Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-12-23
a dollars per annum


infested With q view to- enquire into their in
tention, let tie situation OF the United ates, at
the time when they established this government,
be adverted to. They were then connected to-
6cther by articles OF confederation Had that
confederation continued to answer the purposes
wished for, il is presumabIe that a new federal
compact would not have been instituted TO s,1.
persede It When, therefore, a new compact
was deemed necessary and was entered into th.
nature OF that compact is TO he discerned, either
from express declarations, contained n the in
strument, purPorting what are the objects ofits
or, II no such express declarations are inserted
then, 1t is believed, that the fairest and most
correct rule, by which to discern it's true char.
acter, is a reference to the former conn. CT.
AS, then, mat former compact was so clearly
system OF confederated states, that n possible
doubt OF 1t could ever have arisen, the lust aon-
| ciusion seems to be that the fderatfve o-inefoIe
| must be the grand basis of the new system IN
aliltsparts. The former one had characterized
the genus OF the American people-demonstra
TED their early devotion to their state institute
ons; and clearly proved that when proyiumr
Tor their personal security and prote ction. thew
were scarcely less solctous Tor the preservation
OF those institutions. The defects I'M the old
system had pointed out the expsdiency uf 4 new
one ) but yet, on comparison between them
there IS perceived a sufficient analogy To shew
that the same fundamental principle which
Peryaded the old system, was intended to be
preserved IN the new one for II certainly is Il
| principle, which, l think, will not be controye-
ted, That the people of each state, Us such axe
entirely distinct from those Of every othsr state
and possessed OF distinct attributes OF sover
eign y IL never could have been prr tended L at
| the OLE: Congress was not assemblase of re-
representatives. of states, forming a complete te
derai body. In TINS respect, hold 1t, there is
perfect analogy between what the old Con-
| grrss was and that, Which exists under the pre
\ NJ NJ ba
one with Certain particular powers Of legislati-
| on, which were not granted 10 the former one
does not destroy that analogy The measures
OF tie former Congress, wien carried into eff.
| iect, operated on the states and the people OF
the states, as those adopted by the present one.
| SUCH measures, as required the co operation of
| TIE state legislature 10 give them effect after
| such cooperation was had, were obligatory on
lie people OF eachi tate, as similar measures now
| adopted, are obligatory on them Immediately af-
ter adoption. Thus tlle people oil Ell Il state were
affected K 9und by proceedings ofthe old Con-
gress, IA such cases, posteri0Ji lhrO' their state
| legislatures, az hey now Affected x bound u
pTToriby proceedings of the existing Congress.
| Under the former system their mme j late rep.
| resentatlves acted IN the state legislatures on
| matters requiring their acts under the pre-
| sent system the II immediate representatives act
| IN that branch ol thc federal legislature, called
the House at Re representatives.. As the iegista-
the people oil that st$te, and as their reprssen-
| 1atives exclusively; so tie d.leg;,tIOn from
each state IN this House act tor tho I1e E.t.
of that state, and their representative eex->
ciusively. The change in the mode OF app5frs-
| ing tins House OF Congress, and the extension
| OF it's powers beyond those Of the former Con-
| 6ress DO not al;er the nature Of the body. That
| continues the same. The 'ormer was federal;
| and so is the present one Such would be my
| opinion, even ~ there was nothing contained
| IN the constitution expressly declaratOry o. the
END ct Its institution, or descriptive OF it's poa
lrticai character. But in the preamble of that
| instrument alone, without going any furthes,
think, there are declarations expressive Of both,
sufficiently to designate and establish the prn.
ciples for which | contend.
will, thsn, for a moment, advert to the pre-.
| amble OF The constitution. The beginning oft
presents me with these words" We the peo-
pic of the United S, ates in order to form more.
perfect uniOi,," &c. Here the primary object
intended is clearly msniiested-And what is
that To form more perfect union. Il more
! pcrit ct union OF what and of whom A more
| perfect union, answer, of the states and the
| people OF the states-an union of each distinct
stale and the people thereof, with every o,her
| distinct state and tie people thereof; not an
union of individual persons throughout the
states, undistiHguished as the people Of any
state. Perhaps, it may be asked how does
Il
! plication Of the rule, which mentioned in
! preceding part OF this argument. L will here
| have re erence to the Instrument of union, by
which the states were then united together
| They we're then united under a compact, which
no one will pretend to say was no completely
and altogether federal in IFS nature. What
were they then about to do They were then
about to form more perfect union" as tte
! preamble declares. They were already uDitedl
! and the primary purpose, Tor which they were
| about 10 enter into new compact, was 20 rem.
! der more perfect" the "unitn," which they
| had already formed. Who were the contract.
! iRg parties 10 this new compact The same,
! answer, who were the cOnuscting parties 20
I the old one. The state legislatures in charac.
| ter OF representatives OF tie people ofthe states
| entered into the confederation. The state con.
! ventions IN character Of representatives Of the
| people OF the states ordained this constitution.
So that each state and the people thereof con-
stituted distinct member amongst the CON
tracing parties to the confederation and
each state and the people thereof constituted
distinct me nbcr amongst the contracting par
ties to this constitution. Thus the CONTRACTING
parties in both instances being thc sane, aud
| the primary end Of each institution havitg been
! the same, why should not the same political
character attach to the present systam in ali
| its parts, which did attach to the former one
| And why should not the people be represented
| ~ the House Of Representatives, in the same
| character, in which they entered into the COM
pact that is TO SAY, as the people of each st.,.s
| dsHHcfh and NOT in their general Character
as the people Of ali the states indilyiiniaafeiv ?