New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-18
A HISTORY OF CONGRESS
GROWTH OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERN
MENT IN AMERICA

THE AMERICAN CONGRESS. A History OF Ma
tionai Legislation and Political Events, lllt-lssS
BY Joseph Yves, Moore PIP Kill OIL. Harper q
Mr.. Moore's book is practically political his
tory Of the United States, Of which the Congress
is not always as II could be made, the centre. III
is An entertaining book but 1t could have been
az ample In size and as entertaining in substance
II IL had been restricted more closely to what Is
confeseedly it's main topic, the origin and CROWN
OF the American Congress within ITSELF Ihere Is
q wonderful Intervening OF conscious ana u"-
conscious effort in the making OF Congress out
OF various elements contributed by the coiohiai
system and by the study Of other countries II
has been said that the English race went coio"i%-
ing and captured half the globe in mt OF absence
OF mind. Something of the same KIND might DE
said Of the English Parliament 1t has grown up
without attention. spontaneous product OF Inc
unconscious cerebration OF the Enghsh people
The American Congress- in its earliest tentative
forms BETRAYED the same lack OF provision But
later. the ingenuity of men whose like as creators
OF political institutions the world had never seem
converted the ineffective organism natural 10 ear
ly Americans into profoundly artificial machine.
From this point Of view there are three great
epocbs in the history of Congress-the colonial,
the confederate and the national Mr. Moore
does not refer to the most ancient suggestions OF
union which were made to the colonlsts In the
plans Of confederation meditated upon by Will
lam Penn. Lord Culpepper and others. when the
people everywhere were divided into patriots
and "prerogative men, But he shows clearly
that the idea OF union was latent in the minds OF
the colonists in the brief abstract which he gives
OF American history preceding the Revolution
The colonies were diverse in origin and they be-
came still more divergent in habits and customs
as they settled down. each 10 its own life WITHIN
its own environment. But the people felt the
common bond that held them together as men,
bers Of the English race and they retained
vivid memory Of their liberties as Englishmen
under Magma Charta and the Bill Of Rights. They
never ceased 70 maintain that the fact that they
were living In America did not nullify or lessen
in the slightest degree their prerogatves as nat
ural-born subjects of Great Britain Whenever
trouble threatened them from without their first
thought was to unite in the face of a common
danger This instinct showed itself most clearly
at the outset among the New Englanders. They
began with compact on board the Mayfower.
and as early az 1913 were ready TO form a colo
NAL league. In May Of that year commissioners
from Massachusetts, Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut
and NeW-Haven met in Boston and agreed upon
articles of confederation which bound the COM
munities named together under the title Of the
United Colonies of NewEngland. They even
went so far as I provide a sort or permanent
congress. inasmuch a committee. made up OF
two delegates from each colony, was TO meet
yearly for the purpose Of celebrating on all mat
tiers relating to the general welfare. This close
alliance lasted forty-three years and afforded an
experience which led 10 similar devices on larger
scale. But 1t always external pressure. that
of Indians on the frontier which made these tenn
porary coalitions necessary.
In $780, a few years after the New-England
League fell apart. troubles with the French and
the Six Nations caused Massachusetts TO call
congress Of all the colonies at which provision
was made for raising troops for repelling the
Indians and even for capturing Canada. Joint
conventions OF this sort became more and more
a part of the political life of the colonies Gull
minating at last twenty years before the out
break OF the Revolution, in deliberate scheme
Of colonial federation devised by Benjamin
Franklin The plan was TO unite all the English
colonies in America under a general government
with headquarters at Philadelphia" The Crown
was to appoint President or Overwhelmed.
and the colonial Legislatures were to choose
council Of delegates. This council was 10 have
power to levy taxes enlist troops. build forts and
to pass laws for the benefit Of the colonies
!. whole. subject to approval Of the Crown and the
name all military officers. AS matter of course.
each colony to be free to legslate on its own
affairs in its own way. 1t was in support of this
plan that Franklir's newspaper THE Pennsyl-
vania Gazette published the historic picture Of
a serpent cut in pieces, each OF which bore the
name OF colony. with the legend underneath.
Unite or die" Neither the coonists the
British Government were pleased with Frank
Inns suggestion The former believed unreason-
ably enough that their union would increase the
power of the Crown, while clever politicians in
Parliament clearly enough that nothing
could be more sure than central government to
bring the colonies to knowledge Of their own
strength
For the time being the revulsion from Frank
Inns plan. seconded by the dire necessities Of the
French War. attached the colonies the more close
ly to the English Government. There was no need
of federation TO accomplish what the colonies
were each ready to do on its own account But
when the French were conquered and the Eng
lish Government began observe the enormous
growth Of the American communities, taxation
began to be discussed. Nobody needs to be told
how thing led to another until war became
unavoidable. Meanwhile. Massachusetts called
another congress, this time without the inter-
vention of any representative Of the Crown.
Eight colonies responded to the call. SO mani
fest was the breach between the popular will and
the royal authority that New-Jersey Virginia.
North Carolina and Georgia were prevented by
their Governors from sending delegates. Preced-
ing congresses had been popular representative
gatherings with the formality of the Kings APP
prevail But the Stamp Act Congress not only
lacked his approval. but sat in open opposition
to his authority.
So far the growth Of the feeling OF union and
It's expression from time to time in the meetings
OF these colonial congresses may truly be called
unconscious. Only few Of the most far-sghted
men in the colonies understood the tendencies OF
the times. or the value Of institutions which they
had begun to create. In fact. clear retrospect
on this matter has only been obtained within re-