The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-05-23
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE FED
ERAL GOVERNMENT.

From the very beginning of the
Confederation many of the best
statesmen saw its defects, and labor
ed hard to eliminate them, but each
of the States was just escaped from
n tyrannical government, and was
fearful lest it was entrusting itself
to another. The greatest difficulty
seemed to be upon the article (XvIr)
which allowed each State one vote.
The larger colonies at first threaten
ed that they would not confederate
at all, if their influence in Congress
could not be proportionate to the
number of people they added to the
confederacy, while the smaller ones
declared they would not confeder-
ate unless they retained an equal
vote for the protection of their
rights. Strong speeches were made
upon the one or the other side of
this question, by men whose names
have long since become historical,
and no one can be said to be fully
alive to the difficulties attending
the birth of our Republic, unless he
has made himself familiar with
them.
When the presence of actual dan
ger was removed by the closing of
the war, the weak points of the con-
federation became glaringly appar-
emit to all. Many of the States eth
er refused outright or neglected to
pay into the treasury the sums ap-
portioned to them, and some of
them even failed to observe the
treaties entered into by Congress.
The credit of the nation was utterly
Frustrated, and statesmen every
where saw signs of speedy disso-
luton unless some quick, sharp
remedy should be applied. Wash
ington declared that "the time SEEM
ed to be rapidly approaching when
it will be a subject of regret that so
much blood and treasure have been
laYished to no purpose, that so many
sacrifices have been made in vain"
But men in those days were not
content TO sit idly by and see a
structure of their own rearing 60
to destruction. 1t was their nature
to act, and these actors were James
Madison and Alexander Hamilton
1t is to the first of these two men
we are indebted to the Inauguration
of the steps which led up to ouI
present exalted station among the
nations. In the spring of 1884 Mad
son became a candidate for the Vir
ginia legislature, hoping that he
would be able from tins standpoint
of vantage ground to influence tina
body to take some active measure t.
avert the danger which Threatened
to destroy the freedom which haI
been purchased at such great cost
He secured his election, but h
! found large majority of the bod
arranged in solid phalanx agains
! any attempt TO transfer the contro
of the States to the United States
5 Nor ought we so much to wonde
! at this opposition to the measure
E for in surrendering its right to cor
t troll itself in all things, each Stat
I feared it would be subjecting all il
= interests to the whims and Jealous
/. les of its sister States, and that j
y case of any difficulty arising b,
e tween the States, there would be L
choice between either, surrenderin
,r the point at issue, or engaging
=, the horrors of civil war; and it WI
"A this feeling of distrust which ult
ic mately led to the incorporating
70 the Federal constitution some of Il
10 most Objectionable features viii
re it contains,
"a Because of the failure of his fir
m attempt Madison was by no mea
"A discouraged, and after nearly ty
~ years of earnes labor he prevails
6t upon the legislature of his State
n pass the following resolution:
m "ReSolced, That Messrs. Ra
" dolph, Madison, Jones, Tucker, al
r- Lewis be appointed commissions
tie who, or any of whom, shall me-