The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-05-02
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE FED.
ERAL GOVERNMENT.


ERAL GOVERNMENT.
NO. ".
Those who have followed us thus
far will see that the colonies were
Independent of each other. being
united only in common relation
to the crown and the mother coun-
try. They had. however, many in
terests in common, and were pre-
pared TO become one people in all
respects. They were the common
subjects of the king and, in conse-
quence, the inhabitants of any colo
ny conld hold and inherit property,
or change his residence to any other
colony wits9ut going through any
special legal tosmula. AS these
eolonists were thus entitled to all
The rights Of Eaglishmen, they in
.sisted that England had no right to
tax them without their CONSENT
they Insisted that the taxes must be
imposed by the colonial assemblies,
and that parliament should have no
voice in the matter. This denial of
the right of taxation soon led to the
denial of the right of parliament
to legislate at all for the colonies.
Allegiance to the crown was cheer
fully admitted, and even insisted
upon by all the colonies; and no
power could have been reader to
punish its denial as high treason,
than members of the colonies them
selves; but subsection to parliament
was utterly denied. Parliament, on
the other hand, claimed supreme
power over the colonies, aud at
tempted to exercise that power, by
raising revenue in the colonies, to
aid in the support of the home gov
ernmcnt. An act was passed re-
curing the people to use stamped
paper for all legal documents. This
paper could be bought of the gov
eminent only, and was in its opera
tons exactly similar to our recent
requirement of revenue stamp to
render a document legal. Had our
government, instead of selling
stamps, caused the paper to be
stamped, aud then sold this paper at
an advanced rate the two cases, so
far as manner was concerned, would
have been exactly similar. But had
some foreign government. who gave
nothing TO our support, imposed
our late revenue tax, in order to
adj to its O,ca support, we should
be fully able to appreciate the feel
ings of the colonists concerning tie
act of parliament above mentioned.
Indeed the excitement and indigna.
ton was so great that the law was
soon repealed.
Parliament next attempted to
raise a revenue by imposing dulles
ON imported articles. This was met
with q. still more determined oppo-
sition, RESPONSIVENESS and appeals
were made to both king and par
Lament, both by letter, and through
commissioners sent over for that
purpose. All were in vain; neither
king nor parliament was willing to
surrender so profitable a source OF
revenue. Here was a great people,
bound to buy from English mer-
chants, and compelled to ship all
the products for export in English
ships at England's own terms.
Matters at length came to such a
pass that the burden seemed too
grievous to be borne; and Massa-
chusetts recommended calling a
continental congress to deliberate
on the State of affairs. The recon-
mendation was adopted by the colo
MES. Delegates to this congress
were chosen in some cases By the
lower house of the colonial legisla-
lures, in others by conventions of
the people. This congress, the first
ever held in this country, met in
Philadelphia, September !, 1874. A
rule was adopted in this congress
giving to each colony one vote on
questions coming before congress.
The vote of the majority of any
colony, determined the vote of that
colony; in case the members from
any colony were equally divided,
such colony lost its vote. This rule
was adhered to, till the adoption of
the present constitution. This con-
gress adopted Declaration of
Rights, and addresses to the people
and of England, to the king, setting
forth their causes for complaint and
their claims for redress. This
Declaration of Rights, and the adj
dresses were forwarded to England,
where they were met for the most
part with the most arrogant con-
tempt by the officers of government
and members of parliament. There
were, however, a few Englishmep
whose love of justice was superior
to their love of greed. The speech
ofone of these every school boy
knows, and the name of its author
will ever be dear to American
hearts. No satisfaction was given
to colonists, but on the contrary,
new modes of taxation were dis
cussed, with the view of showing
"these upstart colonies" their prop
er relation to the mother country.
A second congress assembled in
May l775. This congress took
measures for raising an army, and
appointed Washington commander
n-chief. 1t authorized the ennis
sion of two millions of dollars in
bills of credit, and published a
declaration of the causes of
heir taking up arms; also an adj
lress to the king, and another to
he people of Great Britain. These
steps did not tend to soften the
'pirit of the British, and no now
was made. Congress
gain assembled in June, I776, nd |
IN the 4th day of July of that year |
hey declared independence Of |
treat Britain. From this time con-
'ress assumed all the powers of
he national government by the
Ieneral consent of the colonies, and
his terminated the Colonial Cor