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The Commoner
6
VOL. 19, No
4
A WORKING LEAGUE
The United States as a Living Example of Peoples Brought Together
by Common Ideals and Common Dangers
By Samuol J. Graham, Assistant Attorney
General of the United States, in the New York
Times on Decombor 22, 1918.
Will you permit me, in connection -with the
much discussed league of nations, to call atten
tion briefly to somo historical facts which I have
not soon alluded to, which paved tho way to the
loaguo of nations which was formed when the
constitution of tho United States was adopted
and which indicate that this consummation was
finally accomplished through tho medium of tho
pro-oxistent league of friendship between tho
thirteen colonies, 1 ased upon common wrongs,
common ideals of justice and liberty and com
mon hopes? Tho thirteen original colonies wore
joined in a loaguo of friendship based upon
wrongs, ideals and hopes, and so conducted tho
revolutionary war for three years before tho
adoption of tho articlos of confederation. Tho
United States and tho allies have been in a
league of friendship since tho United States
entered this war, a league of friendship growing
out of common wrongs, and, it is to bo hoped,
common ideals and common lidpes. Their armies
havo been under one common commander, the
blood of theii soldiers has been poured out in a
common stream, their navies havo been one,
they havo pooled their financial, industrial, and
economic resources, and for all tho purposes of
this war, at least, havo been in substance a
lcaguo of nations 'Without formal covenants a
loaguo based upon common wrongs, ideals, and
hopes. Now to tho facts to which I wish to call
attention.
Tho port of Boston was closed by ordor of tho
English government by what is known as the
Boston Port bill, which closod the port to navi
gation. Thoro had been also passed by parlia
ment what is known as tho regulation act, by
which tho charter of tho Colony of Massachusetts
was annulled without any previous notice, and
its freo jovornment destroyod, and a third act
which provided that any Magistrate, soldier, or
officer in Massachusetts who should bo indicted
should bo tried in Groat Britain, and not in
Massachusetts. Notice of thoso acts was received
In America on tho 10th of May, 1774, and on
tho 12th of tho same month committees from
several towns of Massachusetts held a conven
tion at Fanouil Hall and adopted a circular
lottor proparod. by Samuol Adams, which was
sent to all the other colonies, reciting thosG
wrongs and asking for sympathy and co
operation. It is interesting to noto that at this time there
wore very strong joalousios among tho colonies
and among thoir respective peoples a lamentable
lack of knowledges of and acquaintance with one
another. The Virginia planter and the Boston
morchant, by olther. intercourse or acquaintance,
had apparently littlo in -common and know little
of each other. This can bo readily understood
when it is remembered that it took ton days to
go from Boston to Now York and throe weeks
to go from Virginia to Massachusetts: a Ions
journey over bad 'and often dangerous roads.
They know each other only through the medium
of report in Which tho false and true were mfi
with local prejudices and limited information
The personal touch was wanting. Thoro wore
but fow newspapers, with limited circulation
S3 Sta7fonBWlnB out of the discover
and utilization of steam and electricity wore un
known. There wore no railroads, no tolegrapTf
linos, and racial and religious prejudices mi
h gh. In fact, the people of the respec ve colo
nios genorally were badly informed nrovlno ni
and with limited intellectual Etn's TiS
time and attention were engrossed in tryin to
earn a 1 ying for themselvos and their families
in a hostile and wild country, in many , X
despite of savages and wild boasts T is neces
sary to got this picture of tho situation in order
to appreciate what happened, how tho sympathy
growing out of common wrongs, inherited idea Is
and hopes of freedom and justice in tho heXS
and traditions, of these people led them in nif
of all these obstacles of jealousies, Since anS
unacquaintanco. to rally to the call of Massa
chusetts for sympathy and co-operation The
rosponso to this call was immediate and dm
phatic. Conventions were called In different
colonies, and almost with one accord and with
out previous conference, they in effect declared
that tho cause of Massachusetts was thoir cause
and that Boston was suffering for that cause.
There was sent at once every kind of fpod and
provision, cattle, wheat, fruit, fish, sugar, rice (
from South Carolina, all as freo gifts to this
then distant city, with whoso people the senders
had but little acquaintance and apparently al
most nothing in common.
Now, what Is the psychology o" this "hands
across tho distance," this froeand spontaneous
giving of limited substance to a foreign cause
and 'a distant people. It must be remembered
that we are nearer to China today than many
of these people were to Boston. Tho answer is
what I have indicated in the opening of .this v
communication. These colonies each had trea
sured ideals and hopes of liberty and justice, .
and they had suffered common wrongs and in
justices from the mother country. The former
impelled co-operation, and the latter sympathy
against the oppression of one of them. It was
a follow-feeling, a friendly sympathy of hearts
and minds which then and there laid the foun
dation for and out of which sprang a league of
friendship which, though unconscious, informal,
without declared purpose or limited by written
covenants, was, nevertheless, the sapling from
which grew the oak of that league of friendship,
a league of friendship born of common suffer
ings, ideals and hopes, which afterwaids de
veloped into a league of nations with writcon
covenants under the constitution of the United -States.
The inception of it, the birth of it, was
this rushing together of the-hearts and ideals
of tho peoples of these colonies in response to
this call from Massachusetts for sympathy and
co-operation.'
Avancing a step forward and higher, we see
this league of .friendship and of nations develop
ing along these same lines until it reaches form
and utterance in the adoption of the Declaration
of Independence, but as yet without formal
covenants. Shortly after this appeal of Massa
chusetts, the Sons of Liberty in New York pro
posed a continental congress, and the House of
Burgesses in Virginia requested Massachusetts
to name a time and place for the meeting of
such a congress. This was promptly done by
Massachusetts and the 2nd of September, 1774
called for the meeting of that congress. It met!
It was an informal conference without defined
powers, composed of a chairir .n, secretary an
some committees, simply a league of friendship
and yet it mdertook and waged a war f Jr free
Join and justice for two years before the adon- '
t on of the Declaration of Independence and
three years before its purposes and po vers were
defined by the adoption of the articles of Itl
?nde?V?- UrlUg tlmt timQ it eonducted a war"
appointed officers, raised and equipped anarmv
established relations with foreign g0Vernmenfs
nolo,1,0 n,ame f what it called the ted
Colonies," and called to the command n I
"Continental Army" George Wasliinttnn
was to be the living embodiment of tfa' who
cause. He commanded th "SnUn al -ZT
one year before the Declaration n S?1 a7nies
and about two years , befow tte adopfcfe?S '
articles of confederation rtv , i , of tIle
articles of confection, mBlLlnTnt'l h Ul6
based upon a league of' friendshlS toolf-W
For the first time tho world saw k, n01".?-
arSSS of SeiU VM?
Perfect as an instrument for carry d lm
ment and inadequate for he PurpLVthfn'T'
and the hopes that these people had ?f 6alS
as is shown by the disorder which !lt ?'
them after the revolutionary war lif !? T
caused tho adoption of ti,o ,i a,nd which
nevertheless, a fact that tw nStItltion' lt
important purpose 0"puttw JTS Ue re
formal written covenants n ?e sImpG of
league of nations i whichadvSiUtU,5?B. of thIs
informaHeague of TffiS3
confederation are. tho wing. ... . Y
7 OI :nr conederation shall be tT V,
States of America." e Th( UnlteJ i
Article III. The said States herehv
enter into a firm league of friendshS wlera,17
other for their common defens thiVith.
their liberties, and their mutual anTUrlty
welfare, etc. mutual and general
Article IV. The better to secure ,.,
petuate mutual friendship and IntercnL per
the people of the several states in SSe,amone
Article VI. No state without t ?nln'
tho United States in congress , as bIST11 of
send any embassy to or deceive ITL
from or enter into' any conference Lm
alliance, or treaty with any king S?'
state, etc. e' prInce. or
No two or more states shall enter fn
treaty, confederation, or alliance wl a so tr?
tween them without the consent o the U led
States in congress assembled. lled
No vessels of war shall bo kept up in time Br
peace by any state except such numb J I
shall be deemed necessary by the United stat
in congros. assembled, for tho defense of uCh
state or its trade; nor shall any body of faS
be kept up by any state in time of peace ex
such number only as in iim 4n,i, , :.pt
United States in congress assembled shall hi
deemed requisite, etc.
No state shall engage in any war without the
consent of the United States in congress assem
bled, unless such state be actually invaded br
enemies, etc. '
As pointed out in the opening of this com
munication, the United States and the allies have
been in a league of friendship similar to that of
the colonies up to the adoption-of the articles
of confederation, since the United States entered
thi3 war, and that league is in existence at this
moment. It fought this war to a victorious con
clusion, it arranged the terms of the armistice
that is in operation at the present time, and It
is now proceeding to arrange the terms of a
world peace. If it can do these things through
an informal league born of war and necessity,
common wrongs, common ideals and hopes, why
should it not be continued in formal shape in
a league of nations, and why should tho great
opportunity for so doing which has been brought
about by this informal league of friendship to
lost and wasted? I have yet to hear any satis
factory answer to these questions. The thing
has been, done onco. Why can't it be dono again,
particularly under much more favorable condi
tions of propinquity, intelligence and intercourse!
England profited by the lesson of this league
of nations under the constitution of the United
States and has formed the British empire, which
is a loague of nations, as divergent in race, loca.
ttfin ' roHdmi n m-Ji-. nltmnfln nnniltHtnll fltlll
.w., v.ijiuji, uautuua, uiimuuiv tuimiHuiwi
inherited ideals as could possibly bo imagined. -
unuer it are the Englishman, the scotenmap,
the Irishman, the Canadian, the Australian, the
Boer of South Africa, the inhabitants of India,
etc., yet see how it has stood tho test in this
war in the splendid way in which all of these
ijuuiuu nave ramea totne support oi uiv viae-
France today, with "her colonies, is a league
of nations, and under her banners In this war
fought 680,000 colonials' from China, Siam,
Morjcco, Algiers, and other parts of Africa.
These leagues of nations aro built up on the
principle of equality of economic opportunity,
as is the United States "of America. Its per
manence and safety in each case can only J8
.assured by free. navigation upon the seas. Again
it is asked, rhy cannot a league of nations,
based, upon equality of economic opportunity.
free navigation upon the seas guaranteed, do
made a reality? .
Powez, and the control of their destinies w
come to dwell with the people of the earth, w
principle is now 'recognized that every nation
before God is a nation with the right to own
itself. The sparks of light from the apviiw
human emancipation are filling the world w
a" glow. The people ar.e beginning to feel lu,
indifference to their rights is an invitation'
despotism and destruction. Tho fetters of w
ship, social caste and the dominance of wry
havo been broken and are in the scrap P11?' M
world has gotten freo and clear of the tnow
that government was intended for pofj
was intended for human comfort and 'r
it was xleslg-ned for aiv apartment houso an rf
an arsenah The enlightenment and sprw
intelligence today is pouring oil into tlie J?Wj,ftVB
the nations. Conscience and' lntel, . t0 the
broken' through the-'llne's and are loading
rising sun. ' "
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