Слике страница
PDF
ePub

THE

COLUMBIAN CONSTITUTION.

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS,

AND

PREAMBLE

TO THE

COLUMBIAN CONSTITUTION.

WHEREAS the course of foreign speculation

in consequence of having eventuated in the overthrow of the world's maritime equilibrium, and the assumption of universal dominion at the exorbitance of an inaccessible island; an event as great and unexpected as our former union was unprepared to endure; its inefficient constitution, clashing partitions, and precarious frontiers, being already prostrated, makes no resistance to an age confounded with the preponderance of human power. Having failed to assert our rights abroad, because pressed into parties at home under the deluding influence of the world's triumphant foe, floating at piratical will beyond the vortex of divided reach, without any maritime balance or domestic restraint, to retard its growing crimes.

Our unity of government, being lost with the down. fall of naval Europe which declared and protected us independent states, and having at home no prohibitory bar to the fury of naval vengeance abroad. Therefore for the defence of our ravaged rights, we declare that an impenetrable general union of undivided country, with no other British bounds than the ocean's shore, remains a competent barrier to our independence against an age of oppression as unequal and unbounded in surrounding extreme, as the United States were inadequate to common defence.

As in consequence of the unfortunate fall of naval Europe which once aided the standard of American

C

independence and balanced the fury of naval speculation, having eventuated in an insurmountable dominion over every sea and helpless people, accessible to its inroads of invading oppression. So indispensable necessity demands an extended general government over every weak people of North America, for the restoration of their common rights and independence, from augmented power.

Against the unrestrained tyrant of the world, clothing in vast armaments along contiguous land her intermeddling danger, with a still increasing population for the perpetual war and slavery of the new world foreign to the rightful ownership of aggrandizing nobles, JUSTICE commands us to unite. The equitable rights of all men by creation, being equal in the liberty of voting for their executive, and of legislating in their proper turns according to their talents and virtue, as the majority shall govern; the ocean's shore shall therefore (as soon as may be) debar all other rules in North America. (A)

That all republics have been restored by revolting from the arms of confounded parties is evident; we have the example of our fathers who united from like parties of foreign danger to a prosperous union, and whose exemplary wisdom commands their wiser, brayer, more powerful and better prepared sons, to rouse from their foul parties of deathly danger, to a far more efficient and extended union, than the one which has failed to protect them.

We, the People of the United States, therefore, that for our reformation and the preservation of all that country, that unity of government, and that liberty for which our fathers fought, declare that when expedient we will establish more firmly with the following amendment to the Constitution of the United States, our national independence of North America under the name of the COLUMBIAN CONSTITUTION.

For the support of this declaration, with a firm re"liance on the protection of divine providence, we "mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honors."

AMENDMENT

TO THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

ARTICLE I.

SECT. 1. WE, the People of the country heretofore called North America, determined to be free, do declare our enemies rebels, and ourselves CoLUMBIANS. And we do hereby mutually acknowledge the following instrument our free and voluntary agreement, by which to understand our rightful government. Which instrument, together with the Constitution of the United States and its amendments, shall be styled the COLUMBIAN CONSTITUTION, and authorise us and our suc cessors to appoint a certain sovereign agency to be styled the COLUMBIAN GOVERNMENT, for the general union of all the country now under the jurisdiction of the United States, and of all, or any more of North America according to this Constitution. And which inhabited country acknowledging the jurisdiction of the same, shall be styled the COLUMLIAN UNION. And all territory of the said North America, as shall happen under the Columbian Government, shall be distinctly known by the sacred name of COLUMBIA. (B)

For the mutual correspondence of the Columbian Government to its country, the geometrical degrees and minutes of Columbia shall constitute certain unalterable oblong squares and subdivided squares, for distinguishing the particular relation, certain rectan gular districts, and other divisions and subdivisions into counties and towns shall bear to each other and to Columbia generally. Which oblong squares and subdivided squares shall be termed the degrees and minutes of Columbia; and be those situated between the parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude, which shall extend and in numeral order be distinctly num

bered from the equator northerly; and easterly and westerly from a certain given meridian which shall coincide with a certain point to be immovably fixed, whereon shall be erected the monument of the late General GEORGE WASHINGTON. And in the immediate vicinity of said monument and on the same given meridian shall finally be the central seat of the Columbian Government, whereon the COLUMBIAN Congress, (as shall be styled) shall require the erection of a certain building, proper for the assembly and business of the higher branch of the Columbian Congress, Which building shall be styled the COLUMBIAN CAPITOL; and which with others conveniently near and proper for all the congressional business of the CoJumbian Union, (C) the seat of the COLUMBIAN GoVERNMENT, and town of their situation be styled the CITY of WASHINGTON, and County that of COLUMBIA. The Columbian Capitol shall continue and be repaired if required, in the District of Columbia where now in ruin situated, (except for a temporary removal if necessary) until a majority of two thirds of three Columbian Congresses shall declare its final removal; and when thus declared, the last of which three Congresses and the Congress next following said last shall each appoint and authorise an exploring committee with alike power. Which committees shall each (as properly directed) explore and report to the Congress next following their respective appointments the result of their enquiries in regard to the situation of, and the adjacent country which surrounds the most proper seat in their opinion for the Columbian Capitol; and which seat shall be so properly designated, as that the Columbian Capitol shall be situated directly on some one of the meridians of west longitude from that which coincides with the late ruined Capitol of the United States of America, (D) and from the reported doings of both of which committees, whenever a majority of two thirds of two Columbian Congresses, shall agree to one and the same point whereon shall be erected the Columbian Capitol, it shall become a law for that purpose. Which Colum

bian Capitol seat when ascertained shall be the COLUMBIAN OBSERVATORY, and that meridian therewith coincident the CAPITOL MERIDIAN.

SECT. 2. The Columbian Union shall consist of more or less great alterable divisions, bearing the names of DISTRICTS, and particularly distinguished by different titles and numbers; and the following states, colonies and territories, until regulated according to this Constitution, shall each constitute one District of the numbers subjoined to them respectively as follows, viz: New-York shall constitute the first district-Vermont second-New-Hampshire thirdDistrict of Maine fourth-Rhode-Island fifth-Massachusetts sixth-Connecticut seventh-New-Jersey eighth-Delaware ninth-Maryland tenth-Pennsylvania eleventh Ohio twelfth-Kentucky thirteenthVirginia fourteenth-District of Columbia fifteenthNorth-Carolina sixteenth-South Carolina seventeenth -Georgia eighteenth-Mississippi Territory nineteenth-New-Orleans twentieth-Louisiana twentyfirst-Tennessee twenty-second-Illinois Territory twenty-third Indiana Territory twenty-fourth-Missouri Territory twenty-fifth-Michigan Territory twen ty-sixth-North-Western Territory twenty-seventhand when annexed to the Columbian Union-UpperCanada twenty-eighth-Lower Canada twenty-ninthNova Scotia thirtieth-New Brunswick thirty-firstNewfoundland thirty-second-East Florida thirty-third

and West Florida thirty-fourth-and the number of which Districts the Columbian Congress when necessarily required according to this Constitution shall diminish or increase, and wholly or partly alter, or compound any of them, or add new Districts thereto; but which Districts as soon as may be, shall always be arranged in as square and convenient forms as the situ ation and population of the Columbian Union shall from time to time require; and be so uniformly equal as to their population, that each District shall elect not less than twenty nor more than thirty members to the lower branch of the Columbian Congress, according to this Constitution; and yet, so that each District

« ПретходнаНастави »