Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-01
When, and In What Order of Time,
Did the North American Colonies
Become Statesf

When, and In What Order of Time,
Did the North American Colonies
Become stntesf
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
Under the Query" head the Dispatch
OF February 4th. 1896. has the following
questions, signed "F:"
/. Which of the thirteen original States
may rightfully claim to be the Oldest.
and why?
2. What was the order In which the
other twelve follow?
The answers given have caused feel
ing of surprise and dissent in more than
one mind heretofore occupied by studies
on State rights. Some sentences from
these answers read as follows: THUS
Virginia was the first, or one OF the first
to organize. AS to the order of organiza-
ton there may be differences of opinion;
but all really became States at the same
time by act Of Congress"
Evidently these sentences were writ
ten under some vague impression that
each of the original Colonies became n
State by some process analogous to that
by which Territory may now become
a State, and may be admitted TO the
Union "by act OF Congress" But the
ways are radically and essentially diff
ferent. II the doctrine suggested in one
of those sentences be true. and If each
of the primitive thirteen Colonies be-
came a State "by act of Congress-" then
the inevitable logical conclusion Is that
those northern writer's Of pretended his
tory, who call the southern movements
Of 1SQ-'65 THE Great Rebellion" and
who deny the right OF secession, and
who censure the southern people or that
time as guilty of rebellion and treason
have sound reasons for their opinions.
But IL is not true.
Not one of the primitive thirteen
became State by any act OF the Con-
gress. Each Colony became a sovereign
State by the spontaneous act Of her
own people when, for sufficient cause,
and in the exercise Of the sacred right OF
revolution. those people threw OFF the
rule of Great Britain, and put stop
to all British governmental power over
them, and exercised the right and power
of governing themselves. From the time
when this was done In each Colony, that
Colony was sovereign State.
The notion that the Congress had any
power TO make Colony a State Is con-
tradcted by the very nature Of the case,
and the known historical facts relating
thereto This notion OF the power OF Con.
gress Is utterly unsound and deluding
1t has been advocated in our day by
the shallow German publcist, Won Hoist
and by Professor Alexander Johnston
who incautiously adopts his views. They
hold that those early American Con-
crosses had proven practically unlimited,
and might, II they had so chosen, have
exercised a revolutionary absolution that
would have annihilated the individual
life of each Colony, and converted all
into a great centralized sovereignty which
would have ruled the people at its will.
This theory is utterly destitute OF truth.
The primitive congresses. from that
of 1774 TO that OF i777 when the Articles
of Confederation" were adopted, had
no recognized governmental powers at
all. All their acts and resolutions for
raising money organizing and equipping
armies. and carrying on the war. were
entirely dependent upon the voluntary
submission and support of the people for
the accomplishment of every measure
recommended That very Congress,
which met in Philadelphia on the 10th
day OF May, 1775 0he same day that
Ticonderoga was captured by Ethan AL
len), was so entirely without govern
mental or coercive power that II could
not raise money to pay It's own neces-
sary expenses, and was dependent on
the liberallty Of the carpenters OF the
city for the use Of the very hall in
which II sat. This Congress was
merely NOluHtdly dHsrlnbldSc, HdNlH5
neither executive. nor legislative, nor ju-
dicial powers. They had not n square
foot of ground over which they could
claim jurisdictions; they had no money
and no power TO raise money: they had
not a civil officer, not soldier en-
listed. not one military officer subject
TO their commands. "They represented
nothing more solid than the uniformed
opinion OF an Uniformed people" And
the Congress OF 177s was equally destitute
OF government power Assuredy. they
had no power to convert Colonies into
States. And they did not claim to exer-
else any such power.
Several OF the Colonies had become SOW
ereign States prior TO May 1776. All
that was essential TO this end was
that the people OF the Colony should
shake off the British yoke: put stop
to the exercise OF all recognized Bri-
fish authority within their bounds.
and take the exercise OF government
power into their own hands. We must
carefully note the fact that, in order 10
become a State. It was not essential
ly necessary that a written State con-
stitutlon should have been adopted.
Several OF the Colonies became States
many years before they ever had a writ
ten constitution.
Under the light OF these settled
principles. and OF authentic history, we
are prepared In substance 10 answer
the queries appearing In the Dispatch:
OF the thirteen Colonies. Massachusetts,
was the first that assumed the func-
lions of q sovereign State
In October, TIA. her General Assembly.
after waiting in vain two days for the
Governor (Gage) to appear. passed
Judgment on his unlawful proceedings.
and resolved themselves into a ''provin-
cial congress-" and adjourned to Con-
cord From that time tho British rule
was entirely thrown or. and every power
Of a state was exercised except within
the British military lines. The Con-
gress Of Massachusetts, appointed COM
mittes Of safety; mustered the militia