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Proposed Declaration of Principles

THE LOWELL DECLARATION

Principles for the New England Confederation

A Coalition for New England's Future

Promulgated at Lowell, Massachusetts

October 9, 1997

by the Executive Committee of the New England Confederation

The New England Confederation movement believes that:

1. The United States government has grown too large, is too out of touch with the people of the nation and is too expensive to maintain.

2. The United States government has often usurped the constitutional limits set by the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.

3. The United States government should return many of its powers to the states and to the people.

4. Citizens have a basic right to affect the way their governments exercise power, how they respond to the needs and wants of the people they were created to serve, and how those governments are constituted.

5. Citizens have a basic right to unite to affect political change through non-violent political action.

The purpose of the New England Confederation movement is to work toward greater cooperation among the six New England states, with the goals of greater sovereignty and greater autonomy for the region in economic, political and social policy.

This will be accomplished by:

1. Assembling a group of citizens to discover ways in which greater sovereignty can be attained.

2. Building a broad-based and bi-partisan coalition of citizens in each New England state who are interested in securing greater sovereignty for New England.

3. Working with elected officials in each New England state to assert the sovereignty of those states and of the region.

4. Establishing a new political framework for regional cooperation, which will enable New England to address regional concerns in an effective manner within the greater national and international community.

Stephen Abbott, Chairman, New Hampshire Chapter

Paul F. Eno, Chairman, Rhode Island Chapter

John Pappas, Chairman, Massachusetts Chapter

Some practicalities were addressed

in two meetings in May 1997

Money.

That's what will drive any viable movement for New England sovereignty/independence, and what also could put the brakes on it.

That was the general opinion at two informal meetings, on May 21 and May 24, respectively, that involved a total of seven people interested in the New England Confederation concept.

"While it's not appropriate at this point to release the names of people who attended, one gentleman was vice president of the New England Council for Economic Development for 10 years. Another had been an official of the New England Regional Commission," reported Paul F. Eno, the Rhode Island editor and publisher who is spearheading the discussions.

"We have some very credible people here. Not all agree that our independence is workable, but they are open-minded to the possibilities," Mr. Eno said. "I should stress that these meetings were social in nature and very preliminary. We're still in the stage of gathering opinions and ideas. When we feel ready, with a clear plan and realistic goals, formal efforts will be made to launch the movement."

As they shape up so far, here are the main ideas that resulted from the meetings:

  • Freed from Washington, New England has the potential for becoming the Singapore of the West: a center for free trade, banking, and a conduit for investment from all over the world. This, of course, depends on many political, economic and social factors.
  • In any move toward independence -- or even increased sovereignty for the six states -- Washington could strangle the New England economy through economic sanctions -- cutting off money for this or that program or mandate. It already does this with states that don't carry out its will.
  • Disentangling ourselves from Washington's economic/welfare net would be a horrific task. And calming people's fears that their savings and other money wouldn't disappear would be just as difficult.
  • The fear that the Union may break up under 21st-century stresses is justified. Even if New England makes no specific moves toward sovereignty or independence, we could find ourselves adrift and married to a crippled or otherwise impotent Washington.
  • OR we could find ourselves at the mercy of an even more monstrous federal machine than we have now, with our liberties and privacy eroding further, our tax burden even worse and our people at the mercy of the "Big Brother" information system that's already in place.
  • Generally, the task of the New England Confederation group would be to 1) continue gathering opinions and ideas from experts and "people on the street," 2) Form a think tank to digest all the information and to set out goals to be achieved only in peaceful and honorable ways, 3) To convince other New England leaders, especially state legislators, of the need for increased state and regional sovereignty and, eventually, independence.