The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-17
CHAPTER XXXV.


chusetts and brought into being by tn
prompt, warm-hearted action of Sout
carolina. Out of the congress grew tn
ARTICLES of confederation. The prnctps
oeIects of these articles were: "a The
gave the general government no right o
taxation: (2) no power to regulate com
merce; go no power over the citizen al
rectly; CD no power to enforce its will
t5) no real executive
Congress might need money and troops
out 1t could not directly raise either
acquisitions had to be made on th'
states; and when the states refused t.
honor the acquisitions the general govern
ment had no power to enforce its de
e mands- Every state could lay its dutie
IS upon commerce. and thus there could be
thirteen different. antagonstic systems il
operation within the confederation Tn
ooubtedly this government was too weak
The central power was not a power. The
thirteen sovereign, independent states hac
too jealousy retained their own sover-
eighty.
Against these defects Washington had
struggled as best he could during the
war. but with the deepest conviction that
no effective government was possible UNI
Ill they were cured.
The central power sank into contempt
often stayed at home leaving their states
unreprescnted. There We're practically
no natural revenues with which to pay off
the war debts. The army dwinded TO
less than one hundred men. Between cItl-
zens of Pennsylvania and Connecticut
there was much fighting. much property
destroyed, and many lives lost. Wyoming
valley. which had been swept with fire
ana sword in 1918 by British Indians and
Tories. was now laid waste again by the
troops of Pennsylvania-the victims this
time. being settlers from Connecticut.
The dispute was over the title to the
land.
New Jersey and Connecticut were EN-
broiled in a commercial war with New
York. 1t had reached an acute stage.
where 1t seemed certain that powder
would soon burn and bullets fly.
Shays' rebellion broke out in Massachu-
setts. and while 1t amounted to nothing
and was soon put down without blood
shed, 1t did not strengthen the govern
ment which survived it, as most rebellions
do.
People who wanted a stronger gov
eminent made immense capital out OF
Shays' poor little disturbance, and 1t rings
with distressing loudness in federallst
histories TIL this day-the writer's draw
Ing lessons from It directly opposite to
those drawn from the whisky rebellion in
Pennsylvania after the federalsts had got
what they wanted.
Delegates 10 adjust commercial differ
ences between Virginia and Maryland.
growing out of navigation OF the Poto-
mae. meet In Alexandria, nj Washing
ton Is there. Ine urrvee.v-S go L. ~4~-
Vernon and conferences with Washing
ton take place Another commercial
meeting is called on a larger scale, ana
now James Madison, Alexander Hamilton
John jay and Edmund Randolph become
active The Annapolis convention takes
good care not to regulate the commerce
which needed regulation. and the scope
of the movement is skilfully broadened
until it becomes a constitutional conven-
tion. to meet a. Philadelphia to amend the
articles of confederation
The manner in which this apparently
local and unimportant commercial move
ment was nursed and fed and disguised,
until it became a national convention,
determined upon the creation of an en-
tirelv new government. Ia wonderful
instance of political finesse and manage
ment A. a specimen of wire pulling IT
is incompara BILE. few able, expert
Iong-headed gentlemen recognize the ne
cessitv for A strong government In which
the democratic ltdtuitS SiiAit bN E'''N''
dinate. They know that the least eX-
nosure of their scheme means death to
II They keep the real purpose hidden
from sight Just "a the fiction OF loyalty
70 the king had been kept mp until it was
nerfctlv safe to ring the Liberty Bel.
so now the subterfuge of regulating COM
merce was used a screen Tor the con-
stitutlonal convention
Had Washington, Mason, Randolph,
Hamilton and Jay been frank with the
neonIe. and told them about what was
contemplated, there would have been an
instruction. For the real purpose OF the
rnanlpulators of the movement was to
frame a government in which the peo-
nile while seeming to have all the power
should have almost none
Neither washington. Hamilton. Jay nor
Randolph believed that the people were
canable of self-government, and they
meant to frame a constitution IN which
they should not have 1t.
Tazewell Hail. sitting on its green ter
race at Williamsburg, was fair speci-
men of the old-fashioned home in Nir-
einia-tne house of scholarly, hospitaolt
Iohn Randolph, royal attorney genera
Of the colony during the time Of Lore
Dunmore.
This was one vi ltio cI+'N'--7 u t'N7i'
;onahIe life. Crown officers were at east
x. bare. and whatever lord or lady from
.ha mother country happened 10 visi
1y;luamsburs was sure to be entertained
AZ Tazewell Hail.
rI.ra also were seen in familiar socia
intercourse with the Randophs and Will
aach other such men as Washington
par,o Lee Nelson Wythe, Pendleton
rIayrison. Tucker and jefferson. Many
80 the large barn-like but most com
fortohle old mansion was filled witt
,r;c "a the kings attorney bent loving
80 that celebrated Cremona violi
"a ,,l,vad a duet with the frecNe-face
1iaf Monticello. Many time Lor
,1..,,.,ora guiltless as yet of burnin
.- 1,:o,t,,i, towns and attempts at negro II
ractions chatted contentedly mere VII
SO cornciIors. lawyers. farmers and Murra
,..,.,. from Scotland. Through thes
- ,oo,,,s sounded footsteps which We
COMO IN the corridors Of time WITHIN tnei
-, heard voices which history sha
go hear. The only son OF me nous
he,uttful. dark-eyed. manly BOY ,Hstei
vol, to what Patrick Henry SAT-
-. tina Lees and Jefferson an
Washington said, that "neH ms
sot1o,,ed the fortunes of Dnnmore' ai
.,uad himself to London. me- Eoin"i
r.ao,nh cast his lot with the pa'rio'
,,~bt aervice on Washington's sta
"iiu 81 two at this time. he seen