Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-01


functions OF a State; and yet Massa-
chusetts never adopted q written state
constitution until l1eo!
Virginia came next IN emerging from
Colonial dependency to State soyereignty'
On the sth Of June. no. the British Gov
eYnor, Dunmore. fed from his palace, IN
Williamsburg, and, with his wife and his
hated secretary. Foy, and some OF MS
servants, took refuge on board the Eng
lish frigate Fowey at Yorktown. From
that time the British executive power
ceased In Virginia. and open war existed
between her and England's forces, naval
and military. The House OF Burgesses
continued to sit until the 9th Of May,
l776 On that day the few members In
attendance dispersed TO meet no more.
Yet Virginia did not adopt the "Bill OF
Rights" written by George Mason, until
June ~, 1776; nor adopt her State Con-
stitution until June 20, 1776 She had been
sovereign State for nearly a year.
In August I775. South Carolina estab-
lished a provincial congress- having all
the powers of a State general assembly.
And prior to July 4. 176. she adopted a
constitution. by which this statehood was
fully avouched.
New Hampshire came next, having de-
clared herself a State and erected a
State government In December, 1775. Egg
gleston. in his Household" United
States, 1874. says she was the first Colony
that became State: but this is an error.
In May. lT6, the people and the Con-
gress had reached the conclusion that
entire independence OF any government
control by Great Britain was their only
safety. Accordingly the Congress passed
resolution recommending that each of
the former Colonies which had not al
ready done so should erect herself into a
State. Observe how carefully the Con-
gress dlsclaimed on their own part all
power to make any Colony into a State!
But, their advice was needed, and
promptly complied with by Connecticut.
Delaware. Maryland. New Jersey North
Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
Then for the first time the connection in
common Governor between Pennsyl-
yania and Delaware was severed
The above designation is alphabetical
in order. Before the Fourth 81 July,
l116 all the Colonies had become States.
In each case by the internal action Of
its own people. Congress did not make
them States, nor did their written constl-
tutions when they adopted any make
them States. These constitutions only
testified to the fact.
On this subject. the case Of "Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations" is
specially instructive. Rhode Island be-
came State. and was recognized as a
sovereign State by the Congress- and by
the Articles of Confederation" and by
the treaty OF peace with Great Britain.
But Rhode Island was so pleased with
the form of her chartered government
obtained by John Clark in 1868 from King
Charles III. that she did not abandon IT.
She never adopted written constitution
until 1872. and then amid tire throes Of a
revolution led by Thomas Wilson Dorr.
No competent student OF history now
doubts that Dorr was right In his oppo-
sition to the effete charter OF 1863. Though
he was driven from the State by arms.
and (having returned OF his own accord
was arrested. tried, convicted OF high
treason. and sentenced to imprisonment
for life; yet he was pardoned in 1877.
and in 1888 the Legislature Of his State
restored his civil rights and ordered
the record Of his conviction TO be ex-
plunged. And Dorr lived long enough 10
see Rhode Island adopt n constitution,
i'm which was embodied every principle
for which he had contendedl Martyrs for
truth are still found Ia this world.
In announcing the principles and ce-
citing the facts appearing in this article,
j have done nothing more than follow
the safest lights Of history. They have
all been set forth, in their natural order
and logical sequences in the students
United States" pages S59. 49, GIG, 52i, 500.
with references 70 the authorities sustain
ing them. X. r. HOWISON.
Bradshaw, near Fredericksburg. Febru-
airy S. 1896.
We have read hlr. Howison's article.
and see no reason for changing the brief
reply to the query mentioned-yiz., 'The
thirteen original United States were so
styled by the Congress on July 4. i776,
all becoming officially States at the same
time. Virginia was regularly organized
as a State on the next day-July 5, 176
Thus. Virginia was the first. or one OF
the first, TO organize. As to the order Of
organization. there may be differences
OF opinion, but all really became States
at the same time. by act OF Congress-"
Virginia may be regarded as having
been a revolving Colony. exercising the
right of governing herself from (on or
before) August !. 1774; but in dealing
with the matter OF States other things
must be considered. on July 4th the
convention OF Virginia "lad off the
Colony into districts for choice Of sena-
tors" On the same day the thirteen
United States" declared their inde-
pendence by act of Congress. etc.
On the next day the Committee OF
Safety of the revolving Colony OF Vir-
ginia ceased 10 exist, and Patrick Henry
took the oath as the first Governor OF
the State" and the first year OF the
Commonwealth OF Virginia began on that
day; but the government first assumed
regular form with the meeting OF the
first State Assembly, on October Z. ING.
And In the opinion Of many these United
States should be considered as revolving
Colonies from the Mother Country until
they had achieved their independence.
For II they had failed in this, our fore
fathers would have been known in history
as rebels-not as patriots-and Virginia
would have been a revolving Colony
and would not have became a de facto
State.
Having achieved their independence
from Great Britain. the States were
then in position to state what
they regarded as their rights from each
other. and this they did do In the de-
bates, etc, over the adoption and ratlf-
cation OF the Constitution. 1t Is not
the object of these replies to deal
with differences OF opinion they only
pretend to answer questions in the
briefest possible way. without going into
controversies. and although the reply was
not as clearly written as 1t might have
been, II seemed to US to answer.
Notice to Correspondents.
No notice will be taken Of anonymous