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The Western IleraM
VOL. I.
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From lite Phdadetplr Examiner.
AV
UPON THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF THE STATES,
DELIVERED BEFORE
The Stale Rights dissociation of Pennsylvania,
and a Public „M feting of Citizens, on the
‘lth of .March, 1831, at the Commissioners’
Hall, in the Northern Libci tics <>J Philadel
phia,
By CON DY SiAGUET, Esq.
JI member oj the dissociation.
Fellow » itizens . i\ e arc assembled in
commemoration of the day upon which, three
and thirty years ago, a memorable revolution
placed in the Executive chair, the great apos
tle of American liberty, t liumas Jefferson. 1
use the word “Revolution,” not in a figurative
sense ot that term, but as the true expression
to signify that radical chang > m the theory of
the government as then maintained, which was I
accomplished by that event, and which restor
ed the federative character of our Union, and
saved the people from the despotism of a grand
consolidated empire.
It is nut the purpose of him who now ad"
dresses you, to pronounce an eulogium upon
the sage whose mortal remains now repose on
the retired and peaceful summit of Monticello.
A more appropriate occasion tor such an of
fering, will be presented at the approaching an
niversary of his birth, when to more able hands,
will no doubt be confided, the task of recalling
to memory the deeds f the man, whom the
people, once delighted to honor; not however,
it is uoped, in the spirit of man-worship, or of
debasing adulation, but. in that spirit of v ner i
tioti tor the gn at piinciples of freedom, waich
were so eminently personified in that patiiotic
statesman. My present design, and that tin
which 1 have been especially invited by the
State Rights Association, is simply to lay before
von, in language adapted to the comprehension
of all, a history of (he formation of out govern
ment, and some detail oi those political facts,
upon which the great doctrine of State Sovcr
eighty is founded.
In a republican government where the high
est offices and hon us are alike accessible to
the poor and to the rich—where there is no
titled aristocracy invested with privileges deni
ed to the mass of the people; and where educa
tion is within the reach almost of all—it be
hooves every man to have an acquaint. hi e with
the nature of the gnverimi nt under watch c
lives, and in the admimsti ring ut winch lie may
some day be called to lake a part. Without
such acquaint m c, how is n possnff for one
to enter upon an office w ith the iiopes of ren
dering the country a service, whi a, let me re
mark by the way, is the eniy legitimate motive
with which office snoul i lie sought* Ignorant us
the first principles ot the science of government,
and even o! th<- charactei ot tin one which he
Geeks to s. ae, ho must enter upon his duties
with as little capacity to perforin them, as would
a lan is.nan possess, who had never seen a com
pass, to navigate a ship at ross the ocean. I
do nut mean to say that every man is bound to
be a. statesman, or to be deeply skilled in polit"
ical learning, nut simply that no one should be
ignorant of tause elementary and fundamental
principle-*, which, nave train the organization of
our government to the presant day, constituted
the test of pa ties, or, us tlrn/e historical truths,
un ncqu.kuU.mce, with which is essential to the
right understanding of the subject.
You all well know, fellow citizens, that the
great point upon which ihefc era! and demo
cratic partK'S were originally uiJetl. wa-, the
character oi hie ted, ~.l government. I'tie leu
oral party maintained taut it was a government
formed by the whole poop’e of tae thirteen I’.
States, as one aggregate muss, m the s..mv
manner that (tie government of Pennsylvania
was formed by the people ot Pennsyivama. as
one aggregate mass. I'he D moeratie party
mamtaitKu that the government was foraieu,
not by the whole people of (he United States
one aggregate mass, but by the people of the
thirteen States in their sepatate capacities oi
Liu teen free S \ r «n and Independent com
munities. I 4 .sliiH'tion, depends the
whole question. It the federal doctrine be
t ue, thru tgc rovcxuaics! cl ih-c I uikd States
I? IF IB & iSEUBID 1818 By n. dolt, Jr. &w. E. ox ;s 9 IB 118 IB
is a consolidated empire towards which, the
several States stand in the same relation, that
the counties of Pennsylvania stand to the State.
But, if on the other hand, the democratic doc
trine be true, then the government is a federal
government, formed by a cons deration of re
publics, each possessing rights winch have ne
ver been delegated to the federal head. These
two theories of government involve the most
important consequences as respects the liberty
of the people, and the Union of the States, and
as there can be no better mode of ascertaining
which of the two is the tru- theory, than by re
ferring to history, 1 shall beg your earnest at
tention to the following recital.
Under the old Colonial government of Great
Britain, each of her-colonies on the American
continent, was wholly independent of the rest.
Each had its own Governor, its own Legisla
ture, its own Judicial tribunals, and its own code
of law s, and each was subject to no'other juris
diction Or'authority, than that of the mother
country. Each stood to the crown of Great
Britain, in precisely the same relation as the
provinces of Canada and New Brunswick now,
stand, and each, had it possessed the physical
strength necessary to sustain it in the act might
ri it had chosen, have de fared its i idividual se
paration from the mother country, and taken its
rank amongst tue powers of the earth, as a free
Sovereign and Indepen ent nation.
The limited population and resources, how
ever, ot each of m. colonies, disqualified it for
separate action; and when the period arrive at
wmeh the oppression of the parent tale could
no longer be borne by the children, a sense of
common danger naturally induced them to unite
in one common effort to throw off the yoke.—
The first congress, which was assembled to
take into consideration the actual situation of
the colonies in rcfcience to their differences
with Great Britain, met at the < arpcntcr’s Hall,
in the city of Philadelphia, on the sth of Sep
tember, 1774, not quite sixty years igo* This
body consisted of Delegates, from New-Hamp
shire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, and
Providence Plantations, Connecticut, from the ‘
city and county oi New York, and other coun- J
ties in the Province of New York, New Jersy,
Pensylvania, New Castle, K. nt, and Sussex, in
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and N >rth Car
olina, and continued in session until th 26th of
October, when it dissolved, after recommending
delegates to meet again on the 10th of (he fol
lowing May. During its sitting, thi Congress
amongst other things, r. solved, “that the Con
gress approve the opposition of the ii.habitants
oi Massachusetts Bay, to the obnoxious acts of
Parliament; and if the same shall be ait* inp'cd
to be caried into execution by force, in such
case all America ought to support them in their
opposition.” ft also adopted an address to the
people ol Great Britain upon the subject of the
grievances ol the colonies, and a petition to the
King, and resolved, that letters be addicssed to
lhe people ot Quebec, and to the colonies of
St, John's, Nova Scotia, Georgia, and Last
and West Florida, inviting them to unite in re
sistance to the tyranny of Great Britain.
On the 10th ot May, 1775, the second Con
gress a- i inbled at the State House in f’hila.
delphia.—On the Ist of August it adjourned
until the sth ol September, from which day it
remained in pt i manent session until aftei the
consummation of the act, which dissolved the
connection with the mother country.
It is foreign to the, object of this' address, to
detail the incidents ot’ this eventful period.— j
Suffice it to say, that on the 19th of June, 1 ,
George Washington was commissioned the j
■ M.rucral and Commander in Chief of the Ar-■
my ot he United Colonies”—that on the same
day, Congress r 'solved, “that they would main
tain, assist, and adhere to George Washington
with their lives and fortunes in the same cause”
—that <>n the 13th of September, delegates from
Georgia took their seats in Congress, and com
pleted the numb r of the thirteen States Which
had resolved to be free—that on the 13th of
December, a naval armament of thntecn ships,
was resolved on—that on the 27th of Febniaiv,
1776, the colonics were laid off into military
departments that on the 23d of March. It ttf rs I
ot marquo and reprisal were authorized—anti
that on the lUlh of May, it was resolved, to “re
commend to the respective assemblies and
conventions ui the I nited Colonies, where no
govei ment sufficient to the exigent s ot ti.eii
affairs, had been established, to a. opt Mich a
government as should, in the opinion of the
representatives ot th< best conduce to .
the happiness and safety of tin ir constituents in
particular, and of America mg ueral.’’
AH t.iesc measures, let it l>e remembered, i
were adopted prior to tne Det l.i a . n ot’ In- I
dependence, and whilst the colonies writ .-trli
united to tue British empire, but us thev produ- |
red nu < hange in the policy of the king, nothing
was left to the colonists, but to take the final
step ot separation.
On the 10th ot’ June, a committee was ap
pointed to prt pare a declaration to the follow
ing effect—“ I hat the I luted Colonies are, and
of right ought to be, free and in lependent ;
•Slates; that they are ab.-olved from all allcgt
anec to the British crowd; and that all political
connexion between them and the .S7u/e ot Great
B it.un, is, and ought to be totally dissolved.”
ins noble determination was promptly sus
tmu oby f'enn-yh anta. On the 25th of June,
a declaration ot lhe deputies of that State met
ui proiiuvial conference, expressing their
w ihingut ss to c< ncur in a vote declaring the
nited t olotnes Free ai.d Indi pendent States;
'as laid before (. ongres- and read, and on the ,
-Sth June, the vAuunittee* through its Chair-j
DAHLOHNEGA' LU3IPKIN COWTV, APttlL 18,
man, Thomas Jefferson, r porte I a draft,
which was subsequently discussed, and finally
adopted a?d signed, on th 1 4th of July, in the
firm of the document so well kn »wn to us all,
as the Declaration of Independence.
In that glorious instrument, the truth was
distinctly pr 'claimed to the world, that the act
of separation from Great Britain, was a joint
and several ict —that the thirteen colonics, al
though they had unite i for the purpose of ac
ting together in i sistance to Gr at Britain, had
not agreed to becnm ■ one consemi ited State,
but had resolved to comtnen e th ir indepen
dent existence as thirteen distinct States, with
all the powers and attn ijtes of in lividual sov.
vcrcignty. The declaration was in these m .
morable Avoids. “We, therefore, the Repre.
sentatives of the United S/a/es of America, in
General Congress ass * nblcd, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the world, for the re< titude
of our intentions, do, in th * name, and by the
authority of the good people of these colonies.
solemnly publish an ! d. < ! re, that these Unit
Colonies are and of right /uglit to be free and
.independent Slates— that they are absolved from
all'allegiance to the British crown, and that all
political connexion efwe n them, and the State
ot Gn at Britain is and ought to be totally dis.
solved, and tuat ? Free and independent Slates,
they have full power.to levy war,c nclude pt ace,
contract alliances, establish commer< e, and to
do all other things which Indep ndent States
may of right do.”
And here I will take occasion to remark, that
the term “State” > susceptible ot several dis.
i’erent interpr- ations, according to the sense in
which it is applied. It Sometim< s means the
territory comprised within ceitam geographical
boundaries, as w hen it is said, we reside in lhe
Slate of Pennsylvania. It sometimes moons
the government of a State, as if it w ere said, the
State of Pennsylvania as appointed cornmis.
sinners to treat with New Ji is. y, relative to the
navigati nos the Delaware. But in its most
ordinary sense, it means a people who are
bound together by a social compact, which
j constitutes them one nation. State in this
i sense, is but another name for nation, and wh n
this term was employed in the Declaiation of
Independence, in r< for m e to “the State of
Great Britain,” it could only have m ant the
nation of Great Britain. And sowhen Stales
were us 'd in reference to the colonies, it could
only have meant the people of each colcny, now
become an in. epert.ieni nation.
But to resume th< subject. The colonies,
having, by this act, j mtly and s verally thrown
off the yoiv 4 th<-mother country they prepar.
«•<! to encounter th<‘ perils to which that bold
and determined measure had « xposed them.—
In the war which t’olloAcd, they acted in their
new capacity of free and indepi ndent States.
Each one established its own commerce—eai h
one levied war, and maintained its <>wi army,
out ot its ow n private resoutces, besidesKontrib.
uting towards the support o the < ontmeutal
army, its fan proportion ; and each o e perfonn.
cd “ all other things hieh independent States
may ot right do,” except those tilings which
were »p< i dicallv entiu t ii to ohgi ss, bv t e\
States w hieh liaii united. So tai irom there
having been any ground for thealkgatiunwhich
has been made by some, that th< separation of
the States from Gn at Bntam,took place as th>
act of a single nation, then'was not, for nvai
| five years after the revolution began, even so
muchasan instrument of conft n iation I et veen
| them Although the subject was proposed
] before the Declaration of Independence, yet it
I was not until the 15lhoi.Xov. 1777, that aiti.
: cles ofconfederatmn wetc first < xei uted b\ the
delegates in Congress assembled—with the
view, as they stated m a circular letter, s. nt
with (he articles, to each of the States, of“ se.
curing the fre< dom, sovereignty, a d indepen.
dcnce ofthc I . States”—not until the 9tb of
July, 1778, that they weir ratified by a sul se
quent Congress nor until H e 30tli <4 January.
1781, that they were ratiti- dI y all the St. des,
so as to render tin m bun.mg <n < itln r.
I By lhesc uitides ol < < nl> < < ration, the terms
jof the Union b tween th< whole tlurh cn States
j were first reduced to as stematic written com
pact, and it is to that instninr at we are to look
dor out exposition of the rrl il'.m t w ards eadi
other, which was at that time |, ; |,| p, , X u;t.—
We shall not long be obliged to .-oan h, I efore
«c discover that the confed-ration r ;< r. <; 10,
was one between parti s, <a: u one ot v. liici.
i considered itself a distinct and separ te t'l.n
■ or nation, and not a compact la ’v. e n miual
| members of a single nation. The ti; t three
articles ofthc instrument wlm h is entitled, “ \i
I tides of Confederation and Brepctt-J Union,”
run thus :
“ dr/ide 1. The style < f this Coniedeiack
| shall be, the United Stales < f imerica.
“ Article 2. Each Stale t elains its sovereign
• ty. Freedom and Indcpcndt cr.aml • very pi w« i, •
jurisdiction and rigid, which is not oy this cm- I
federation expressly delegated to the United
States i.a Congress assembled.
Article 3. The said .Sfafrs hereby severally
ent' r into a firm league cf tnendsiup with « aeh
other for their cbinnmn del nee, the security ot
their liberties, and th ir mutual and general
welfare, binding themselves tu each other
against all force offered to, or atta k< maue.
upon them, or any of them, on account of reli
gion. sjvcrrignty, trade, or any pretence what-
Up to t'uis period, it cannut be pretended, that
the States had parted with their sove.vig.ity,
i freedom, or independe”ce, and it that po-iti- n
[be stril aii-gjed, wc must scik for that act of
self immolation, at some subsequent period of
our history.
Uiiuei li iorm of government just described,
th war of the revolution yvas successfully con
ducted, ana or ught to a happy close by the
aeknoyvledgemeiit of our independance by the
Government oi Gr. ai Britain. As it has just
bet n shewn that tne parties which made war
upon Hie mother country wen thirteen sover
eign, free and independent States, at least, in
their ow n estimation, it will bi worth yvhih to
ascertain what opinion inis mother country en
tertained on tn ■ suoj t, m order that we may
know whether sue sn< had be u fight
ing thirteen dili’erunt sovemgn’States or only
one,. Ui misorpimon, we have evidence oeiore
our eyes, m the fir>t article of the provisional
agreement of 30th ot November, 1782, m the
following ciear a.id exph. it terms :
ills Briitaimic Majesty acktiuyvi. dges the
said Uniteu dates, viz. ; Neyv Hampshire, Mas
sac us tt» Lay, ivlrode island auu Providence
Pianiati .ns, vonuecln ut, c.vyv Y»-ik, New Jer
si y, t* nnsylvama, Delaware, Marylanu, \ ir-
I gmiti, North Car lina, South Carolina, and
Georgia, to be free, sovereign and independent
stales, that iie treats with tie in as such, and for
himself, his heirs and sue essoin, reimquisues
ail claims to tm government, propriv iy and ter
ritorial rig..is of the same, ami every pan there
of.” -
llavi g thus give. ; the msury of tiie organ
ization oi lhe gtverrtmeut, under the arti les
otvomeoeratidn, it will now bcm order to give
a detail ui the occu.irences, which led to the
convocation ot tne l< ueral convention.
Ihe government was not long m operation
bi lore it was uiscoverc. , that tne want oi a
' power in the conte.ieration over foreign com
merce, was tne occasion of much embarrass
ment m its operations. Each State having the
power to establish its own tar ff oi unties, anu
otli. i a ise to icguiate its ti.i ie, inc- congress
tound it impossible to negotiate' advantageous
commercial tieuiics wild ton ign I. .yy. is, i .as
much as itcoui. pledge io leciprocity for fa
vors granted, aim yvas wholly destitute ol the
power to coerce uy coumvi vailing regulations.
S<> early ts Fcbiuary uu, i7bi, absolution was
oliti d in V o. g. ss, “m.d it is indispensably
neci bsary i .ui tm <j lieu states m C ongress
assembled, should uc veiled wild a light of
superintending tue co.i.m icial regulations ot
eve>y State,” and “t..at they s .otiiu du ve-ted
with the ex< lumv< oi laying ..uti< s upo.. all
importeii a Heli s.” uu i.». lal.i oi April of
that same y cai, tue subject yvas igaii introduc
ed, an a resolutions was pass- o, i“ oimnen
dmg tne* Stai s to empow. i io levy
a siqall duty on ceiiai. .-p i .tiid articu s, tne
proceeds ui yvmch to be a ( pin <i whohy to the
discharge oi th. mu lest or principal » i t.ie debts
contract, don im paitoltne L niicu tat. s, t.»r
supporting tne war.” It was at tue same time
further r< commended to tn St les, t > i.use iur
the term oi 25 ars, “substantial and iff•< tne
revenues,” to oe apph d ovyarus the sai dent,
ami to engraft t.iesc two principles, if accedeu
to, as additional powirsod the Article»of C n
ted< alum.
lues t ccommen. aiiOHs win uigod upon
the Stales m an able addic -e, by the Longi.
on the 26lii of April, soon alter tueconclusion oi
peace, in wuientmy represented taea(lvant<igi,s
tuat would icsult th this “( onleiteialcd Repu -
lie,” from the adoption oi tae proposed meas
ures, and took occasion to say , “t at it ha- cv< i
b<-< u the pri e and boast el Ameiica, Hat tie
rights t<>r yvhich she contended wetc the
right of human nature.”— *• rights wlm n form
the basis . t'thirteen indepe. de t Suites. ’
AotwilLstiHhhng, hoyvevt r, th. utility and)
zeal yy Un w. i< a this appeal was ma e, the stall s :
yvere reluctant to < nlaige the powers of lhe
( enledi rati, n, anu as the cm.so t<4 all was re- '
qm-ite to give validity to any a< t, not mg <.< < is-'
iv y\as accompii-hed. Jh< -ui j. < I was again
brotig t into vi. w onseveialdifieri nt . <•< listens,
unu p irticulaily on the 13th <4 lily i7bo, in me
• torm of a report oi a committee, m wimh the
1 pow< r to jegula e lie.ic. was s<4i< .1 d ol th-
i btute.-, but the result was m t more pi pilious.
Ai 1 gt.ianohei mode < I elf tmg me oo
ject, yva.-. resorted toby the fin m:s i t. e mens
ure. Ihe call lor udmt.o. al po.weis >um;. by
those yviio exerctsau the ted; ia. ai.tl.on . w...
cafculated to <x< ite t. <• p uloiisv •••It • » ,
am ti i may havt i; - them to
1 mi a t.ivorabh < a i ... v probably fear-
<,t «;t tin -i rvants migntwi.-h to !>••'• 1: :i . u - :
t rs, and that as the Congi* is i« u. ynt d th •
sword, i’would be tinwist I rmi it also to,
hoi the purse. It yyas tii'-i. ior probaoh sc«*n, I
eat it any thing was io . e tfli ct. d; H < oui i!
h. -t .e • '.n by making t,t m y ment toi an I
.d.ifg. ment of pow r.-, pi<> e <1 Ir. m om <.t
tm Male-. \ni_ima bemg then the lar<? st ,
cm »■ r ot th’- C < meuera. y, md beingbe.-i ns,
a ..c having, as a consmm rcd foreign < om
m. • ities th< gi at; st mt rest m aju .ici< Us < x
e;< ;se • I sin :i a power, v.as selected a.- th l.le
I idi r, an a. coiuing.y yv. find Mr. Madison
• ti’ring in t'i 1. gislature of that St it • on tin
30tn <4 Aoyemix r, reSo.utions insiru'll. g ..ci
dll’ gat 1 sin < <mgi• s-, “tu prop. -a ecom
im m anon t > t.. tan sin Union, to uuthuiiSe*
tlidl usscrnbiv to n gulate then tra .” n « r
tai i - < lii. .principles. Ihe resolutions w< r .
how« xi i. not aii.ip cd,: ut on t..e 2 1 ■ Janua-
ry. 1 7&6, a resolution was pa-sed. . •!, €orn
missioneis be appointed “to i.aet MJ. n other
< m.mssioht r> as may c. ippomtvd by the
o'.h t States in th fa. . ’a h ami place
to be agre« d on, iotak- < 'iisideration the
Ha c of t.i Umtcu t des —to examine tne
relative st’.'aL. a tVil*;;—i
to consider how far an uniform system in their
commercial regulations may’ be necessary to
their common interest, and their permanent
harmony, and to report to- the several states
such an act relative to this great object, as
when unanimously ratified by’ them, yvill enable
the United States in Congress assembled,
effectually to provide for the same.”
Although this resolution yvas adopted on the
21st of January, so sloyv and cautious yvere the
States, that it was not until the 11th of St ptem*
bcr, t iat commissioners from five States alone,
viz: V irginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and New York, assembled at Annapolis.
The first procedings of this body, after a full
communication of sentiments, was the appoint"
ment of a committee to “prepare a draught of
a report lo be made to the States, having com
missioners attending at this meeting,” which
draught having been reported on a subsequent
day, wis adopted on the 14th. In that report
it was stated, that commissioners had been ap
pointed by the States of Neyy Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and N. Carolina,
none of whom had attended, and that as the
representation was too “partial and defective,’ ’
those assembled did not conceive it advisable to
proi ce. on the business of their mission,”—
“Deeply impressed, however, with the magni.
tude and importance of t ic objects confided to
them on this occasion,” says the report, “your
c- inmissioners cannot forbear to indulge an
expression of th: ir earnest and unanimous wish,
that speedv :i k asures may be taken to effect a
general meeting ol the States,in a future con.
vention, for the-samc, and such other purposes,
as the situation of public affairs may be found
to require.’’ The report concludes by recom.
mending “the appointment of commissioners to
meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in
May next, to take into consideration the situa.
tion ol the United States, to devise such further
provisions as shall appear to them necessary to
render the Constitution of the Federal Govern,
ment adequate to the exigencies of the Union
and to report such an act for that purpose to
the United States in Congress assembled, as
when agreed to by them and afterwards con.
tir nod by the Legislature of every State, will
effectually provide for the same.”
I n pursuance of this recommendation, dele
gates were appointed as folloyvs.
By N Jersey, onthe 23d of November,!7BG.
By Virginia on the 4th of December, 1786.
By Pennsylvania, on the 30th Deer. 1786.
B v N. < rii-o.'ina, on the 6th of January 1787.
Bv I elawan, on lhe 3d of February, 1787.
Bv Gemgia, on the 10th of February, 1787.
These manifestations of public sentiment
b in<x in accordance with the views so repeat"
edl urged by Congress, induced that body to
pri ss the subject upon the consideration ofthc
reniamin’’ States, by the adoption, on the 21st
<ii l ebiuarv , 1787, of the following resolution:
Ik .itdrci 1 , I hat in the opinion of Congress,
it expedient that on the second Monday in
May ii xt, a Convention of delegates, who shall
hive been appointed by the several States, bo
held at Philadi Iphia, for the sole and exptoss
<>f r< vi hit the articles of confederation
iti'l i porting to ( ongress and the several J.e
rel .turcs, such alterations & provisions there
in, as shall, when agreed to in Congress, and
lined by the States, render the federal
■ umtFrin adequate to the exigencies of gov
i.- rent, and the preservation of tfie union.”
■ ouformity with this resolution, all the
I. tales w hich had not acted upon the sug
* 1 ’’ of the Commissioners at Annapolis,
\ ir Rhode Inland, which took no part in the
i. ntion, appointed Delegates in the follow n
HU b‘r :
.v \ ork, on the 2.°th of February, 1767.
>onth Carolina, on the Sth ofMarch, 1787.
’ a sachusetts, on the 9th of April, 1787.
< onnecticut, on the frith of May, 1787.
Yhtnhnd, on the 261 h of May, *1787.
N v. Hampshire, • n lhe 27th of June, 1757.
1-rom a perusal ol ijje resolution of Congress
under which the delegates assembled; the fol
lowing facts appear:
First. That the delegates were tube chosen
by f' e lcvi ral States.
■ ccondty. That the convocation of the pro
posed convention v.a--, “for the sole purpose
I i- vising the rticcs of confederation,” then
'ii' gI•lw on the thiiteen sovereign free,
and indep< ndi-iit States, u Li< ii by them were
I nited, and not for the purpose oi’ forming air
n< w governsirnt, to be composed of the w hole
I * oplc <4 the thiiteen Slates as an aggregate
n.ass.
7 La dly. 'That the alterations and provisions
t . be recommended by the convi ntion, .should,
"'• r • 2' mg into operation receive the sine-,
tr ti of the St ites, and
l oin tidy, j h;.t these idt’-ratiors and provi.---
io..s ."h”ti!d Lave no t’-ndency to destroy, “the
Ii i-ra! < on-tifution,’’that is. the articles, con
.-tilulion, or romp.-ict, at that time sul.sisfmg.
but on the contrary should be adapted to ren
der it '‘adt.quate to the c.\ gencies of govern
m. nt and tne pre*ci vation oi the i nion,” viz.
h. union then subsisting between the thirteen
"t Jf , i.i L oi which was in fol] possession o,
its S Acr’-igtitv, freedom and independence,
and tin < n!, I cicn to which these terms could
fiav applied.
h ueing thus manifest that the object for
which the convention was assembled, was, nut
to ■ Lange t .e form olthe government, but sim.
p!y t<> “n vioe the articles of confederation,” f.
it'.-.iin- torus to see whether that body was
i-i rlv electee, and whether it did in honesty
■‘ii.: g. .ith f t ||;| the duties of its appointment.
Lhi~ '• eib d! ka?". from tne m-crml of its pro- j
NO. 53.