The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-20

"
declaration of independence is "the
unanimous declaration of the thirteen
United States of America" The de.
claration says that "these colonies are
and of right ought to be free and inde-
pendent States"
Washington'a commission as Comman-
der.in- chief of tho continental armies
was made out in the name of all the col.
onies, each colony being expressly nam.
ed The officers of the army swone that
theJ acknowledged "the thirteen United
States of Americe-namely, New Hamp.
shire, Massachusetts, ETC., etc, (all being
named) TO be FREQ, independent and SOW,
ereign States" In the treaty of peace
with Great Britain, in 1888, "His Britain.
ic Majesty acknowledges the indepen-
dence of the said United States, viz ::
New Hampshire, Massachusetts,, etc,
etc., (naming every one OF the thirteen,
TO be free, sovereign and independent
States" The articles of confederation.
the lirst written constitution Of the Uni
ted States, were submitted "to the re-
spective colonies for their consideration
and ratification" and were not of legal
force until all the colonies had ratified
them. The allegiance Of the citizen was
due to the laws Of the colony of which
gress, June "a, l77e.) Uoder the cs confed- Hed
Grafton, each State punished Treason.
counterfeiting and the like. The per-
mission of each State was asked and OBJ
tanned before Congress could raise troor,s
within It's limits. Each State had ex-
elusive power to levy and collect taxes
and regulate commerce. Congress had
no such authority.
During the seven yenrs of its existence
the continental Congress never claimed
10 exercise any inherent powers. It new
or pretended to compel disseptient
colony to conform to its will, even
though all the others had severally given
their consent. II never enacted q ldaU. 1t
merely cxpressd opinions, passed resolu-
tions, made recommendation and ro-
quests. The very first declaration of the
articles of confederation, after setting
forth the style of the confederacy, was
that leach State retains its own soyer-
eighty, freedom and independence, and
every power, jurisdiction and right not
ry the confederation expressly delegated
to the United States in Congress assem-
bled."
The constitution of 1887 was framed by
delegates commissioned by the several
States "for the sole and express purpose
of revising the articles Of confederation
In oil the discussions the vote was taken
by States, each State having ono vote,
and the proposed constitution WAS sub
mitted to the several States, and ratified
by conventions of the people of the sew
eral States called for that purpose. In
the clause providins or the constitution
going into effect Jon niue States she'll
have ratified 1t, it was declared that it
should only 60 into effect between the
States so ratifying the same"
Are not these historical facts, and do
they not show that the thirteen States
from the beginning of their dispute with
Great Britain "always acted as separate
and distinct political communities, and
never rs one nation or consolidated re-
public c?" As l read and understand
them, they show this and this only and
/ cannot teach otherwise. You cannot
say that it is political heresy to teach the
truth. IF have misstated, perverted or
suppressed any historical fact, l wish
you would prove that have done &c. I
have not intended to do it.
The second question to which you take
exception as redolent Of CalhounisIn 10
rs follows:
"6. Demonstrate from tho provisions
of the constitution and the amendments,
and from the history Of its adoption, the
Federal character of the government" ;"
The equal representation of the States
in the Federal Senate, by which ma
| jority of States hhs the absolute mower to
! veto any measure adopted by the House
| Of Representatives the iinpossibility to
| deprive any State, without its consent, of
| this equality in the Senate, and the lam
guage of the tenth amended article with
| reference to the reversed powers OF the
States, demonstrate, ] think, the Federal
character of the government. Is it not
the prominent idea Of the constitution.
from beginning to end, that 1t is o com.
pact between States just as much as the
articles of confederation were7 Does
not the history of its adoption provo the
same thing? | need only refer to the
striking out of the word "national'
wherever it occurred In Governor Ran.
dolph's plan, and the substitution of the
words Government of the United
States" to prove that the trainers of the
const tution believed that they were car
| rying out their intention to frame Fed.
cral, and not a national, government
Surely nobody can read the history OF
the "Greot Compromise" in the conyen.
tion and come to any other conclusion
as to the intent of majority Of the States
represented in that body.
The third question to which YOU OBJ
| icct
"S. Show how the fact that the consti
tuition was submitted to the Legislature
of the several States, that the Legisla
lures might provide for its submission {.
conventions of the people OF the severa
States, proves that absolute aovereignt,
was thereby recognized as residing viii
the people or each State respectively
and not WITH he paople Of all the State
as one mass"
1t certainly cannot be denied that th,
constitution was submitted to the Stat,
Legislatures, that the Legislatures nigh
provide for its submission TO special con
ventions of the several States, and that il
was 80 ratified by these conventions
Was not this act of ratification O sover-
| eign act in the fullest sense of the word
single State that might have refused to
ratify it? WAS it binding ON Rhode
Island and North Carolina during tht
period of their hesitation to ratifyf Dc
not these facs1, referring emphatically to
separate State action, exclude the posi-
bility Of contemplated fusion of all the
States into one mass7
| Whether or not, Mr.. Editor, had I the
making of the constitution, should
fame it differently, obliterate State GOV.
ereignty and reduce the States to the
condition of dependent provinces, OF
districts of people," cannot change
the facts. Mr. Madison, Col. Hamilton
and MANY others who desired n t1Na-