Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12

arrived the point at which the con-
federacy was to split and ii appear
ed that New Jersey was to be the first
state to withdraw. or "secede." You
should remember that in the Articles
of Confederation the words per
petual union" were used thus:
Articles of Confederation and perpetual
union between the states of Newhamshire.
Massachusetts-bay. Rhodeisland and Proyi-
dence Plantations. Connecticut. New-York.
New-Jersey, Pennsylvania Delaware. Mary
land, Virginia. North Carolina, SouthCarolina
and Georgia.
Article II. Each state retains its sovereign.
". freedom and independence. and every pow
err, Jurisdiction and right which Is not by this
eonfedera ton expressly delegated to the
United States in Congress assembled.
The words perpetual union" did
not occur in the Constitution which
displaced the Articles of Confedera-
tion. The Rambler has no doubt that
had those words been carried in the
Constitution as submitted to the sew
eral states it would not have been
ratified.
Plnckney said in Congress that il
New Jersey felt oppressed she should.
through her Representatives in Con-
gress. urge the calling of general
convention of the states for the. pur-
pose OF increasing the powers of the
federal government and rendering 1t
more adequate for the ends for which
1T was instituted" New Jersey re-
called the vote of its Legislature and
accepted Virginia's invitation to send
delegates to the convention at Annapo-
lis. New Jersey empowered her dele
gates ito consider how far a uniform
system in their commercial relations
and other important matters might be
necessary to the common interest and
permanent harmony of the several
states"
On May 8. 1885. Pinckney moved the
appointment of a grand committee on
the affairs of the nation. saying. Con
gress must be invested with greater
powers or the federal government
must fall" Monroe saw no need for
convention and argued against it.
Grayson of Virginia argued that the
] general government should have
power to regulate commerce, to pro-
! hibit the states from issuing paper
money. to, prohibit the slave trade. to
6 fix the y ste ;s Fl ths sgvsEnment in the
near getown-and 10 change the
method Of voting by states to a vote
according TO population" but. he add
ed. he had little hope that these
changes could be brought about.
Pinckney secured the appointment
of a committee ito report such
anne ndment of the confederation as it
may be necessary to recommend to
the several states for the purpose of
obtaining from them such powers as
will render the federal government
adequate to the ends for which it was
instituted" The committee recon-
mended seven new articles to be add
ed to the thirteen of the confedera-
ton. designed to meet the defects Of
the articles of confederation, but the
matter ended with the presentation
~ hn
venion seemed to be the great hope
That convention met. No state north
of New York and no state south of Del
aware, except Virginia. was represented
Not even Maryland had delegate in
the Annapolis convention. The Mary
land house of delegates accepted the in
yitation of Virginia. but the Maryland
senate 'fn its zeal to strengthen the
appeal which Congress was then ad-
dressing to the states for a revenue"
refused concurrence with the house of
delegates In the acceptance of Virginias
invitation.
The only agreement of importance
reached at Annapolis, or the agreement
of most Importance, was that there
should be "a meeting of the delegates
of the states at Philadelphia on the
second Monday of the next May to con-
slider the situation of the United States
and devise such further provisions as
should appear necessary to render the
constitution OF the FEDERAL government
adequate to the exigencies of the
Union"
At Philadelphia began the constitu-
tional convention of 1887 Next Sunday
the Rambler will not tarry long at Phil
adelphia, but as quickly as he can will
get down to the convention at Rich
mond. which reluctantly ratified the
Constitution. and there he wants to
point out to you the action and utter
ance of George Mason. who lived on
10, 80 n s<rI.k II T.
Lee, who was born and lived until his
marriage on Freestone point