1456. COMPACT, The Federal.—
The
States in North America which confederated
to establish their independence of the Government
of Great Britain, of which Virginia was
one, became, on that acquisition free and independent
States, and as such, authorized to
constitute governments, each for itself, in
such form as it thought best. They entered
into a compact (which is called the Constitution
of the United States of America),
by which they agreed to unite in a single
government as to their relations with each
other and with foreign nations, and as to certain
other articles particularly specified. They
retained at the same time, each to itself the
other rights of independent government, comprehending
mainly their domestic interests.
For the administration of their Federal
branch, they agreed to appoint, in conjunction,
a distinct set of functionaries, legislative, executive
and judiciary, in the manner settled in
that compact: while to each, severally, and
of course remained its original right of appointing,
each for itself, a separate set of
functionaries, legislative, executive and judiciary,
also for administering the domestic
branch of their respective governments.
These two sets of officers, each independent
of the other, constitute thus a whole of government,
for each State separately; the powers
ascribed to the one, as specifically made
federal, exercisable over the whole, the residuary
powers, retained to the other, exercisable
exclusively over its particular
State, foreign herein, each to the others,
as they were before the original compact.—
Declaration and Protest of Virginia. Washington ed. ix, 496.
Ford ed., x, 349.
(Dec. 1825)
