Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1861-06-14
Something Worth Knowing.


" Field Book of the Revolution" in a com
munieation to the Poughkeepsie Eagle,
puts certain very significant facts of his
tory together in this forcible way
The Declaration of independence was the
first written bond of union Of tie United
Colonies.
The Articles of Confederation were the
second. Both of these derived their CO
heslve political power from the presence of
common danger that was threatening com
mon interests. When the war was end
ed and that common danger was removed,
the States fell back upon their original
prerogatives as separate sovereignties, and
the political union W virtually dissolved
The Congress had no inherent power to
exercise the rights of sovereignty. The
nation was admitted into the great politi-
cal family, but it appeared to be, as it
really was, invertebrated Without back
bone The statesmen of England saw in
the admitted right of State, or any num-
Der Of States, to withdraw It's or their
support from the Union or to abandon it
altogether, at pleasure, a sure element OF
destruction, and treated the United States
with corresponding contempt The Brit
ish Government hauehtily refused to en-
ter into any commercial treaty with them
and when John Adams, the first Minister
to England proposed, in 1873, to plac
the navigation and trade between all tn
d0minions of the British crown and all
territories of the United States upon 4 ba
sis Of perfect and liberal uniformity. h
was met almost with scorn. He was tolc
that neither that nor any other PROPOSE
ton of the kind made by him would be
entertained They believed that the weak
republic would soon be dissolved and that
the sovereignties would speedily become
colonies Of the Crown again. They re
fused to give up important military posts
according to the provisions of the treaty
of 1888, and would not send u diplomatic
agent Of any kind to reside in the United
States. The wise heads Of England shen
clearly perceived the destructive character
Of the doctrine Of secession. 1t was,
in their view, the great solvent that would
reduce the Republic to its original ele-
ments
But when the fathers, alarmed by the
low, fearful believing of the tempest of
approaching anarchy, arose in the might
Of their wisdom to avert the destructive
storm, and with wonderful prescience
abandoned the idea and practical dangers
of confederation and formed a consolidated
nation, under the Federal Constitution,
they found themselves possessed Of a
moral and material strength that COM
handed the respect of every civilized peo-
pie on the face Of the earth. The states
men of Great Britain Immediately aband-
oned the idea Of reducing the American
States to colonial dependency. They per
ceived that thy interest Of those States,
local and General were guarded by cen
trail power of wonderful energy; and soon
a committee OF Parliament was appointed
to consider and report "what were the
proposals, Of a commercial nature, it would
be proper to be made by their Government
to the United States" Britain now be-
came the suppliant Lord Liverpool drew
up and presented a report OF the commit
tee IN 1871, and proposed to ask the nit
ed States to consent to an arrangement
precisely the same, though moro limited
in extent, as that proposed by Mr.. Adams
six wears before. and so sc0rnfullv rejected
The strength and dignity Of the Ameri-
can Government was now established, and
in August Of the same year George Ham
mond delivered his letters Of credence to
President Washington, as first Minister
Plenipotentiary to the Unitod States from
Great Britain
Here we have these significant facts
First While the States formed Con
federation merely, each claiming absolute
sovereignty for itself, and possessed Of the
right to secede' ut pleasure, and break
up that Confederacy, the General Govern
nent was utterly without respect at home
or abroad That is the position in which
the so-called Southern Conicderacv now
stands, and such would be the condition
Of the whole Republic if the cowardlv
principle that it is better to separate
peacefully than to fight should prevail
| Secondly When the inefficient COnfede
racv was abandoned, and the States be
came consolidated and q unit, each reserv
/ ing sufficient sovereignty to RI ulate its mu
nicipal affairs. tho world recognized the
great fact that a nation was born-that
the myth Of Minerva springiBg full-arlaed
from she brain OF Joye was realized
Great Britain the chief empire Of the
earth exhibited its haste to court its
friendship by proposing international
commercial relations, and sending a full
Minister 10 represent that country At the
seat of our national Government.
eS- TuE SoUTHERNERs are getting up :
tcStamoniaI 70 the family Of JACKSON. Col
ELLawORTH murderer. who was killed n
Alexandria Eleven hundred dollars have
been subscribed at Mobile. The br tler o