Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/70

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS (in some of the States) is chosen, not directly by the people, but by those who are chosen by the people, for the purpose of performing, among other duties, that of electing a governor. Is the government of the State, on that account, not a popular government? This government, sir, is the independent offspring of the popular will. It is not the creature of State Legislatures ; nay, more, if the whole trath must be told, the people brought it into existence, established it, and have hitherto supported it, for the very pur- pose, among others, of imposing certain salu- tary restraints on State sovereignties. The States can not now make war ; they can not con- tract alliances ; they can not make, each for itself, separate regulations of commerce; they can not lay imposts; they can not coin money. If this Constitution, sir, be the creature of State Legis- latures, it must be admitted that it has obtained a strange control over the volitions of its creators. To avoid all possibility of being misunder- stood, allow me to repeat again, in the fullest manner, that I claim no powers for the govern- ment by forced or unfair construction. I admit that it is a government of strictly limited pow- ers — of enumerated, specified, and particularized powers, and that whatsoever is not granted is withheld. But notwithstanding all this, and however the grant of powers may be expressed, its limit and extent may yet, in some cases, admit of doubt; and the general government would be good for nothing, it would be incapable 60