Declaration of Inde
> pendence, was founded and the battles
d the Revolution were fought 1t involve
y the, specific, claim on the part of tt
g ColoniesT denied. by the King and Pa
d liament-to the exclusive right oflegisl,
3. tion touching all local and internal cor
Germs, slavery included. This being Il
10 principle involved in the contest, m,
1T jority of the Colonies refused to perm
ct their Delegates to sign the Declaratic
% of Independence except upon the di
Or tinct condition and express reservatic
ct to each Colony of the exclusive rigp
as manage and control its local concert
ly and police regulations, without the il
ia tervention ofa any general Congress whic
Is might be established for the Unite
u, Colonies; 80 ...r. -.s.
J. Let US cite one of these reservations {
/; a specimen of all, showing conclusive
of that they were fighting for the inalienab
er right of local self government, with, II
81. clear understanding that when they hu
rs succeeded in throwing off the despotis
n of the British Parliament no Congre
'h sional despotism was to be substitute
10 for it; .,.-..-....
to eve, the Delegates Of Maryland.
n conventien assembled, do declare that Il
to King of Great Britain shas 7yiolated b
compact with this people, and that tn,
al owe no allegiance to him, We ha
Is, therefore thought it just and necessary
be emnower oux IDENTITIES in Conpress To in