Page:Works of John C. Calhoun, v1.djvu/128

 styled "National." But, finally, the latter gained the ascendency, when the term "National" was superseded, and "United States" substituted in its place. The constitution was accordingly styled — "The constitution of the United States of America" — and the government — "The government of the United States" leaving out "America," for the sake of brevity. It cannot admit of a doubt, that the Convention, by the expression "United States," meant the States united in a federal Union; for in no other sense could they, with propriety, call the government, "the federal government of these States" — and "the general government of the Union" — as they did in the letter referred to. It is thus clear, that the Convention regarded the different expressions — "the federal government of the United States" — "the general government of the Union" — and — "government of the United States" — as meaning the same thing — a federal, in contradistinction to a national government.

Assuming it then, as established, that they are the same, it is only necessary, in order to ascertain with precision, what they meant by "federal government" — to ascertain what they meant by "the government of the United States." For this purpose it will be necessary to trace the expression to its origin.

It was, at that time, as our history shows, an old and familiar phrase — having a known and well-defined meaning. Its use commenced with the political birth of these States; and it has been applied to them, in all the forms of government through which