ginia showed a nobler spirit.

In January the convention passed a motion, instructing their delegates
to recommend Congress to throw their ports open to all nations, and thus
to cast off the commercial supremacy of England. But the mere
establishment of independent State governments was not enough. An
imperial government, also independent of England, was essential. To
establish independence without confederation would be only doing half
the work. In the words of Franklin, "We must all hang together, unless
we would all hang separately." About this time Franklin's scheme for a
confederation was laid before Congress. The scheme did not include, but
it evidently implied, independence. Franklin had been throughout a
strenuous advocate of reconciliation, as long as reconciliation was
possible, and his opinion ought to have convinced all that the time for
separation had come. But the timid counsels of his colleague, Dickinson,
overruled the motion, and the scheme of a confederation was not even
formally considered. On February 16th the question of opening the ports
was formally laid before Congress. In the next month measures were taken
which clearly showed that independence was at hand. A private agent was
sent to France by the authority of the committee of secret
correspondence, and the instructions of the commissioners sent to Canada
contained a clause inviting the people of Canada to "set up such a form
of government as will be most likely in their judgment to produce their
happiness." The clause was objected to as implying independence, and
gave rise to a debate, but was ultimately carried. At last, after seven
weeks' deliberation, the Congress resolved to emancipate the colonies
from all commercial restrictions, and on April 6th the ports of America
were thrown open to the world.

On March 27th South Carolina proceeded to construct a government. They
asserted as their principle of action that the good of the people is the
origin and end of all government, and they set forth the misconduct of
the King, the Parliament, and the officers of the English Government. At
the same time they introduced no change into the system of
representation or the qualification of voters. On May 4th the Assembly
of Rhode Island passed an act discharging the inhabitants of the colony
from allegiance to the King, and at the same time authorized its
delegates in Congress to conclude a treaty with any independent power
for the security of the c