New-York daily tribune., 1844-08-29

surely not Tor all purposes and the extent 10 which
at that moment, II was desired and designed thai
the people OF all The States S.iould be one people
and the government over these people should te one
govrrnH-Bt, Is expressed in document o tne mu=
authentic character. mean the address of the
members Of the Convention which formed the Con.
s'iuon. 10 'he Str;es and 10 The people That I'd
dress issued in the name OF the Convention, AID
having the great authority OF WAsHIHGToN sub
scribed to it, says:
The friends Of Country have long md desired thai
the OF making War; Pence and rente> that OF levy
ing and regulating Commerce ond the corresponding
uuily vested III the General GoveTnnien; fthe Union
We see here, then, that the object OF this Cor
sti;ttion ives, to make the people of the United
States one people, and to place them under one
government, in regard TO every thing respecting
their relation to foreign States, ana the aspect
in which the nations OF the world were 10 regefd
them. 1t was not an amalgamation Of the whole
people under one 2Ovcrnment--not an eXtlngush-
ment OF the State snverelgnties. That would
have been an immersion, not union, OF exist
ing States. There was no pressing necessity,
therefore, for making the local institutions of the
several States approach each other in any closer af.
inlty,as Governments existed oaCh sufficient with
in It's own territory for all purposes oi territorial
supremacy and government, for all State purposes,
II was matter what variety the States should
have in these respects, and it was left u their own
dscrcllon and it is the very beauty OF our system,
rs | conceive, that the Federal and State Go.
vcrnments are kept thus distinc;-that local lc.
gisldtion is lctt 10 the local authorities and the
general legislation is given to the general govern
ncnt.
This take TO be the true idea and definition
of those purposes for which the general govern
mcnt, under the present Constitution, was organ
wed and established. Indeed, gentlemen, a most
authoritative, n perfectly authoritative, dcclara-
ton of the objects of the People Of the United
States in forming a Constitution, VIC have in that
instrument itself, on lis very face and there the
WORDS stand, everlasting record of the iuten.
tiUns and purposes Of those who framed it. 1t
says it is established Sin order to form a more
perfect uniou." They, the people, established
the Constitution Of the United States for their
"morc perfect union"-to " Establish justice, en-
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defence and promote the general welfare" and
finally to the blessings Of liberty" 10 thcn
and their rosterty. Here, al the head Of all these
Ohiecls stands, in bold aud prominent relief, the
great and noble object, to form a MORE PERFECT
UaIoN among the Penpc of the United States.
And will take the liberty To refer to another
passage in The same address Of The Convention to
The people, when The Constitution was sent abroad
Tor ratification:
In n our dclibeIa;inns this subject kent steadily in
every American. the consolidation OF our U>Io.. IN
hc involved our prosperity, felicity safety perhaps our
National existence
You will please to observe that this languagci is
not applied to the powers OF government; 1t dnesnot
say that they aim at consolidation in the General
Government, nor of all the powers of government;
1t does not at all usurp heIocal authorities oi The
States, nor Interfere with anything that belongs
- the local legislation and administrations Butth
consolidation of which, WASHINGTON and his as
spcatcs spoke, was constellation OF the Union,
Tor The lst purpose of Union, of a strong
Cnon-io7 those purposes for which the Union
itself ough; to exist.
have said and neg leave to repeat because
it lies at the foundation of all just conceptions
of the Constitution Of the country, that the
Union attained by The Constitution was Il Union
among the pcnpc in everything which regards
their diplomatic and foreign relations and con-
Germs, and their intercourse between the world
and themselves. 1t was imperfect IN the COME
dcracy-incccd it hardly existed at all-ccrtainly
with 10 efficiency ana productive OF no gcod.
rhis was the object as stated by the members of
The Convention themselves, in the document TO
which have referred, and contained ON the face
of the Constitution itself.
Now, in pursuance of these objects, the Con-
stitution proteercd To institute a General Govern
mcnt with such powers and authority as would
accomplish this object, and winch 1t required -
The Constitution assigned 10 the General Gov
ernment the power oi War and Peace, the power
of making treaties, and that other vastly, and as
it has turned out, absolutely Important power,
The ercguiatiUn 0f trdde.
Government has attempted to perform ali these
duties. 1t has exercised The power ol regulating
commerce. so has tsought TO establish Jusllce-
another of its objects. IL has done so especially
IN the great matter of paying off the debt OF the
Rev LUTON. 1t has enacted laws to ensure DO
mestic tranquility, and it has effected that object
IL has provided tsr the common defence, by or
gauizing armies, equlpplng navles, and such
other preparations as the exigencics OF cur posl
ton have rendered necessary. Ii has endeavOred
10 provide for the public welfare, and 1t has not
neg Iccted any means for securing the blessings OF
Liberty.
Now, these being the objects Of the Constliu
ton, YOU and [ anc our contemporaries. through
out The country, who have part to act-a
vote to give,an opinion to oxpress-yau and l,ano
ali of us, after the experience OF hall century,
arc bound 10 pu. il 10 ourselves. and to our con-
sciences, whether these Oblecis have been accom-
pushed by the Constitution of The county
Because if they have motif the Constitution
has proved, under the best administrations. meth
c!ent and useless, it time to revert to that great
pnwer, inherent in The people. Of returning the
government, and establishing Constitution
more suited to their purposes and desires But
If the Constitution, on the whole, upon this con-
scientious examination, shall Prove TO haze ac-
cornplishcd its ends, to have subscrved the pub
lie prosperity, carried the Nation forward IN
wealth, in BUSINESS in enterprise, and to have
raised us to pitch of glory and renown. of which
you, and |, and all OF us are proud-these, say,
il the Consutu,ion has done this, We are bound
to i, by every lie of gra,ilude,-by every feeling
of patriotism We arc bound to support 1t with
all our hearts, for all our lives, and 10 transmit 1t
uninpared TO our children.
Now, say, in my humble but conscious
judgment, and say ii under mixed sense OF
grati:ude to God, and of profound reverence ior
The sdom OF our ancestors, say that, making
all reasonable allowances ior the iraues which
besrt all men, and the msiortunes winch some