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

|
them-had severally empowered their
delegates to assent to it. The title ofthe
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's commission as Comman-
der-in-chief of the continental armies
was made out in the name of all the COL
onies, each colony being expressly NAM
ed. The officers of the army swore that
they acknowledged "the thirteen United
States of America-namely, New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts, etc., ETC., (all being
named) to be free, 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 irst 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
he was member: RESOLUTIONS of Con-
gress, June "a, l776.) Under the confed-
Grafton, each State punished treason,
counterfeiting and the like. The per-
mission of each State was asked and OBJ
tanned before Congress could raise troops
within its limits. Each State had ex-
elusive power to levy and collect taxes
and regulate commerce. Congress had
no such authority.
During the seven years of its existence
the continental Congress never claimed
to exercise any inherent powers. Itnev-
er pretended to compel dissentient
colony to conform to its will, even
though all the others had severally given
their consent. II never enacted q la,D. It
merely expressd opinions, passed resolu-
tions, made recommendations and re-
quests. The very FIRST declaration of the
articles of confederation, after setting
forth the style of the confederecy, was
that "each State retains its own sover-
eighty, freedom and independence, and
every power, Jurisdiction and right not
by 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 all the discussions the vote was taken
by States, each State having one vote,
and the proposed constitution was SUBJ
mitted to the several States, and ratified
by conventions of the people of the sew
eral States called for that purpose. In
the clause providing for the constitution
going into effect when nine States shall
have ratified it, 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 IS separate
and distinct political communities, and
never as one nation or consolidated re-
public?" As 1 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. III have misstated, perverted or
suppressed any historical fact, I wish
you would prove that have done 30. 1
have not intended to do it.
The second question to which you take
exception as redolent of Calhounism is
rs follows:
IS. Demonstrate from the 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
iority of States has the absolute power to
veto any measure adopted by the House
Of Representatives; the impossibility to
deprive any State, without its consent, of
this equality in the Senate, and the Ian
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 it is COM
pact between States just as much as the
articles of confederation were? Does
not the history of its adoption prove the
same thing? I need only refer to the
striking out of the word "nationap
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
constitution believed that they were car
rying out their intention to frame Fed
eral, and not q national, government.
Surely nobody can read the history of
the "Greot Compromise" in the conven-
tion and come to any other conclusion
as to the intent of a majority of the States
represented in that body.
The third question to which you OBJ
ject is:
"S. Show how the fact that the consti-
tuition was submitted to the Legislatures
of the several States, that the Legisla-
lures might provide for its submission to
conventions of the people OF the several
States, proves that absolute sovereignty
was thereby recognized as residing with
the people of each State respectively,
and not with the people Of all the States
as one mass"
1t certainly cannot be denied that the
constitution was submitted to the State
Legislatures, that the Legislatures might
provide for its submission to special con-
yentions of the several States, and that it
was so ratified by these conventions.
Was not this act of ratification q sover-
eign act in the fullest sense of the word? +?
Could the constitution have bound q
single State that might have refused to
ratify it? Was it binding on Rhode
Island and North Carolina during the
period of their hesitation to ratifyf Do
not these facts, referring emphatically to
separate State action, exclude the posi-
bility Of a contemplated fusion of all the
States into one mass2
Whether or not, Mr.. Editor, had 1 the
making of the constitution, should
e,o,,o = d;Aoro,fl,, ohl;f,-oto Cfoto eo,,