Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-07-20
THE AMERICAN NATION.

The colonial dependence of America
upon the mother country from 1907 to
the end Of the revolution, forms a most
interesting part of the history Of q
great nation marching in its unerring
course up the highway OF political
greatness.
In l774 the thirteen colonies were
FIRST represented in their Congress, OF
which Peyton Randolph, Of Virginia,
was President. A President was elect
ed to the body annually, and the affairs
of the colonies were conducted oy II
during the Revolutionary war. Its first
session met September 9th, l774. John
Hancock was the third President OF the
Congress, and in his capacity as such
signed the Declaration Of Independence,
July 4th, l776, from which time dates
the nationality of the American re-
public.
This Congress continued to conduct
the national affairs from July 4th, l776,
to July 9th, l77s, without any other
written guide but the Declaration OF
Rights. The country was 10 the heat
of a great war, and some of the colonies
refused longer to aid in the struggle.
The articles Of Confederation were on
tered into July 9th, l778, and under
these the Legislation of the colonies
then States) was conducted.
The style Of the Government was the
United States of America; and BY this
union the States lost non Of their SOW
ereign power ; but they entered into a
firm, league of friendship with each
other for their common defense, bind
ing themselves 10 assist each other
against all force offered to, or attacks
upon them. This seems to be the
favorite doctrine of those leaning to-
wards State rights, but whatever con-
struction may DO put upon that article,
it is fair to conclude that In direct terms
it did completely establish a supreme
| Government Owe the States, and that
the power of q State to secede from the
Union WAS as completely prohibited as
by any clause of the Constitution, or
by laws OF Congress since enacted.
We cannot conceive Of any more
binding clause of any Constitution or
laws Of any Government, wherein the
sovereign right of national supremacy
is more clearly and distinctly set forth
than In the original Constitution ; nor
can We conceive by what line of logic,
| even under the "Articles Of Confeder-
alton" the doctrine of the power Of @
| State to secede at will can be establish.
ed {; on the contrary, such is empbat.
icaily prohibited, and that this idea
governed the legislators Of the country
is manifest by the laws enacted before
the adoption Of the Constitution.
But a growing desire upon the states.
men and patriots Of America to more
specifically define and prescribe the
powers of the various departments OIL
The Government, for the growing neces'
sites of the times, demanded that the
several branches, legislative, executive
and judicial, should be clearly defined
led to the PRONUNCIATION and adoption o
tho Constitution ; and the words " Il
form a moro perfect Union" were bu'
affirmative Of the binding language o
the Articles Of Confederation.
George Washington, whs was Presi
dent of the Convention that framed thu
Constitution, In a letter to the old Con
gress, dated September 18th, 1887,
says : The friends of our country hsv'
long seen and desired that the power o
making war, peace and treaties, that o
l~evying money, and regulating com
merce, and the the correspondent exec
utive and judicial authorities, should b
fully and cffectually vestedin the genera
Government Of the Union. In all ou'
deliberations on this subject, we KEEP
steadily in our view that which appear
to US the greatest interest Of every tru'
Americau-the consolidation Of gu
Union-in which is involved our pros
perity, felicity, safety, perhaps our ma
tioual existence"
In conformity with these views, The
preamble to the Constitution says:"We
the people of the United States, in ordej
to form a more perfect Union" ant
upon the words we, the people,
sprang up the fierce de%nunciation'
hurled by the father of Democrac.
against those seeking to establish
National Government. Why say I'VE
the people of the United States p" the.
exclaimed. But the Convention, headet
by Washington, did say, 1--WE, the PEG
pie of the United States" and the orig
inal thirteen States, by their people
adopted it, and so did each State com
posing the present Union, and the people
from the adoption of the Articles o
Confederation to the present time, hay'
fully invested the United States as
supreme government.
Passing down the cycles OF time Il
the next great test Of national unity, w
come to the attempt made in 1851 b!
the advocates of State Sovereignty 4
destroy the supreme power vested in tn
General Government by the fathers, ant
ratified by the voice of the people
Again the sovereignty Of the Fedora
head was established ; this time by tht
convincing argument Of the sword.
The burrows Of war are all too frest
throughout the fairest fields of the Re
public to require further allusion to the
late contest of arms. The world knows
the result. The national authority II
still supreme, as the voice Of thu
people" first proclaimed it.-Orego'
Unionist.
A WORTHLESS FsLLow." During
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