The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1860-12-26
secession. 4 a neserved RssI,t


miitat viii sAmciicah hiStoiys tuat petoIe siS
Revolution the British Colonies were distinct
political communities, entirely independent Of
each other, having no municipal authority out
side of their respective Jurisdictions; and no
comiaoa a5ligations or political connections, ex-
ecpt such as necessarily resulted from their com
mon relations to and dependence on the mother
country. II is true, That kom very early pc
Rod of their history, las early as the year l64a)
thoy fran, from time to time compaots and con-
federations with each other, for mutual defence
against the Indian tribes, and for some other
purposes Il general nature. But in forming
these compacts, they always treated with each
other as Independent nations having general
interest at stake or common danger to avert
resulting from their neighboring locality, or
otherwise; just as the nations e Tnropc sould
confederate to preserve nc frc,i-.r Of the s.cdi
terra against any nowcr v "a should as
sumo > exercise exclusive jar.s, i,tiun over its
waters, or as all civilized nation; might foim a
compact 10 exert Their combined pow ers for the
destruction of a nation If pirates. As they
were all dependencies of the mother country,
she might doubtless lave controlled or prevent
ed these compacts, if she Lao seen proper but
she winked at Their. u: a :, existence is suff-
cicnt to show 10 &C u dependent the colo
MES were of cas- 60 B. as Independent as
Canada and Ars'iL.ia Jay; and who can
doubt that, if The wer. at once to throw
of the yoke OF Elglant Icy would be separate
and independen. s. -,
In like man1'r the - confcdc'rttd to-
ge;her in l75', to resist ii. encroaclh.e.i-s ~
tsa'f 'sc'.1s',l w.icl enlm !, IRE alike
Fc.i ',,ss oc az. . :, orsapizei The first Con-
inRa-l Congress, 20 consul, {. g, her for the
co,nmcL welt e." In the sI5cocGi.,g year, en-
'.or Cong ess of delega. IS from the different
-!,iSs s.ss~,lbicd IN Philsdeli ha, clo. he'd with
more PIC, but vague anu iL-lcfn2l pow ers.
II waa orgatizad, hoye 10 NICE cyi zen ciee
of the then presens emergency 80 Ess there.
fore niece ,sarilv tr.a lent anu &. w in its
nature and constitution. rs ext t,:.oe and au-
I thoiity would have exp;rd with . -.ss;lg
away of the occ IN which CT i ID it M, be; :.
4 Its members w 20 ''corcsrt, Lgree upon, ii.
! rect, orig, en-, !. sccutcp lch Ilcasrres as to
them should Gecm proper to p.otecs tie liberties
of the colonies, and to obtain red ess IF erie :
! ances. 1t was this Congress- thu consiisuteS,
thai! 1875 adopted the Declaration o. Indepen-
dence, by which they declared at that the
United Colonies wern free and nde2endent
State, or nation, or re ,e--but that they were
and of right ought b. he, free and Independent
s's''s." and that as such they had full, power ito
'sY" var, conclude peace, contract l.ances, es
ut'a \ commerce. ard to do all other acts md
th rs which independent Safes may of right
do" At that time eyeh tho ARTICLES Of Con-
federal on" as they are cllcd were not in exist
ence for frey were fsst agreed upon and sub
mitted to the s. es by Congress in the year
III, and were rot finally ratified oy all the
states Until the year l7;l, Cnly tw' years be-
fore the close of the Revolutionary rtr,) Mary
bind bcin5 the last State that ratified them
And so Jealous wnra thoy nf their SOW roigntv,
that in these Articles of Confederation no
power was given to the Federal Government to
enforce its laws by acting upon the individual
citizens of the States within their respective H.
lisdliction;; but each State was left to enforce
those laws in its own jurisdiction. These States
I'D not cvtu give Congress the power to lew
t collect general tax Or duty to supply the
W. $ of the Government. 1t could only make
reGuisitions of the States, which they could
Obey or not as they saw proper Under the
CONF Grafton, the powers of the Government
were ret Distributed among appropriate depart.
ments, but the whole body of the jurisdiction
such as Il was, was vested in Congress There
was neither federal judiciary nor federal cx.
ccutivc. The whole thirg was a loose and I'M
wieldy structure Yet some Of the States were
low to ratify 'hese articles, becau~ = w,1,-
jc.i MS of the powers conferred -
those powers might ultimately tcs;.cy
own separate sover"' q. ldeper-
4 c.
have given this br 10 =, sketch to
show that the thirteen 9 'rr x the Pcyo-
luton, in all their int ;ih cac. other,
in all their compacts fer 'cfsace, md to
promote the general welfare, ne er Ger moment
lost sight of their scrarn' an; independent
character; and that s:a'es, AFR the Declare
ton Of Independence, c,cn 4, the most trying
emergencies they ever ! 4pt view the fact hat
they were distinct individual sTe' ties, o, .rg
no allegiance to eac'a other, ar re,.oc nizins no
allcgian ,eas due from thei- ,wn citiyc,s, except
20 their respective State gova.rinezts, and to
such other authority as each s.ate might CON.
ma tizens 10 obey And this indeoen
dee avid ATTY Gf I may so spcak) they
W! ret surrender OF ignore. even to secure
task safety from common peri, when the fear.
full .rtre Of che crisis seemed tore ars the -,s.
- and thc'yisor Of consolidated s:7ern-
- Ind their Jealousy on this point, rs al.
f3ady shown, was carried. so ar as to WITHHOLD
rom the Federal authoi5ss which they lad es.
"a :lished, some of the most solitary lowers,
absolutely fecessa, for its succe ssfr' oeTstir.
il was then, to remedy the defect, 6 sye
en- rrersted, and some cthefs of minor +
alec taat the -Conve I, which arc or
present Constitution was asse icd: Z. IL
Was, in the language o. the pre- BILE 70 that in
st-ument so form more perfe,; iaion'-l
j Un, n OF -hatf Not ofthe pc lie ofs'e Con-.
{ crazy as-cne body Juf &c t5e people # the
N States, IN their charae Of distinct ard