The Arkansas banner., 1844-02-13

for the purpose, IS the notion that the United States Constitution is the immediate work of the PEOPLE of the gnited States- by the rep resenthtives of the people, under that desig- nation and in that character. I et so far from this being true t will be found that the con- veatlon of I4S7, was not composed of the representatives of the people, but af tae States not elected by the people, but ap- pointed by State authority. They met a5 the representatives of States voted by States and not individually; and the Constitution thus drawn up By the representatives of the States was sent. not eo the people but tD the stafes- la be ratified. and being ratified by nine States. t was finally ldopJed. 1t IS gr1e that as all shese States. whose deputies were thus sent by Stafe government and State 5al- .hortv. without reference to the people, were la fact composed oI inc people, and utll- maieiF represented the people, fhe Constitu- lion was a Constitution of. and for the peo- pIe- and IS SO expressed but by every pos sibIe means iu which the States and the State governments could be distinguished from the people, throughout the whole of the HaHs- action. from the beginning of t tn the end of t, that distinction was made. To this may a3Id. that the senate Is exclusively State representation. Look at Luther Martins ac- count of the struggle the smaller States had ga prevent he larger States from succeeding n their effort b arroeate all inequality of votes
 The declaration of Independence says.- i've tke representatives of the United States, m general Congress assembled, do solemnIy publish and declare, thar these United Colo mes are, and of right ought to be- free. sove- reign and independent States and that ds free and independent States. they have full power 10 levy war; conclude peace contract alliances establish commerce. and do all oth- CT acts and things which independent States may of right doa I776.
 This language was adopted 5g the couted- eration in TIT. which '6Ied itself the Uni- ted States of America. and which declares IS you do in your prospecttts- ttiat each State retains It's sovereignty. adopting IS the end and design of their meeting, '- the c5BssB9n defeHcs aud gsaerai rslfn.e . of the States thus united.
 The proceedings of the confederation of I777, were not to be valid tll they were con- tiuned by the several legislatures Of the Gal- ted States. Tie probability that tii5 might not be obtained 50 an instrument containing so many provisions occasIoned the subse- dueut agreement in I787, that the ConstH- ton then adopted, should, when ratified by nine out of the thirteen United States be va i'd and binding upon the States so ratifviug In each of these cases, the confederation of I7777, aad the convention of I787 appeIIa-
 
 delegates or representatives, not from the people of the United States but from ehe se- verat and respective States II their capacity of States free, sovereign, and independent of each other. as of all the rest Of the world. The people Of the respective States chose that this should be the mode of sransaetIag business at the convention and thev aeceded to t when finished. Had the people chosen to send representatives of themselves n their character ef the people of the United States, or of North America, or of the heretofore British Colonies. they might have done SO 6a, gaev directed. CT without objection per- nitsed .heir Stale representatives to send de- -sgases. representing each separate. sovereign. and independent 5tate- 5o ratty the ConatIta- .foB sags considered. framed. and adopted. .5 tHeIr character az representatives of States, mt eat as representatives of the people, .Ea5s aaade lf transacnng the business through a#= whole period Of meeting and debadng. wac al the tune, and ever since has been ac- ceded to bT the people, without any objection from any quarter. This notion that the peo- pie framed the Constitution, has been urged from the time of General Hamilton, to the present time, To keep out of view the agency of separate, sovereign. and independent States. meeting and contracting for common purposes such as the delegates of those States have de- IIneated in the written instrument. the Con- sttntIon. General Hamilton, and those who acted with him, sought to merge the several States into municipalities of one great nation al government; framed, not by the delegates of separate States but the delegates of the American people. He was overruled in this by majority of the convention but his ad- herents, constituting principally the whig party of the present day, still seduIousIy in- eulcate his views of this subject, directly in the teeth, as 1t seems to me, of matter of fact.
 This was the earliest subject of anxiety to the best and wisest among our earliest patri- ets, at the very period of the adoption of the Constitution It was the subject of the fore bodIngs of Patrick Henry. It was the sub iect that called forth the proceedings of the Virginia assembly, in 179s, and the anxious but unanswerable defence Of those proceed ings by Mr Madison, in 1900; and the Ken lucky resolutions at later period, drawn up by Mr. Jefferson.
 One of these resolutions IS as follows =
 "Resotred, That the several States com prising the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submis- sion to thes general government, but that by compact, under the style and title of Con- stitution for the United States, and of the amendments thereto, they constitute gene ral government for special purposes, deIega- ting to that government, certain definite pow CTS, reserving, each State to itself. the resid- uaFy mass of right to their own self govern ment; and that whenever the general govern ment assumes to itself undelegated powers, us acts are unaufhorIfafive voId and of no