The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-08-18

Delivered before she Reunion Of she
Coufederate Veterans az
Atlanta. Ga

OF tlH AuukeAtEttf SUES vf th
ates. Ladies aud Geatlsmea Standing
on the soil ofa state which gave g the
eoniederacy So many intrepid soldiers
from the gallant Colonel Barlow who
fen AZ The arsi battle 81 Manassas shot
through the heart down 60 the last
charge OF Lees army ad by another
Georgian your own iiustFiOus COM
mander, Gen John y Gordon stand
ing here Ia the gate way city to She gulf.
ia hearing of the guns OF Peachtfae bat
be ground and almost ia sight Of the
line Of Benueslw monntaju 60 gallant
~ defended by Gen Johnston, and
which he regretted be had ever given
up close to The batte folds dyed with
the blood Of your heroic comrades /
greet you as the survivors Of the great
est war ever wage5 iu The annals Of
time
lt was a war my comrades, waged
not for conquest not for palf not for
ambition but In maintenance Of the
great cardinal principle Of home rule
and community independence which
lies at the foundation Of the government
which orr f~orefothers builded, after the
trials and tribulations and Bloodshed Of
the seven years war Of the revolution,
First. l shall speak Of the causes Of
the war.
Secondly of the men who fought it.
Thirdly OF its results
when our fathers met at Indepen.
dence hall. in the city Of Philadelphia.
they made the solemn declaration that
These colonies are and Of right ought
to be free and Independent states
They fought the seven years wal Of
the revolution % maintain chat declar-
alton When they rguue 20 frames gov.
eminent fer ting original thirteen states,
fresh from tie long conflict to free tht
colonies from anorou unjust and op.
prsszire taxation without representa-
zion. they refused to concsds the power
b taxation Is tie CENTRAL pr ederal gov
eminent
The thirteen original states in orde.
10 guard against Hs construction Of tn
compaeto OF Confederation between them
unanimously declared
That each state retains its soyeI
aiguy freedom and independence, an.
any power, jurisdiction and right whic
is not by this confederation expressl
delegated TO the United States in con
gress assembled.
Nine years Of experience under tn
articles Of confederation between the Of
iunal thirteen states showed that fec
eral government without the power {
taxation IS not self sustaining.
a convention Of the original thtrtae
states was called TO amend the aFticl,
Of confederation Itmetat Annapoli
81 the state Of Maryland and recon
mended to congress that a ~conyentih
D be called, composed Of delegates fro.
all of the original thirteen states,
, frame a new constitution
Congress acted on this recommend
ton and called d convention compose
OF delegates from all the original thi
teen states. which met at P~hiladelph
in t7sJ and with George Washingt,
as its president. adopted the constitut,
Of the United States which being ra.
fed by nine Of the original thirte
states, in sovereign convention assei
bled. went into effect in 1850 as a co
Z stitution between the states, 50 rattfyi
the same
n This constitution and the princiI
N Of home rule and community lndepc
dence, upon which it was founded W
very deliberately discussed in the gen.
al convention and then in the convt
!. of each n of the original thirt
states, when they met to ratiGy or reit
y it.
Article + paragraph q Of this &C
stitution provided, the Publications
n the conventions Of nine states snail
Is sufficient for the establishment Of t
H., constitution betwaen the states as Ia
Ir flying the same.
Thus il win be seen that the refu
81 four Of the smaller Of the Origin
thirteen states with meager popu
= ton could have defeated the adopt
Of the constitution
n Immediately after the ratification
nt the nine states necessary TO adopt
ii constitution, the whole Of the nine sta
te with absolute unanimity and thi
To at the instance Of Massachusetts, ado
AZ ed the following amendment to the c
\. stitution
Art. q The enuneiation Of the G
stitution. OF certain rights shall not
construed to deny or ~disparage otl
nv retained BY the people
r. Art 10 The power not delega
'rs to the United statesby theeonstitut
ry nor prohibited by It 70 the states,
reserved to the states respectively q
the people
Thus it viii besseen IN the ptif
.eh ton Of the constitution hy the orig
ne thirteen states, and i'm the adoption
amendments thereto, 10 viii be s
that each state ratified for herself
herself and Is bound only BY her 9
ratification to use Che language Of j.
c. Calhoun. the CREST and lucid in.
prefer 81 the constitution
Article 5 of the constitution q
" adopted provides No state without
we ,n-ssnt ahnlf W. 1anFiVnd of ia "a