The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-31

of the constitution. 1t is clearly defined
and distinctly marked on every page Of his
tory which records the great events of that
immortal struggle between the American
colonies and the British government, which
resulted in the establishment of our national
independence. In the beginning of that
struggle the colonies neither contemplated
nor desired independence. In all their ad.
dresses to the crown, and to the Parliament
and to the people of Great Britain, as well
az to the people of America, they averred
that as loyal British subjects they deplored
the causes which impelled their separation
from the parent country. They were strong.
" and affectionately attached to the censti-
tuition, OWL and political institutions and
jurisprudence of Great Britain, which they
proudly claimed as the birth-right of all
Englishmen, and desired to transmit them
unimpaired as precious legacy to their
posterity. For long series of years
they demonstrated against the violation Of
their inalienable rights of self-government
under the British constitution, and humbly
petitioned for the redress of their griev-
ances
They acknowledged and affirmed their al
legiance to the crown, their affection for the
people, and their devotion to the constitu-
ton of Great Britain ; and their only COM
plant was that they were not permitted to
enjoy the rights and privileges of self gov
ernment, in the management 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 of it. They conceded
the right Of the imperial government to make
all laws and perform all acts concerning the
colonies, which were in their nature imperial
and not colonial-which affected the general
welfare of the empire, and did not interfere
with the internal polity of the colonies.
They recognized the right of the imperial
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 be-
tween the several colonies, and between
each colony and the parent country, and
with foreign countries ; and in general they
recognized the right of the imperial govern
ment of Great Britain to exercise all the
powers and authority which, under our fed
eral constitution, are delegated by the peo-
pie of the several States to the government
of the United States.
Recognizing and concedipg to the impe-
rial government all these powers-including
the right to institute governments for the
colonies, by granting charters under which
the inhabitants residing within the limits of
any specified territory might be organized
into political community, with a govern.
ment consisting of its appropriate depart
ments, executive, legislative, and judicial
conceding all these powers, the colonies en-
phatically denied that tie imperial govern
ment had any rightful authority to impose
taxes upon them without their consent, or
to interfere with their internal polity
claiming that it was the birthrisht of all
Englishmen- inalienable when formed INTO
a political community-to exercise and en-
Joy all the rights, privileges and immunities
of self government in respect to all matters
and things, which were local and not general
internal and not eXternal--colonial and
not imperial--as fully as if they were inhab-
itants of England, with fair representation
in parliament.
Thus it appears that our fathers of the
Revolution were contendiDg, not for indie
pendence in the first instance, but for the
inesimable right of local self government
under the British constitution; the right oil
every distinct political community-depend-
ent colonies, territories, and provinces, as
well as sovereign States-to make their own
local laws, form their own domestic institu.
tons, and manage their own internal affairs
in their own way, subject only to the consti.
tuition of Great Britain as the paramount
law of the empire.
The government of Great Britain had
violated this inalienable right of local self
government by long series of acts on a
great variety Of subjects. The first serious
point of controversy arose on the slavery
Question as early as 1899, which continued
fruitful source of irritation until the Rev.
olution, 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 Afri-
can slavery within her limits. This policy
was steadily pursued until the white inhab-
itants of Virginia became alarmed for their
own safety, in view of the numerous and
formidable tribes of Indian savages which
surrounded and threatened 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
existence of the colony, the provincial legis-
lature enacted law imposing 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, petitioned the King of England and
his Majesty's ministers to annul the obnox-
ious law and protect them in their right to
carry their slaves into Virginia and all
other British colonies which were the com.
mon property of the empire acquired by
the common blood and common treasure
and from which few adventures who had
settled on the imperial domain by his Males.
TVS suferance, had no right to exclude them
or discriminate against their property by q
mere Provincial enactment. Upon a full
consideration of the subject, the King gra-
ciously granted the prayer of the petitioners
and accordingly issued peremptory orders
to the royal Governor Of Virginia, and to
the governors Of all the other British colo
MES in America, forbiddiDg them to sign or
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