|
|
|
||||||||
A
PERSONAL
STATEMENT
Early in 1997, I posted the New England Confederation concept on the Web with the statement:
"Let me stress at the outset that, as far as I know, I am the only active, modern advocate of New England independence."
Since then, a fine group of people who love New England have come forward to form "The New England Confederation, A Coalition for New England's Future," which had its first general membership meeting at Andover, Mass., on January 23, 1999.
Today, the "Lowell Declaration" states our philosophy and broad goals, and there are NEC, CNEF chapters in three states.
Since those early days, and under the moderating influence of many good people, we have put aside independence as an immediate goal to focus on more practical efforts to unite New England and bring increased self-government to the region and to our states. In short, our immediate goal is to "bring our government home" where it belongs, in the spirit of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees state sovereignty.
State sovereignty means that government at least has a chance to remain close to the people. It means that people and communities are far more able to control their own destinies, which is supposed to be what the United States of America is all about. It means that regions, communities and individuals will be able to maintain their voices and their sense of place. And it means that powerful interest groups, now a tremendous force in national government, would have less influence over our lives.
State sovereignty does not mean gun-toting militia rule. It does not mean that the rights of some will be trampled. It does not mean that financial markets will collapse. It does not mean the weakening of the United States. In my opinion, to believe these things is equivalent to saying that people are incapable of governing themselves in the American spirit, that our ideals really don't work in the modern world, and that we need this vast, expensive continental megastate -- except for China, the world's last great empire -- to govern ourselves for us because we are too inept to do so. To those who believe that state sovereignty is an uncomfortable concept, I say that your faith in Washington is touching but frighteningly naive.
In my opinion, to preserve for ourselves what we can of the America we were brought up to revere, New England's people and our state governments must work toward greater state sovereignty; unity, prosperity and strength on a grassroots level; and, if our states decide that it is the right thing to do, eventual independence for New England. This was New England's great hope early in the last century, a hope that now is reborn, however humbly, through the New England Confederation, a Coalition for New England's future.
Paul F. Eno
Chairman, Rhode Island Chapter, New England Confederation, February 1999
"Our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government. Public servants at such a distance, and from under the eye of their constituents, must, from the circumstance of distance, be unable to administer and overlook all the details necessary for the good government of the citizens, and the same circumstance, by rendering detection impossible to their constituents, will invite the public agents to corruption, plunder and waste. And I do verily believe, that if the principle were to prevail, of a common law being in force in the U.S. (which principle possesses the general government at once of all the powers of the state governments, and reduces us to a single consolidated government), it would become the most corrupt government on the earth."
-Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Gideon Granger of Connecticut, Aug. 13, 1800
The
Evidence: Some Questions and Answers
Reactions from visitors to the New England Confederation
Website
of other movements for local control
Return to the New England Confederation/Rhode Island Home
Page