Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-10-24


defray the current expenses of govern
ment; rivslries and disputes were daily
springing up between the different States
in relation to commerce and other subjects,
and the whole fruits of their long and glo-
rious struggle with the Mother Country
were threatened with immediate dissolu-
tion and ruin:
1t was at this crisis that Mr.. Madison
wrote, "I hold it for a fundamental point
that an individual sovereignty of the
States is utterly irreconcileable with the
idea of an aggregate sovereignty. l think
at the same time that the consolidation
of the States into one single sovereignty is
not less unattRinable than it would be in
expedient. Let it be tried, then, whether
any middle ground may be taken which
will at once support due superiority OF
the national authority and leave in force
the local authorities SO far as they can be
subordinately useful" Mr.. Edmund Ram
dolph wrote: "GoVerument should be able
to defend itself against encroachments,
and that it should be paramount to State
constitutions and have power to call forth
the force of the Union against any mem
Der of the Union failing to fulfil its duty"
Mr.. Pinkney, of South Carolina, wrote,
"That the States must be kept in due sub
ordination 10 the Nation. That if the
States were left to act of themselves in any
case, it would be impossible to defend the
National prerogatiVes."
Amid these stern necessities it was
that the Convention met at Philadelphia
in 1897, and with George Washington In
the Chair they drafted and signed our pre-
sent Constitution. The President in this
wise, George Washington, President and
Deputy from Virginia" The others signed
their names merely, without stating in
whose behalf they acted.
In whose behalf, then, did these Depu-
ties act2 The preamble of the ConstituS
ten itself answers conclusively, viz:
"We, the People Of the United States, in
order to form more perfect Union, estab-
lish Justice, ensure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare and secure the bless
ings OF Liberty to ourselves and posterity,
do orddin and establish this Constitution for
the United States of America"
Then follows the Constitution with all
it's various provisions. If the work had
stopped here even, the explicit language OF
the Preamble before recited would have
required the necessary conclusion, that,
awe, the People of the United States," in
their individual capacity, and not the thir-
thirteen Bodies of People in their corporate
capacity, were the real parties to the In
strument, acting through and by their
deputies or agents. 1t would require q
most violent and unnatural construction,
to have held it a mere compact between the
thirteen States, instead of Constitution
established by all the people Of the United
States But at the time of the Deputies
signing their names, they manitestly con-
sidered the Instrument as merely an sSeTol0
nA
to, and ratified by the People themselves.
And hence they passed resolution to sub
NIT the same to Conventions of Delegates
TO be chosen in each State by the People
thereof, and that as soon as the People OF
nine States should have assented to and
ratified the same, it should take effect as
to these People, and steps should be taken
to organize under it.
General Washington in his letter of the
same date to Congress uses this language:
| at is obviously imprRcticable in the Fede-
raj Government of these States to secure
all rights of Independent sovereignty in each,
and yet provide for the interest and safety
of all. Individuals entering into society
must give up a share of Liberty to secure
the rest" y FIn all our delibera-
tion on this Subject We kept steadily in our
view, that which appears to US the great
| interest of every true American-THE CON-
soLIDATIoN OF OUR UNION"
In pursuance thereof, the people of the
thirteen States in Convention held in their
respective States, assented to aud ratified
this Constitution in the following order.
Delaware, Dec. 7th, 1887; Pennsylvania,
18th Dec, 1887; New Jersey, 18th Dec,
1897; Georgia, I'd jan, 1888; Connecticut,
9th Jan, 1888; Massachusetts, 9th Feb.l
1873; Maryland, 26th April, 1888; South
Carolina, Esd May, 1888; New Hamshire,
lst June, 1888; Virginia, 25th June 1888;
New York, 26th July, 1913; North Carroll
ma, 2lst Nov, 1888; Rhode Island, 29th
May, 1880.
Now can there be the slightest doubt
but that it was the purpose and meaning
of this transaction to unite all the people
of the thirteen States 30 fact as they as
sented to and ratified the Constitution as
one People, E'consolidated" in one and the
same Government to the extent of the
powers granted in the Constitution The
people, when they met in their several
Conventions, certainly held, or had the
| control of, all the Sovereign power, whether
residing in themselves or previously dele
gated to their respective State Govern
ments. 1t was competent for them, then,
acting in these Conventions, to transfer to
| the Federal Government any portion of the
Sovereignty they chose, and in doing 30,
if it became necessary for them to resume
any portion before that delegated to their
respective State Governments, they un-
questionably had the power to do it. They
possessed OF controlled all Sovereign power,
and it was in this case distributed by them
according to the established forms. The
People became thereby citizens of tlOo dis
tinct Governments-their respective State
and the Federal Government, owing ale
glance according to the rank or supremacy
of their respective powers. The fact thai
the whole People of the thirteen States
| constituted thirteen distinct and indepeu'
dent Governments at the time the Deputies
| A. ga .L,n GnnnIitntinr, cnnln mt nrnHhnf