امور any delivered Hem to rim, and in keeping their origin seever he finds -filled his please of honor, some year ref for thin col". Nicholas asked me if I would have objection to it's being known that I had drawn them. I pointedly enjoined that it should not. whether re had infuardedly intimated it before to any one I know'n:: but I afterwards observed in the papers repeated in-putation of them to me; on which, as has won by many as all occasions of imputation, I have served critive force. The gun. - hon indeed has never before been put to me, nor should I ser it to any other then yourself, seeing no sondend to be proposed by it and the sesive of tranquility inducing with me a saith to be with. arown from public notice. your father, zealand talents were Lowell known to derive any additional distinction from the ponning thirsterslutions. That circumstance stevely was of far leftment than the proposing The only fast in and camping them f them thro' the legislature of his steban this statement on thick my men comparist destinet is the time tagasim of the consultation with your father and mox Mistiolas, ist book place here I know, but thether any other persone was present, or comunicated with is my Lault. I think for Madison was either with us, or consulted but my memory to uncertain as to minule détains. I fear, dear Sir, we have noun in such another crisis, with this difference only that the indicibrand is alone and single handed in the present assaulty on the con- station at it, assaults are more sure and asadly, as from an agent seem-infly passive and unassuming, may you and your cotemporaries meet them with the determination and effect as your father and his did the ation and sedition laces, and preserve tohtition, which, themished in all it's chastity & punity, will have in the end a blessing to I all the matous of the garth, with these mayor picad those for your own hap •piness and prosperity. The following is a copy of Jefferson's draft, found among his papers, after his death, and certified to by his executor, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, as a true and exact transcript.1 THE JEFFERSON RESOLUTIONS Resolved, That the several States composing the United States of America, are not united on the principle of the unlimited submission to the General Government; but that by a compact under the style and title of a Constitution for the United States, and of amendments thereto, they constituted a General Government for special purposes, delegated to that Government certain definite powers, reserving each State to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self-government; and that whensoever the General Government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force; that to this compact, each State acceded as a State, and is an integral party; its co-States forming as to itself, the other party; that the Government created by this compact, was not made the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself; since that would have made its discretion and not the Constitution, the measure of its powers; but that, as in all other cases of compact among powers having no common judge, each party has an equal right to judge for itself; as well of infractions as of the mode and measure of redress. 2d. Resolved, That the Constitution of the United 1 "Two copies of these Resolutions are preserved among the manuscripts, both in his own handwriting," says the editor of the 1856 edition of "Jefferson's Works," IX, p. 464, note, "one is a rough draft, and the other very neatly and carefully prepared." For history of the copy used in this volume, see "Southern Bivouac," May, 1886, pp. 762-763, article by Col. R. T. Durrett. It is in the Durrett collection and is undoubtedly authentic. States having delegated to Congress a power to punish treason, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States; piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations, and no other crimes whatsoever; and it being true as a general principle, and one of the amendments to the Constitution having also declared that, "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or the people; therefore the act of Congress passed on the 14th July, 1798, and entitled, An act in addition to the act, entitled an act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States;" as also the act passed by them on the day of June, 1798, entitled "An act to punish frauds committed on the Bank of the United States;" (and all other their acts which assume to create, define or punish crimes, other than those so enumerated in the Constitution) are altogether void and of no force, and that the power to create, define and punish such other crimes is reserved, and of right appertains solely and exclusively to the respective States, each within. its own territory. 3d. Resolved, That it is true as a general principle and is also expressly declared, by one of the amendments to the Constitution that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, were reserved to the States respectively, or to the people; and that no power over the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or freedom of the press being delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, all lawful powers respecting the same did of right remain, and were reserved |