Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-08

lettering to It's fall. and the Dutch insti-
tutionS were signalleu as ruin 10 be
avoided rather than al example for imi-
tatiJn.
In origin, therefore. the form Of the tede-
raj government Was OF necessity Ameri-
can; and its model was revealed in the
then existing Institutions Of the States
a conclusion 10 which. Notwithstanding
the thesis he maintains, Dr. Ellis Ste
yens is c0nstrainsi by his researches into
the sources Of the FEDERAL Constitution
After ALL" he admits. American poll
teal experience was the principal factor
on which the Philadelphia convention
relied In its constructive task; and THE
convention practically took the model OF
colonial government IL had long
and Familiarity existed and as adapted In
the State governments then freshly
set up, and applied IL 10 the nation
And Or. BOrgeaud aiiirms, with empha-
sis, that "the Institutions of the States
are the ediiice itself OF which the Fede-
raj Consultation f. but the completion"
We have already seen that in 1919 Nir-
ginia furnishes the Colonies with the ex-
emplar OF representative government.
and that Virginia. first Of the states in
sttuted a republican system on the foun-
dalton OF written constitution. This
Constitution was the original Of the
organic acts OF the other States; and
II, with its progeny. was now before the
convention u supercfde all speculative
experiment by model of wise design and
demonstrated efficiency. it, authors
Mason. Madison. and Blair-were on the
floor If the convention To commend IL
for adoption. That. In fact. II presented
the pattern after which the Federal Con-
stiution was framed, Is attested by their
IDENTITY In the essential attributes OF
republican pOlity; a single executive. a
legislature. Of two chambers an inde-
pendent judiciary: porular representation,
AID Official responsibility.
AN ABSOLUTELY ORIGINAL CON
CEPTION.
While the form Of representative re-
publican government adopted by the con
ven;ion. is but duplicate OF the sys-
TEN established by Virginia ln 1916; so
much OF the Constitution as regulates the
relations Of the Union to the States, is
an absolutely original conception.
OF alliances. offensive ana defensive; Of
leagues OF friendship. such as the Ar
tcles OF Confederation: and Of Federal
association with varying degrees Of in
tlmacy. examples were not wanting.
ether In ancient or modern times But
here Is system at once federal and
national; its constituents, States. as well
as individuals acting coercively within
The limits Of the several soverslgnties:
yet, 70 acting without restraint upon
local autonomy or abatement OF its own
efficiency. and without peril OF collision
between the concurrent forces. The ex-
pedient by which so felicitous and 30
marvellous result was attained consists,
not. as commonly taught. I'm "a partition
OF powers between the Federal and the
Sat" goNernments-fOr each retains its
.aculties in all their plentitude-but In
the distinction OF objects, To which those
powers are directed-Feleral functions
being limited TO purposes OF national
policy, and State functions restricted to
the ends of local ecoromy-and in an ef-
fectual provision against conflict between
the coordinate jurisdictions by according
precedence and supremacy to the Fede-
raj authority.
This contrivance. SAYS Judge Hare, $50
far as my knowledge extends. has no
precedent In political history" With
equal emphasis. Professor Fiske exclaims
that thus at length was realized the
sublime conception OF a nation, i'm which
every citizen lives under two complete
and well-rounded systems OF law-the
| State law and the Federal law-each
with its legislature, its executive. and its
| judiciary. moving one within the other
| noiselessly and without friction. 1t was
| one Of the longest reaches OF constructive
| Craftsmanship ever known In the world"
BY whose genius the solution OF the
| hitherto insoluble problem of national
| unity with local self-government was
| achieved, authentic history demo nstrates
| 10 the world. In advance OF the con-
ventjon Madison sketched In outline a
| project OF federal union. which, ap-
! proved by his colleagues. was propounded
| AS the plan OF the Virginia delegation.
| Two competing plans the one OF New
| Jersey and the other OF Hamilton, were
| submitted but, these cast aside with
| slight regard, the convention proceeded
| To construct a system on the principles
| Of the Virginia programme. After four
| months OF earnest and exhaustive discus
| sion the Virginia scheme emerged from
| the stormy debate. altered in detail but
| identical In substance; and so modified
| was promulgated by the convention for
| acceptance by the States. That Madi-
l son gave the outline Of the plan which