The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-07-19

Vo1yA S0Ns :
.. The New England states, on ! their
part. threatened to withdraw from the
Confederation II treaties were to be
made to wait upon the, assent Of
trontiersmen on the far Mississippi.
The situation was full Of menace OF
no ordinary Sort
g. It could profit the CONFEDERATION HIT.
tie that great states like Virginia and
New York had grown ma8nanimous,
and were endowing the Confederation
with vast gifts of territory In the west
II such gifts were but to loosen still
further the already slackened bonds OF
the common government, leaving set,
tiers in tho unclaimed lands ~ ale
glance they could respect.
Without national government spir
tied and strong enough to frcme poll
cies and command obedience, I'VE
shall never establish 4 national char
acter or be considered 40 on 4 respect
able footing by. the powers Of Europe"
Washington had said from the first
Washington Urges Union.
He had made q most solemn appeal
to the states in his last circular to
them, ere he resigned his commission
urging them to strengthen tho powers
Of congress, put faction and jealousy
away, and make sure of AN indis
soluble union under one federal head"
AN option is still left to the United
States Of America" he had told them,
with all his plain and stately elo-
quence; 1T 10 In their choice. and do.
ponds upon their conduct, whether
they will be respectable and prosper
GUS, or contemplate and miserable,
as nation. This IL the time Of their
political probation"
= The hazards Of that probation had
been a burden upon his heart through
all the toll of the Revolution, and now
It seemed as II the states must needs
make: every evil choice In meeting
them. Congress could not 80 much az
carry out the provisions of the treaty
OF peace, for it's commissioners had
made promises in the name Of the
states. which the states would not re.
deem:
England Breaks Her 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
jealous of each other to cooperate
in this or any other matter.
: English statesmen had consented TO
gave up the colonies, and: recognise
their Independence al q nation, rather
than. face any longer: tho. world in
arms: .abut they now looked to: see
them presently drop back into !. their
hands again, out OF sheer <helplessnesa'
and hopeless division In counsel; ana
there were observant: men hi America.
who deemed the thing possible, though
It brought: an: intolerable ARE into
their blood to think, Of It.
H. Financial Straits, =
l. Other nations, too, were fast con.
sewing like contempt for the Con.
federation. .:~s'.:
1t was making no provision for the
payment OF the vast sums Of money Il
had borrowed abroad, In France and
Holland and Spain; and it could not
make any. It could only ask the
states for money, and must count It.
self fortunate to get enough to pay
even the interest on it, debts.
It was this that foreign courts were
finding out, that the Confederation Wa
9 mere government Of suppltcation, I"
as Randolph had dubbed It: and it's
! credit broke utterly down. French.
man and spaniard alike would only
have laughed. in contemptuous deri-
sion to see the whole fabric 20 to
pisces, and were beginning to interest
themselves with surmises a. to what
plumber It would afford. ..
Resort to lrredesmahie Paper.
The states which lay neighbors 10
+ each other were embroiled In boun-
: dairy disputes, and were fallen to levy.
ing duties: on each others commerce.
!: They were individually In debt, be-
sides. and we're many OF them resort
Ing to Issues of lrredeemable paper
money to relieve themselves Of the In.
evitable taxation that must sooner Or
later pay their reckonings.. !. -;
=: We ara. either a. united people, or
We arc not &c." cried Washington. III
the former, let US in all matters Of
general concern act as . nation which
has a. national character, to support;
II we are not, let us no longer act 4
farce by pretending to it." Az tho
months passed it began, to look As Ii
the farce mtght5be turned. into /. trap
edy. .,.., !.
Washington ,seff-eo'..,.ead. ].
{ The troubles Of the country. though,
he filled his letters with them and
: xrung his heart for phrases Of protest.
ind persuasion that would tell. sfect-
aally in the deep labor OF working out
the sufficient remedy Of q reused and
united opinion, though he deemed
: them personal to himself, and knew
his own fame IN danger to be undone|
10y them, did not break the steady self,
possession OF Washington's life at
Mount Vernon. s:: =: