Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-03-31

Congress for Federal purposes and that
when deemed cXpedicnt, new States
should be formed from it, and admitted
To the Union as sovereign States, with
all the rights and privileges of the
original thirteen.
In January, 1881, Virginia receded
from her position, and offered to ccdc to
Congress all her vast empire to the west,
ana Maryland, accepting her assurances,
waited no longer, and on the first dav of
March, l,Sl, ratified the Articles of Con
federation. This uct mndf them lar, and
Tins ga MIR, p,rtrrt Hujo,t' VdS tormfd.
The bold and fearless stand of our
httle State gave us "A magnificent em-
pre-, now embraced within the borders
of the great States of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and a
large part of Minnesota, but what is
better still, gave us Federal Union.
BY that one stroke Il nation was
formed that, carrying with it the bless
lngS of civil liberty to the uttermuSt
parts of the globe will, as we love to
hope and believe, live on forever. a
government "of the people, by the people
and for the people, that shall not per
lSh from the earth.
There We're those who affirmed that
Maryland's stand was unjustitiable.
and unfriendly to her sister States of
the Union, while some, still more
radical, advocated that she be parceled
ont among the neighbOring States, and
her name forever blotted from the map
But, as DR.. FIske we'll SAYS, 1.-The
brave little State has earned better
fate than Poland. When we come to
trace out the results of her action we
shall see that, Just as it was MassaChu-
setts that took the decisive step i'll
bringing ON the Revolutionary War
when she threw the tea into Boston
harhor, so 1t was Maryland that, by
leading the way toward the creation of
national domain, laid the corner stone
of our Federal Union"
The credit" says DR.. Herbert b.
Adams, "ot suggesting and successfully
urging in Congress that policy which
has made this country Il great national
Commonwealth, composed of free, con
Venlent and independent governments,
belongs to Maryland, and to her alone"
great Federal domain on the west
OF the mountains stimulated and
strengthened the growth of a national
spirit along the shores of the Atlantic
The possession of Federal territory
made necessary the adoption of Federal
statutes for is better government. The
Ordinances of lIS5 and 1881 followed
thus making the people familiar with
the idea of national sovereignty i'll the
SENSE of eminent domain.
These events hlazed pathway lead
ing straight to the Constitution of the
United States.
Little can be said in commendation of
y ,.l4 g., 1
signed to give the infant States an eff
clent system of government.
For such purpose they We're almost
wholly bad from beginning to end, but
that the experience acquired while liv-
ing under them tended to prepare the
public mind for still more perfect
union, there can be little room for doubt
Had we failed to adopt the Articles,
it seems hard to believe that, in few
more years, we could have ratified the
Constitution.
From 1Sl onward the forces of evo-
luton Ill government We're at work.
Slowly, steadily, silently, as coral
reefs are built beneath the unresting
waves of the sea, these forces worked on
night and day.
The Articles We're never intended to
be anything more than firm league
of friendship
Article Ill is as follows:
The said States Severally enter into Il firm
league OF friendship with each other for
their common defence, the security of their
liberties, and their mutual and general wei
1are, binding themselves to assist each other
against all force offered to- or attacks made
upon them, or any of them, ON account of
rellSlon, sovereignty, trade, or any other
pretence whatever
Let us contrast this language with the
preamble to the Constitution of the
United States;
We the people of the United States, in
order to form a more perfect union, eStab-
hSh Justice, insure domestic tranquility. pro-
vide Tor the common defence promote the
general welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterlty, do or
daln and establish tins Constitution of the
| nited States OF America.
In the one case eve, the States" In
the other 1--WE, the people" with all that
this distinction implies.
Though under the Articles the Con-
gress might declare war, conclude peace,
Issue money, raise armies and navies,
make treaties, and settle disputes aris-
ing between the States, they had no
power to levy a tax for the support of
the general government; there were no
courts to enforce any law that Congress
might pass, and there was no provision
under which trade between the States or
Wlthforelgn countries could be regulated.
The whole scheme as working plan
OF government was hopelessly in
adequate. Chancellor Kent SAYS 1T
was most uuskillful fabric, and totally
incompetent to fulfil the ends for which
it was erected" The inherent i'm
heclllty Of the government displayed it.
self with alarming rapidity" Immediate
ly upon its adoption.
In short, to use the language of the
Federalist, leach State, yielding to the
voice of immediate interest or convent
ence, successively withdrew its support
from the Confederation till the frail and
totterlng editice was ready to fall upon
our heads, and crush us beneath Its
ruins
And upon the same subject Horace
Blnney eXclaims-
NV hat We're the States before the
Union The hope of their enemies, the
tear OF their friends, and arrested only
by the Constitution from becoming the
shame Of the world" Amendments to
remedy defects We're from time to time
proposed, but without practical results,
and the general trend of events was in
the direction of anarchy and confusion.
A convention of delegates from the
several States was called to take into
consideration the trade and commerce of
the United States" The delegates of
tnnr tnt InI 81