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Jensen, Merrill (ed.) / Ratification of the Constitution by the states: Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut
(1978)
V. Commentaries on the Constitution, 13 November 1787-7 January 1788, pp. 456-534
Page 524
CONNECTICUT/7 JAN. 1788 A Citizen of New Haven Connecticut Courant, 7 January' Observations on the new Federal CONSTITUTION. In order to form a good constitution of government, the legislature should be properly organized and be vested with plenary powers for all the purposes for which the government is instituted to be exercised for the public good as occasion may require. The greatest security that a people can have for the enjoyment of their rights and liberties is that no laws can be made to bind them nor any taxes be imposed upon them without their consent by representa- tives of their own choosing, who will participate with them in the public burthens and benefits; this was the great point contended for in our controversy with Great Britain, and this will be fully secured to us by the new Constitution. The rights of the people will be se- cured by a representation in proportion to their numbers in one branch of the legislature, and the rights of the particular states by their equal representation in the other branch. The President and Vice President as well as the members of Con- gress will be eligible for fixed periods and may be reelected as often as the electors shall think fit, which will be a great security for their fidelity in office, and will give greater stability and energy to govern- ment than an exclusion by rotation, and will be an operative and effectual security against arbitrary government, either monarchial or aristocratic. The immediate security of the civil and domestic rights of the people will be in the governments of the particular states. And as the different states have different local interests and customs which can be best regulated by their own laws, it would not be expedient to admit the federal government to interfere with them any further than may be necessary for the good of the whole. The great end of the federal government is to protect the several states in the enjoyment of those rights against foreign invasion, and to preserve peace and a beneficial intercourse among themselves, and to regulate and protect their com- merce with foreign nations. These were not sufficiently provided for by the former Articles of Confederation, which was the occasion of calling the late Convention to make amendments. This they have done by forming a new Con- stitution containing the powers vested in the federal government under the former, with such additional powers as they deemed necessary to attain the ends the states had in view in their appointment. And to carry those powers into effect, they thought it necessary to make some alterations in the organization of the government; this they supposed to be warranted by their commission. 524
Copyright 1978 Wisconsin Historical Society Press.| For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright