Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-07-05


laws, it may become the duty of the majority Of
a people 40 oppressed and abused u rise up and
assert their independence and set up govern
ment for themselves
Just such condition of things existed, when
on the Ith day Of July, l77G the founders of
this western republic phced their names to that
instrument which declared them free from the
yoke of British tyranny and oppression 1t was
no sudden mud temporary grievance against
which the thirteen colonies protested II was
series Of long protfacled and deliberate 0ppres-
sions, extending from 1860 to l7T5 destroying
their commercei imposing heavy take setting
abide their courts Of justice aud putting In their
place mOck-rlal; taking away their charters;
imprisoning peaceable citizens and quarteiing
large bodies of troops upon them in times of
peace to threaten ard destroy.
All these grievances were horne through
succession of year,, but not without their re-
spectfu yet firm protest, expressed again and
again, until Mt last foibcarance ceased to be a
virtue, and with n decent respect for the
opinions of mankind" they declared the causes
which impelled them to ii separation from British
rule, and appealing to the Supreme Judge of
tho world for the recttu1o Of their intentions
they solemny declared, "that these United Colo
MES, are and of right ought to he free and indie
pendent States" Few acts in relation 10 the
civil welfare of men have ever trnnspired in the
history OF our race, so significant and momen.
tous as that by which thhteen feeble colonies,
with scarcely 1000 600 of people, made this
bold stroke fur independence from one of the
most numerous mud powerful nations on the
globe We do not, We canB0l wonder TINT such
myn animated by such principles, controlled by
such motives and striving togsthtr for such
ends, should call forth such eloquent and glow
ing strains in the British Parliament from +
mund Burke, one Of the most gifted orators md
Statesmen Of history
To declare their independence was n great
Thing, u brave declaration indeed but to make
thit declaration good was n far greater and
Drawer work. To sign that declaration was the
work Of moment, but il was to require eight
ytnrs of the most cxhaustng md hloOdiest war,
tu secure and establish what they then declared
hut they were heroic men with stout and brave
hearts They had counted the cost and saw
clearly that what they Ind dono would cost
treasure and blood, and all this they were rcady
to meet. They did then and there pledge mu.
Jually "their lives, their fortunes aud their
sacred honor" Even while they were assembled
| in that old hall so sacred still to liberty, war,
red-handed war, was laundering all about them,
| yet in the tnroes and coyulsons of that dread
| hour nation was born.
Revolution in the very nature of the case, can
never be peaceable II necessarily involves war;
aud hence it should never be undertaken except
! III Cnsts MhtIe llc government IL SO lutOleiuut
aud oppressive as no longer to be endured and
when it is once commenced ii must be prosecuted
tn successful issue, or upon the heads Of the
disobedient will be visited all the penalties OF
law. No men ever saw this clearer than our
revolutionary sres, and hence they bore with
heroic foftitule and the most inimitable chris.
tlnn bravery, the horrors of that eight years
bloody struggle. There was, by the ordering OF
n wise and oyer-ruint providence n single man
ia, ia il.I,l
EQUIPPED, colonial army, hut that man was
GHoRGg WAsnINGroN "whoso fame is eternity.
whose residence creation"
/ will nat undertake to rcco,,r, Cha ;,,,,,,o,,
ohi, dacnltias which en,;,ovoI ,ho ,,'','
u.t in,nn,tL nartio, Thcv onm 49, ~, ~,
ln,,vn W., c,,, ,,r, hn, ,I,o rao,1,s, 49, po
49,, . .,'. - ~. ~ '"u
taa'ian ,r,,,',i, ,h.a t,n, Wv .''''''i
,,ioi Va ne.o r,nd ~ Vniiai5 - ~. 's.'s ~, VI
i,anie,l ~, ,.s,,.,','' 81 A'e W, ,4
il, VIZ VT "s',t'
~ ~, a. e. W., "g ~" N"N luVo NY
''s.o', ~. Is Inc NY "uio eoh'V"u
81, ,i n,, ,,is S,1 49,. ~ s.V'i,eu
r.,, Ia, p', 81, go n'r '"suou 10 ue-
, NV, ,te' ,,oa ~ WIZ "s 'o'' "%s greater
a"S" .nN' vi 49, "s''1,a n.y., II was no,
to face foreign foe on the battle. field Int he
must needs be cripplcd hy divided connscls in
me Colonial Cnncress. ami bv tln ,,e,t, ioot, 20
ies of pretended friends in his avn cam,
To appreciate somewhat The d:tHenl,ies nl,icb
euoombnssed the mon who foueht lin, ha,tIss a.
our national freedom we must brnr in mini tho
from The ine.ption NJ the RIO Tho ,car 1-s-
when our Erdm.,l Cnr.ti,,,in, 80 n.I.,.,,si
there was no well-comnacted. healthy goyc,u
ment The men who made the Deeinratiun nj
Iudependenee sirned that document in ,hn NINA
and by the authority Of the ''good pcople of the
United Coonios.p Thus they leeltimntelv cam.
mitled the whole people against The ,eignin,,
power of England. Thus absolvrd from their
allegiance to the British Grown they were with
out government The times were stormy, and
lEey were driven by the stern necessities of the
how to hnd some bond Of alliance Hence il
was that on the l2lh Of July, eight dnJs after
lh1 issue OF the Declaration OF Independence,
John Dickinson, OF Pennsylvania, who voted
against the Declaration and never signed it,
l drafted mud presented to the Colonial Congress
! several articles of confederation between the
e Golchies Ihe FIRST OF these articles clearly as
serts, the doctrine Of State Sovereignty in thesi
Worus-"bach state retains lis sovereignty, free
/ dom "ud Independence nnd every power, iuris
o dcuon anu right, which IS not by this confeder
$ anon expressly Delegated to the United State
III congress Assembled.
In answer to the question where lil e,eb n
$ these States get its sovereignty, it is only ncces
a sary to tay that the people, the ouly rirhtfu
8 source of power, never delegated any such SOW
j.. ereignty. These articles of confederation wer,
. debated until the 10Th of August. l77G nm,
then a new draft was reportei TO Congress- sliTht
ly modifying some OF the features of The orieiSal
Il when the report was laid over until Anr7 IN
a l77T. from which limo uutil Nnvewhor ~ ;
r was sharply discussed three times week an,
/ inally adopted hut these articles Of confaJsr
e alton were not fully signed until March LIST
10 1881, when Maryland was reluctantly urged Il
yield its name,
Here WINS fl conrsderacv og sovoro;,, >, ,,., T..
dependent s,otes How areclv il ansvor "up II, '