had signed it, unless the congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

66

Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the senate and house of representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjournment) shall be presented to the president of the United States; and, before the same shall take effect, shall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, shall be re-passed by two-thirds of the senate and house of representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill.

"Sect. 8. The congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States.

"To borrow money on the credit of the United States.

"To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.

"To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States. "To coin money, regulate the value thereof and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures.

"To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.

"To establish post-offices and post-roads. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.

"To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court.

"To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations.

"To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning cap tures on land and water.

"To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years.

"To provide and maintain a navy.

"To make rules for the government and regulation of the and and naval forces.

To provide for calling forth the militia, to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.

"To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia, according to the discipline prescribed by congress.

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state, in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings. And

"To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution, in the government of the United States, or in any department or office thereof.

"Sect. 9. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the congress, prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight; but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.

"The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

"No bill of attainder, or ex post facto law, shall be passed.

"No capitation, or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census, or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

"No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state. No preference shall be given, by any regulation of commerce or revenue, to the ports of one state over those

"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States; and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them shall, without the consent of the congress, accept of any present, emoluinent, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

"Sect. 10. No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; omit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and silver coin, a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

"No state shall, without the consent of the congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws; and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States; and all such law shall be subject to the revision and controul of the congress. No state shall, without the consent of congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.

66 ARTICLE II.

"Sect. 1. The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years; and, together with the vice-president, chosen for the same term, be elected as follows

"Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress; but

no senator or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.

And

"The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each, which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall, in the presence of the senate and house of representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the house of representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for president; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the said house shall in like manner choose the president. But in choosing the president, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the president, the person having the greatest number of voters of the electors shall be the vice-president. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the senate shall choose from them by ballot the vice-president.

"The congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States.

"No person, except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president; neither shall any person be eligible to that office, who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States,

K

"In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice-president, and the congress may, by law, provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the president and vice-president, declaring what officer shall then act as president, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected.

"The president shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation, which shall neither be encreased or diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.

"Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend, the constitution of the United States."

"Sect. 2. The president shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective' offices, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. "He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur: and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the senate shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law. But the congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they may think proper, in the president alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

The president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session.

"Sect. 3. He shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient: he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers: he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

"Sect. 4. The president, vice-president, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours. "ARTICLE III.

"Sect. 1. The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme court, and in such inferior courts as the congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.

"Sect. 2. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity, arising under this constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting ambassadors, or other public ministers and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party; to controversies between two or more states, between a state and citizens of another state, between citizens of different states, between citizens of the same state claiming lands un-, der grants of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or subjects.

"In all cases affecting ambassadors, other

public ministers, and consuls, and those in which a state shall be party, the supreme court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before-mentioned, the supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations, as the congress shall make.

66

The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury; and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such place or places as the congress may by law have directed.

"Sect. 3. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

"The congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted.

"ARTICLE IV.

"Sect. 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the congress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings, shall be proved, and the effect thereof.

"Sect. 2. The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.

"A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall, on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime.

"No person held to service or labour in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into any other, shall, in consequence of any any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labour, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.

"Sect. 3. New states may be admitted by the congress into this union; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned, as well as of the congress.

"The congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property be. longing to the United States; and nothing in this constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state.

"Sect. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

"The congress, whenever two-thirds o both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this constitution, or, on the application of the legislature of twothirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by.conventions in threefourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the congress: provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the senate.

Virginia,.....

"ARTICLE VII.

"The ratification of the conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution between the states so ratifying the same.

New Hampshire,

Massachusetts,...

Connecticut,. New York,........

"Done in convention, by the unanimous consent of the states present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names. "GEORGE WASHINGTON, president, And deputy from Virginia. John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, JWm. Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman, Alexander Hamilton, William Livingston, David Brearley, William Patterson, Jonathan Dayton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimmons, Jared Ingersol, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, George Read, Gunning Bedford, jun. John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom,

New Jersey,....

Pennsylvania,....

Delaware,..

Georgia,

66

James M Henry

Daniel of St. Thomas
Jenifer,

Daniel Carroll,
(John Blair,

James Madison, jun.
William Blount,
Richard Dobbs Spaight,
(Hugh Williamsor
(John Rutledge,
Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney,
Charles Pinckney,
Pierce Butler,
William Few,
Abraham Baldwin.

Attest. WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary."

The contest between Great Britain and the United States had excited, so long as the conflict with Buonaparte continued, only a confined and partial interest, and when the downfall of Napoleon had inflamed our pride and surpassed our expectations, we looked forward to the same good fortune and success in the prosecution of our trans-atlantic hostilities. It was believed, with more national vanity than prudence, that Britain, so long the undisputed mistress of the ocean, would soon sweep the seas of all the American ships and that the troops who had so gloriously proved their warlike prowess in the Peninsula, had only to appear on the frontiers of the United States, to obtain a certain and easy victory over the undisciplined forces of America. It was confidently predicted that our troops would advance without loss or interruption to the capital, and that our successes would induce the inhabitants of the northern states to separate from those of the southern provinces. Deluded by the false representations of the American newspapers, our ill informed and sanguine politicians anticipated the defeat and downfall of the republican party, and on the eve of every new election for officers of state loudly predicted the discomfiture of Mr. Madison and his friends. The stability, however, of that gentleman's power was at this period confirmed and secured by the pacific tenor of his language and his conduct. He reflected, that if the war were prolonged for many years it would entail on the United