The National Constitution

(In 1853, the writer made a very careful copy of the Constitution of the United States, from the original in the State Department at Washington City, together with the autographs of the members of the Convention who signed it. In orthography, capital letters, and punctuation, the copy here given may be relied upon as correct, it having been subsequently carefully compared with a copy published by Mr. Hickey, in his useful little volume, entitled The Constitution of the United States of America, etc., and attested, on the 20th of July, 1846, by Nicholas P. Trist, Chief Clerk of the State Department.)

Objects.

WE the People of the United States,(Previous to the Revolution, there were three forms of government in the Colonies, namely, Charter, Proprietary, and Provincial. The charter governments were Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. They had power to make laws not inconsistent with those of England. The proprietary governments were Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Their governors were appointed by their proprietors, and these and the proprietors usually made the laws. The provincial were New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In these the governor and his council were appointed by the crown, and these, with chosen representatives of the people, made the laws.

The Union is older than the Constitution. It was formed in the first Continental Congress by the representatives of thirteen separate but not independent nor sovereign provinces, for they had ever been subject to the British crown. Then the inhabitants of those colonies were solemnly leagued as one people, and two years later they declared themselves collectively independent of Great Britain, and recognized the supremacy of the Continental Congress as a central government. See Curtis's History of the Constitution, i. 39, 40. The plan of independent State governments then adopted having failed, a national one was formed, and the framers of the Constitution, to give emphasis to the fact, said in the preamble of the instrument, "We the people of the United States," instead of "We the people of Massachusetts, New York," et cetera. So argued the Supreme Court. See Wheaton's S. C. Reports, i. 304.) in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,(Six objects, it is seen, were to be obtained, each having a national breadth of purpose.) do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.

Article I

Legislative Powers.

SECTION I. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.(The members of the House of Representatives are elected to seats therein for two years, and they hold two regular sessions or sittings during that time. Each full term is called a Congress. Senators are elected by the State legislatures, to serve for six years.)

House of Representatives.

SECTION 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.(There is a Senate and House of Representatives, or Assembly, in each State. Any person qualified to vote for a member of his State Assembly, may vote for a member of the National House of Representatives.)

Qualifications of Representatives.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty-five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.(A person born in a foreign country, may be elected a representative after he has been for seven years a citizen of the United States.)

Apportionment of Representatives.