The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-06-27

For an EMPIRES Trade.


business.
For an Empires Trade.
In ITO Washington had written to
Jefferson Of the project as a means OF
opening a channel for "the extensive
trade of a rising empire;" now the
empire Of which he had had vision
was no longer Britain's, but Americas
own, and it was become a matter of
exigent political necessity to keep that
western country against estrange-
ment. winning it by commerce and
close sympathy to join itself with the
old colonies in building up free COM
pany Of united states upon the great
continent.
Already the west was astir for the
formation Of new states.
Virginia had taken the broad and
national view of her duty that Wash
ington himself held, and had ceded to
the confederation all her ancient
claims to the lands that lay northwest
of the Ohio river, reserving for her
self only the fair region that stretched
south of that great stream, from her
own mountains to the Mississippi.
North Cardinals Settlers Defiant.
North Carolina would have ceded
her western lands beyond the
mountains, also, had they been
empty and unclaimed, like
the vast territory that lay
belond the Ohio. But for many year
settlers had been crossing the noun
tains into those fertile valleys, and
both this region and that which Vir-
ginia still kept showed many a clear
Ing now and many a rude hamlet
where hardy rront1ersmen we're max.
ing a new home for civilization.
Rather than be handed over to con-
gress, to be disposed of by an author
ity which no one else was bound to
obey, North Cardinals western set
tiers declared they would form
state of their own, and North Carolina
had to recall her gift of their lands to
the confederation before their plans
Of defiance could be checked and de-
feated.
Virginia found her own frontiers
men no less ready to take the initia-
tive in whatever affair touched their
interest.
Spain Closes Lower Mississippi.
Spain offered the United States
trade at her ports. but refused to
grant them the use of the lower
courses of the Mississippi, lest terri
torial aggression should be pushed too
shrewdly in that quarter; and news
reached the settlers beyond the noun
tains, in the far counties Of North
Carolina and Virginia, that Mr.. Jay,
| the Confederation secretary for for
eign affairs, had proposed to the
congress to yield the navigation of the
Mississippi fox a generation in ex.
change for trade On the seas. They
fatty declared they would give them
selves, and their lands TOO, into the
hands of England again rather than
deserted.
The New England states, on their
part, threatened to withdraw from the
Confederation if treaties were to be
made to wait upon the assent of
frontiersmen on the far Mississippi.
The situation was full of menace of
no ordinary sort.
1t could profit the Confederation lit
tie that great states like Virginia and
New York had grown magnanimous,
and were endowing the Confederation
with vast gifts of territory in the west,
if such gifts were but to loosen still
further the already slackened bonds Of
tiers in the unclaimed lands no allie
glance they could respect.
Without a national government spir-
tied and strong enough to frame poll
cies and command obedience, I'VE
| shall never establish national char
acter or be considered as on respect.
able footing by the powers of Europe"
Washington had said from the first
Washington Urges Union.
He had made most solemn appeal
to the states in his last circular to
them, ere he resigned his commission
urging them to strengthen the powers
of congress, put faction and jealousy
away, and make sure of IAN indis-
soluble union under one federal head"
i "An option is still left to the United
States of America" he had told them,
with all his plain and stately elo
quence; lit is in their choice, and de-
| ponds upon their conduct. whether
they will be respectable and prosper
Gus, or contemplate and miserable,
as nation. This is the time of their
political probation"
The hazards of that probation had
been burden upon his heart through
all the toll of the Revolution, and now
it seemed as if the states must needs
make every evil choice in meeting
them. Congress could not so much as
,, carry out the provisions of the treaty
of peace, for its commissioners had
made promises in the name of the
states which the states would not re-
/ deem.
England Breaks Ner Agreement.
England consequently refused to
keep her part of the agreement and
relinquish the western posts. She
levied commercial war against the
country, besides, without fear of re-
prisal; for congress had no power to
regulate trade, and the states were too
-