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Show 48 THE FEDERAL CONVENTION. . In certain cases, the ~nthorily of other Stn.tcs as aliens.. ·l, l-·1s in violation, not only f, l ·· r was dtsreg;n.t ( CC ' the con ec enc; '· t f ~t·en.Lics wi Lh Prance and t f }>eacc ull 0 L ' of the trea. Y 0 ' ' 1. . d of to Con o-rcss. In . hi ell were com p t1111C b . H oll and , wt h l i'cdera1 4 l ·· ty was violated by t reaties a.th lOll ' other cases, . o . b . G corgi a; by troop raised and wars wtLh Indtans, as y b Massa- < I·c >t u witbont tho consent of Cougrcss, as y ' aln d "~ Ll . bpy COD1J)acts W"l Ll lOll t the consent of Congress, .a s cL eIUtwSCeLe ns , P ennsylvant. a anLi N cw •J c, t.s c'Y , ,a n. d be. tween Vu·- . . d l\" . I d l41 rom the l cg i ~ laLt ve J ou rn als of fl'IJ1HL all LUIJ an . . 1 f • ~ . . . • t a})]1ears lL} l un Ll w" vole I rcfu Ill!, !, lo app y Ot a V trgmta, 1 • ' . ,0 b a vote ao·ai nst the S"I1CLion of Congress, was foliO\\ y o l . l c<o• mmnnication of the compact to Co ngt. c s . In t 10 w er- ual admm. 1. strat1. 0n o f qL 1e Stutes ' a violation •o f contracts• had become fa nn.1 t. ar., l·n the form of dcprectaiecl papClf, 1 a lertal tender, of properly snb ·Lituicd for money,. o ~::~~men~ laws and of the occlusions of the courts of JUSd- 1t ·1c e , a1Lhonrrh e' vident that a 11 sue 1l l.l l terfcrenccs a[eclc tl ' ··o·llts oo f other Stale 'rclat.t ve1 y ere d ·I t or.s , as we1 1 as te no . . S l A non (Y" ciLizen creditors wtLhm the La c. the defects I o . . . 1 "ch had been severely felt, was wrtnt of a. untformtty 111 wca slle s reqn1.11. ·1 10~" t'L , """S h' ws of na.t uraliza.t ion. . nnd b. ankdruplcy; a coer C1·v e """U thori ty 0]1erailllg on mcltvH1nals ' an a guarantee of the internal tranqt:illi~y of the Stale~. . - As a natural consequence of lhis distracted and d ~s h eat t ening condition of the Union, Ute_ fec1e_r<:l auth~nty l:nd ceased to be respected abroad, and dt post LIOns w ~IC sh?. , particularly in Great Brilaill, to lake ad vantage of unbcc tllty, and to speculate on its approaching downfall. At ho_me, it had lost all conGclcnce and credit; the un. table uncl unJUSt career of the SLate had also forfeited the rc8pcct ancl ?o nfi~ dence essential lo order and good government , involvmg general decay of conftdence and credit Letwccn rna~ m:~ man. It was found, moreover, that those least partw.l popular government, or most d1·s LrusL(' u1 o r 1· ts c m1c a cy , were 'l'IIE FEDERAL CONVEN'J.1ION. 49 yielding to anticipations, that, from an increase of the confusion, a government might resulL more conge nial with th eir taste or their opiuions; whil st those nw. t devoted to the principles and forms of republics were alarm ed fo r the cam;c of liberty itself, at stake in the American experiment., and anxious for a system tbat woulu avoid the inefllcacy of a mere loose confederacy, without passing in to the opposite extreme of a consol id ated govel'llmcnt. It was known that there were individuals who hau betrayed a bias toward monarchy, and there had always been some not uufuvoral>le to a pnrLilion of the Uniou in to several confeucracics, either from a better chance of jir;u1·ing on a sectional theatre, or that the sections would require stronger governments, or, by their hostile co nilicls, lead to a monarchical consolidation. The idea of dismemberment had recently made its appearance in the newspapers. Such were the defects, tl1e deform i tics, t1Jc diseases, and tlte omin ous prospects, for which the Conveution was to provide a remedy, and wllich ought never to be overlooked in expounding and appreciating the co nstitutional charter, tho remedy that was provided. As a sketch on paper, the earlie ·t, pcrl1aps, of a constitutional government for the U nion, (o rganizcu inLo regular dcparlmcn ts, with ph ysicnl mea us opcrali ng on i ndi vid uals,) to be sanctioned by the p eople o.f the States, acting in their original and sovereign clwrnc ter, waR contained in Lhc lellers of J ames Mad is on to Thontas J c!Tu rsou, of the 19th of March; to Govern ot· Randolph, of the 8th of April; and to General vVashiugton, of the 16Lh of April, 1787. ~rhe feature in these letters which veslcL1 in t he general au thority a negative on the laws of the SLates, was snggeslcd by the ucgaLive in the head of t.he llri lish Empire, which prevented collisions between the parts and the wh ole, and between the parts themselves. It was supposed that the substitution of an clccti vc and rcsponsiule authority for an 4 |