Was the Confederate Soldier a Rebel? were all pacific, being simply declaratory of the inherent rights of Americans, as British subjects, and of the chartered rights of the colonics, which the mother country had usurped. After advising the colonies to dis continue exports to England until the abuses of Parliament should be corrected, it ad journed, having recommended the colonies to meet again in congress on the tenth day of May, 1775. Up to this time no confederation had been entered into. The colonies were still British dependencies and without political relation to each other. The colonies reassembled in congress on the tenth day of May, 1775. Hostilities with England had already commenced. John Hancock of Massachusetts was chosen president of this congress, and George Washington of Virginia was appointed commander of the army. The commission to Washington was that of " General and Commander-in-Chief of the army of the United Colonies," and was issued in the name of the colonies, each be ing named separately in the commissionThis congress of the colonies remained in session at Philadelphia providing for the gen eral defense under the powers delegated to it. On the seventh of June, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved the resolution in Congress, " That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and inde pendent States." . . . The resolution was adopted, and a committee appointed to pre pare a declaration of independence. John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecti cut, Robert Livingstone of New York, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia composed the committee. Thomas Jefferson was made chairman, and the Declaration of Indepen dence was drawn by his hand. It came up for final action on the Fourth of July, 1776, and received the unanimous vote of all the colonies. It was entitled " The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." Its chief declaration was, "That
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these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free, and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection be tween them and the State of Great Britain is totally dissolved." . . . A committee had also been appointed to prepare articles of confederation, which re ported on the twelfth day of July. They are entitled, " Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, Connecti cut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Caro lina, South Carolina and Georgia. The first three of these articles more especially con cern this inquiry, as follows: — Art1cle 1. The style of the confederacy shall be "The United States of America." Art1cle 2. Each State retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not by this Con federation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled. Art1cle 3. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general wel fare, binding themselves to assist each other against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade or any other pretence whatever. By the Declaration of Independence the colonies had severed their connection with Great Britain. They were then sovereign and independent States, and without political re lation to each other. The acts of the American people up to this time, for prevention and redress of griev ances from the mother country, were in and through united action of the colonies and not through any convention of the people en masse. It was the colonies that now had become free and independent States. The people of the colonies had not thereby be come relegated to political chaos; they had
