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invested　with　power；　is　the　United　Colonies；　declared　United

States。



In　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　this　order　of　agency　is

inverted。　　Each　State　is　the　constituent　and　enacting　party；　and

the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled　the　recipient　of

delegated　powerand　that　power　delegated　with　such　a

penurious　and　carking　hand　that　it　had　more　the　aspect　of　a

revocation　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　than　an

instrument　to　carry　it　into　effect。



None　of　these　indispensably　necessary　powers　were　ever

conferred　by　the　State　Legislatures　upon　the　Congress　of　the

federation；　and　well　was　it　that　they　never　were。　The　system

itself　was　radically　defective。　　Its　incurable　disease　was　an

apostasy　from　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of

Independence。　　A　substitution　of　separate　State　sovereignties；

in　the　place　of　the　constituent　sovereignty　of　the　people；　was

the　basis　of　the　Confederate　Union。



In　the　Congress　of　the　Confederation；　the　master　minds　of

James　Madison　and　Alexander　Hamilton　were　constantly

engaged　through　the　closing　years　of　the　Revolutionary　War

and　those　of　peace　which　immediately　succeeded。　　That　of　John

Jay　was　associated　with　them　shortly　after　the　peace；　in　the

capacity　of　Secretary　to　the　Congress　for　Foreign　Affairs。　　The

incompetency　of　the　Articles　of　Confederation　for　the

management　of　the　affairs　of　the　Union　at　home　and　abroad

was　demonstrated　to　them　by　the　painful　and　mortifying

experience　of　every　day。　　Washington；　though　in　retirement；

was　brooding　over　the　cruel　injustice　suffered　by　his　associates

in　arms；　the　warriors　of　the　Revolution；　over　the　prostration　of

the　public　credit　and　the　faith　of　the　nation；　in　the　neglect　to

provide　for　the　payments　even　of　the　interest　upon　the　public

debt；　over　the　disappointed　hopes　of　the　friends　of　freedom；　in

the　language　of　the　address　from　Congress　to　the　States　of　the

eighteenth　of　April；　1788〃the　pride　and　boast　of　America；　that

the　rights　for　which　she　contended　were　the　rights　of　human

nature。〃



At　his　residence　at　Mount　Vernon；　in　March；　1785；　the　first

idea　was　started　of　a　revisal　of　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　by

the　organization；　of　means　differing　from　that　of　a　compact

between　the　State　Legislatures　and　their　own　delegates　in

Congress。　　A　convention　of　delegates　from　the　State

Legislatures；　independent　of　the　Congress　itself；　was　the

expedient　which　presented　itself　for　effecting　the　purpose；　and

an　augmentation　of　the　powers　of　Congress　for　the　regulation

of　commerce；　as　the　object　for　which　this　assembly　was　to　be

convened。　　In　January；　1785；　the　proposal　was　made　and

adopted　in　the　Legislature　of　Virginia；　and　communicated　to

the　other　State　Legislatures。



The　Convention　was　held　at　Annapolis；　in　September　of　that

year。　It　was　attended　by　delegates　from　only　five　of　the　central

States；　who；　on　comparing　their　restricted　powers　with　the

glaring　and　universally　acknowledged　defects　of　the

Confederation；　reported　only　a　recommendation　for　the

assemblage　of　another　convention　of　delegates　to　meet　at

Philadelphia；　in　May；　1787；　from　all　the　States；　and　with

enlarged　powers。



The　Constitution　of　the　United　States　was　the　work　of　this

Convention。　　But　in　its　construction　the　Convention

immediately　perceived　that　they　must　retrace　their　steps；　and

fall　back　from　a　league　of　friendship　between　sovereign　States

to　the　constituent　sovereignty　of　the　people；　from　power　to

rightfrom　the　irresponsible　despotism　of　State　sovereignty　to

the　self…evident　truths　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　　In

that　instrument；　the　right　to　institute　and　to　alter　governments

among　men　was　ascribed　exclusively　to　the　peoplethe　ends　of

government　were　declared　to　be　to　secure　the　natural　rights　of

man；　and　that　when　the　government　degenerates　from　the

promotion　to　the　destruction　of　that　end；　the　right　and　the　duty

accrues　to　the　people　to　dissolve　this　degenerate　government

and　to　institute　another。　　The　signers　of　the　Declaration　further

averred；　that　the　one　people　of　the　United　Colonies　were　then

precisely　in　that　situationwith　a　government　degenerated　into

tyranny；　and　called　upon　by　the　laws　of　nature　and　of　nature's

God　to　dissolve　that　government　and　to　institute　another。　　Then；

in　the　name　and　by　the　authority　of　the　good　people　of　the

colonies；　they　pronounced　the　dissolution　of　their　allegiance　to

the　king；　and　their　eternal　separation　from　the　nation　of　Great

Britainand　declared　the　United　Colonies　independent　States。　

And　here　as　the　representatives　of　the　one　people　they　had

stopped。　They　did　not　require　the　confirmation　of　this　act；　for

the　power　to　make　the　declaration　had　already　been　conferred

upon　them　by　the　people；　delegating　the　power；　indeed；

separately　in　the　separate　colonies；　not　by　colonial　authority；

but　by　the　spontaneous　revolutionary　movement　of　the　people

in　them　all。



From　the　day　of　that　Declaration；　the　constituent　power　of　the

people　had　never　been　called　into　action。　　A　confederacy　had

been　substituted　in　the　place　of　a　government；　and　State

sovereignty　had　usurped　the　constituent　sovereignty　of　the

people。



The　Convention　assembled　at　Philadelphia　had　themselves

no　direct　authority　from　the　people。　　Their　authority　was　all

derived　from　the　State　Legislatures。　　But　they　had　the　Articles

of　Confederation　before　them；　and　they　saw　and　felt　the

wretched　condition　into　which　they　had　brought　the　whole

people；　and　that　the　Union　itself　was　in　the　agonies　of　death。　

They　soon　perceived　that　the　indispensably　needed　powers

were　such　as　no　State　government；　no　combination　of　them；

was　by　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence

competent　to　bestow。　　They　could　emanate　only　from　the

people。　　A　highly　respectable　portion　of　the　assembly；　still

clinging　to　the　confederacy　of　States；　proposed；　as　a　substitute

for　the　Constitution；　a　mere　revival　of　the　Articles　of

Confederation；　with　a　grant　of　additional　powers　to　the

Congress。　　Their　plan　was　respectfully　and　thoroughly

discussed；　but　the　want　of　a　government　and　of　the　sanction　of

the　people　to　the　delegation　of　powers　happily　prevailed。　　A

constitution　for　the　people；　and　the　distribution　of　legislative；

executive；　and　judicial　powers　was　prepared。　　It　announced

itself　as　the　work　of　the　people　themselves；　and　as　this　was

unquestionably　a　power　assumed　by　the　Convention；　not

delegated　to　them　by　the　people；　they　religiously　confined　it　to

a　simple　power　to　propose；　and　carefully　provided　that　it　should

be　no　more　than　a　proposal　until　sanctioned　by　the

Confederation　Congress；　by　the　State　Legislatures；　and　by　the

people　of　the　several　States；　in　conventions　specially

assembled；　by　authority　of　their　Legislatures；　for　the　single

purpose　of　examining　and　passing　upon　it。



And　thus　was　consummated　the　work　commenced　by　the

Declaration　of　Independencea　work　in　which　the　people　of　the

North　American　Union；　acting　under　the　deepest　sense　of

responsibility　to　the　Supreme　Ruler　of　the　universe；　had

achieved　the　most　transcendent　act　of　power　that　social　man　in

his　mortal　condition　can　performeven　that　of　dissolving　the

ties　of　allegiance　by　which　he　is　bound　to　his　country；　of

renouncing　that　country　itself；　of　demolishing　its　government；

of　instituting　another　government；　and　of　making　for　himself

another　country　in　its　stead。



And　on　that　day；　of　which　you　now　commemorate　the　fiftieth

anniversaryon　that　thirtieth　day　of　April；　1789was　this

mighty　revolution；　not　only　in　the　affairs　of　our　own　country；

but　in　the　principles　of　government　over　civilized　man；

accomplished。



The　Revolution　itself　was　a　work　of　thirteen　yearsand　had

never　been　completed　until　that　day。　　The　Declaration　of

Independence　and　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　are

parts　of　one　consistent　whole；　founded　upon　one　and　the　same

theory　of　government；　then　new　in　practice；　though　not　as　a

theory；　for　it　had　been　working　itself　into　the　mind　of　man　for

many　ages；　and　had　been　especially　expounded　in　the　writings

of　Locke；　though　it　had　never　before　been　adopted　by　a　great

nation　in　practice。



There　are　yet；　even　at　this　day；　many　speculative　objections　to

this　theory。　　Even　in　our　own　country　there　are　still

philosophers　who　deny　the　principles　asserted　in　the

Declaration；　as　self…evident　truthswho　deny　the　natural

equality　and　inalienable　rights　of　manwho　deny　that　the

people　are　the　only　legitimate　source　of　powerwho　deny　that

all　just　powers　of　government　are　derived　from　the　consent　of

the　governed。　　Neither　your　time；　nor　perhaps　the　cheerful

nature　of　this　occasion；　permit　me　here　to　enter　upon　the

examination　of　this　anti…revolutionary　theory；　which　arrays

State　sovereignty　against　the　constituent　sovereignty　of　the

people；　and　distorts　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　into　a

league　of　friendship　between　confederate　corporations。　　I　speak

to　matters　of　fact。　　There　is　the　Declaration　of　Independence；

and　there　is　the　Constitution　of　the　United　Stateslet　them

speak　for　themselves。　　The　grossly　immoral　and　dishonest

doctrine　of　despotic　State　sovereignty；　the　exclusive　judge　of　its

own　obligations；　and　responsible　to　no　power　on　earth　or　in

heaven；　for　the　violation　of　them；　is　not　there。　　The　Declaration

says；　it　is　not　in　me。　　The　Constitution　says；　it　is　not　in　me。







〃Oration　at　Plymouth；　December　22；　1802；　in　Commemoration

of　the　Landing　of　the　Pilgrims。〃





Among　the　sentiments　of　most　powerful　operation　upon　the

human　heart；　and　most　highly　honorable　to　the　human

character；　are　those　of　veneration　for　our　forefathers；　and　of

love　for　our　posterity。　　They　form　the　connecting　links　between

the　selfish　and　the　social　passions。　　By　the　fundamental

principle　of　Christianity；　the　happiness　of　the　individual　is

interwoven；　by　innumerable　and　imperceptible　ties；　with　tha