The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-04-06

wy LII VI lIfe provinces " stppOiit
commissioners to confer and negotiate
a treaty with the Six Nations. This
has been described as the second call
for an American Congress, based upon
the principle of representation" Dele
cations from Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Pennsylvania, Maryland and New
York met at Albany in 1854 1t was
resolved that union of the colonies
was necessary, and committee was
appointed to examine the plans offered
and to make a report
A plan prepared by Benjamin Frank
lin was submitted. Some of it's pro-
visions were the same as those after
ward adopted in the national constitu-
! ton 1t provided for a general govern
ment which should act directly upon
the people Among the powers granted
was that ito make laws, and lay and
levy such general duties, imposts or
taxes as to them shall appear most
equal and just, considering the ability
ana other circumstances of the inhabi-
tants in the general colonies"
The proposition was premature.
Franklin said of its rejection: 1.-THE
crown disproved of it as having too
much weight in the Democratic part of
the constitution, and every assembly
| as having allowed too much to preroga-
tive, so it was totally rejected The
failure of all these efforts of the crown
was caused partly by the fact that they
involved the broad admission of the
power of Parliament to legislate for the
| colonies.
From this time forward efforts at
union were confined to the colonies, and
were caused not by fear of the French
or the Indian. but of England. Eng
lands interests in union ceased, but
that of the colonists increased. The
passage of odious laws by Parliament
and its assumation of supreme power
to legislate for the colonies, resulted in
! the Congress of 1865, which was not to
form union but to join in a remon-
stration against grievances complained
| of.
The Union began with the Continen-
tai Congress of IVA, and has continued
| to this hour. The powers of this Con-
gress are to be gathered from the
credentials of the delegates from the
/ colonies. Most of these expressed a
! desire to adjust matters upon a har-
monious basis with England, but
called for the recovery and establish
ment of the just civil and religious
rights of the colonists. To consult
and advise with the commissioners of
committees of the several English
colonies in America on proper meas
ures for advancing the best good of the
| colonies
( One vote was allowed to each colony
( in the Congress, 1.-The Congress not be
! ing possessed of or at present able to
/ procure proper materials for ascer-
/ tanning the Importance of each colony"
Mr.. Story says that this Congress
exercised, de facto and de jure, =
! sovereign authority; not as the dele
colonies de facto, but in virtue of
original powers derived from the peo-
pie" 1t restated the rights and
grievances of the colonies, prepared
petitions and resolved against the i'm
portation of British goods and the eX-
portation of merchandise to Great
! Britain Articles of agreement were
/ signed and commercial retaliation IN
augurated
The Congress of 1775 was principally
chosen by conventions of the people.
( Upon assembling, d state of war was
accepted, continental army organized
and Washington commissioned as COM
mander-in-chief This Congress au-
/ thorized the issuing of bills of credit
framed articles of war, created gen
/ eral postotfice, apportioned the cost OF
the war, organized a navy, and recon-
mended the organization of State gov
ernments.
The next important step was the
| Declaration of independence.
Union preceded independence, and
was recognized by every American to
be a necessary antecedent Indepen-
dence was declared by "the people of
the United Colonies; achieved by the
arms of the people of the United
/ States and confirmed by treaties
signed by the ambassadors of the
/ United States. The State governments
were organized in the Union and as a
part of it. No State was ever indie
! pendent except as a constituent part of
a free nation. independence was ai
! impossible to the individual colony
after Yorktown as before Bunker Hill.
| Union was as essential to the perman-
| ence as to the procurement of indie
/ pendence. AS to the Declaration of In
dependence, Story says: 1T was an
act of original, inherent sovereignty by
I the people themselves"
The grievances set forth in the de-
clara ton are scheduled as common Ills
/ though some of them had only touched
| individual colonies. They were COM
mon because the people of all the colo
/ MES were one people.
!