Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-07-06

+, disClcses still more clearly thdn hSfe'oiotei
his real sentiments, and real objects and
because those sentiments and that object
ought, think. TO receive the most serious
attention of the people.
Hampden frequently uses, for what pur-
pose lei him say, the word national as
SYNONYMOUS with "consolidated". Thus
be says, at is not easy to discern how a
government whose members are sovereign
states, and whose powers couhict with
those of such states, can be national OF
consolidated government"
Ideny that these terms are convertible.
The government Of the United States is al
most universally denominated the national
government, or the government OF the ma
ton. 1t is repeatedly so termed in the
Federalist, and in other political treatises,
and has never been termed consolidated
government.
Hampden defines consolidated govern
ment to be lone which acts only on indi-
y:duals, and in which other states and
governments are not known. What name
will he give US for a government which
acts only on individuals" but I'm which
other states and governments are known y
Such is the government Of the United
States and, in work (a) now acknow-
lodged by all to be clear and just ex'
position of the constitution, we are told,
that, according to the definitions OF those
terms given by ITS opponents, lit is nell
,her national, nor federal constitution !;
but a composition OF both"
But waving, for the present, any contro'
versy about terms, will proceed to the
evidence adduced in support OF the charge
that the language OF the court, on the
question of consolidation, is indistinct.
The FIRST is, that They use the word
psopls in sense seeming clearly to import
the people OF the United States, as contra
distinguished from the people OF The seve-
raj states from which the inference would
arise, that the states were not known IN
the establishment of the constitution"
As no particular passage in the opinion is
referred to, it is not in my power, by quo
ting the words OF the court, to give pre-
else rsfutatiep to this allegation. must
content myself with the more general, and
less pointed observations.
The counsel for the state OF Maryland,
we are told, commended that the constitution
was the act OF sovereign states, as contra
distinguished from the people. In oppo'
sition to this proposition, the cour, main
tanned tina, the constitution is not the al OF
the state governments, but OF the people ct
the states. In the course Of this argument,
the ,erm-the people-wi,hout any anneXa-
tiop, is frequently used but never in
sense excluding the idea that the people
were divided into distinct societies, or in
dicaling the non.exis,ence OF states. 1t Is
positively denied that this use of the term,
even unaccompanied by those passages
viii. which the opinion aboun6s, would al
ford any counteDance to the inference that
the states were not known in the establish
men, of the constitution" Still less can
such an inference arise in opposition to the
express and repeated declarations OF the
court.
Ii instead Of using the word "people"
generally, aud ill sense avowedly contra
distinguished from their governments, the
court had used the words people Of the
United States" not even this language
would have had any tendency TO warrant
the inference which is said to arise.
Will Hampden deny that there is such a
people as the people OF the United States !?
Have we no national existence Wewere
charged by the late emperor OF France
with having no national character, Or ac-
tual existence as nation (; but not even he
denied our theoretical or constitutional ex-
istence. II congress declares war. are We
not at war as nation Are not war and
peace!national acts ? Are not all the mea-
sures OF the government national measures!
The United States is nation; but ma
ton composed OF states in many, though
not in all, respects, sovereign. The Peo-
| pie of these states are also the people OF The
United States. The two characters: SO far
from beins Incompatible with each other,
are identified. This is the language OF the
constitution. In that instrument, the PEG.
pie OF the states term themselves " the PEG.
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