, 1866-12-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Judge Jamcson'a Work on tho Gons1-
fuliQnal dQnYcullQus

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS; Its
Httory, Powers, and Modes Of peoe:cdinE
Superior. Court Of Chicago. and Prote.sor OF
Constitutional Law. etc.. IN the Law Dei'aFt-
p e. ce sE oa csses ops sesasf
Co. Chicago: s. C. GrtGgs d Co., 1871.
We have examined this book, just pub
lishcd, with considerable care, and shall be
altogether mistaken If 1t be not recognized
ssa contribution to the political literature Of
the country of great and permanent value.
Its subject, though one of comm audlug i'm
portauce, has never before, VIC believe. been
treated IN an Independent work. Upon several
of tho topics embraced within Its general
scope, vague and discordant opinions have
been entertained by many even Of our most
prominent public men. That no clear ideas
concerning the office Of the Constitutional
Convention. and fts proper relation to other
features Of our system Of Government hare
generally prevailed, the records of nearly
every Convention thus tar held In the country
show. With but one or two exceptions,
and these works OF such Imperfect execu-
tton as scarcely to be deemed exceptions, u
vigorous and profound inquiry into the na.
turc Of the American constitutional system
rs whole, seems never before to have been
attempted. Statesmen dtpnbltcists have
played about 1t, have dealt Indeed with
come main questions arising under II
with an ability which has just
ly given to their opinions the
weight Of aual dccrces, but their discussions
Aate In most part arisen in the actual cou-
aicts Of politics or law-upon single Issues
and are frequently marred BY the fncongrul.
ties, the hasty gcncra1lzatfons and other
el1ors into which tho most accurate thinkers
fall when treating parts Of a subject without
equal familiarity with every portion OF the
field. We believe this book Of Judge Jane
son's is the product ot the first deliberate
attempt to g1npplc with the whole subject,
and to show not what might, or even ought
to be, but practically what, under the facts
Of the case, must be deemed to be, the fun
damertal theory Of parts and functions upon
~hich the American Gume OF Government
rests.
The author has brought to The performance
of his task-a task before which older and
nnre experienced men might we'll hare
shrrnk-a strong and welt disciplined mind
habits Of patient investtgatlou-the rare ca-
pae'ty Of conducting with uniform juds-
ment and sound sense lines Of thought
which necessarily have assumed at tImca
- s"S POFN4 - VI uA<$lAA4a aUn FsN7
ccdcnts. the nature or theoretical discus
sions,-And the command OF style remark.
ably ldtomAtic and compact, and equal ID
passages to that Of the best writer's Of our
times.
In the opening chapter the different kinds
Of Conycntlon-the "Spontaneons ConTcn-
tion or Public Meeting" the 'Legis'ative
Convention or General Assembly," tbs IRE.
volutionary Convention" and the "Consti.
tutlonAl Convention''-are distinguished and
describe
In the following chapter the importan,
topic Of 'soyeEeignty" and Its locus in this
country, is discussed at length-the author
concluding that It mnst be held to In
here not in the States, which were never eoy.
creien, nor In the United States, but In the
people Of the United States, considered not rs q
mere aggregate ofindisidual sovercigns, but
as corporatetsunlt, md dlscrim,natcd
In Practice, for purposes Of convc
nience, and 10 permit advantage to be taken
OF State machinery In certain points, int
groups BY Sfates. This question of sovereignty
4 n1r In Ian