Webster, and so many others
supposed, but were made so by the unwritten constitution, born
with and inherent in them.
CHAPTER XI.
THE CONSTITUTION--CONTINUED.
Providence, or God operating through historical facts,
constituted the American people one political or sovereign
people, existing and acting in particular communities,
organizations, called states. This one people organized as
states, meet in convention, frame and ordain the constitution of
government, or institute a general government in place of the
Continental Congress; and the same people, in their respective
State organizations, meet in convention in each State, and frame
and ordain a particular government for the State individually,
which, in union with the General government, constitutes the
complete and supreme government within the States, as the General
government, in union with all the particular governments,
constitutes the complete and supreme government of the nation or
whole country. This is clearly the view taken by Mr. Madison in
his letter to Mr. Everett, when freed from his theory of the
origin of government in compact.
The constitution of the people as one people, and the
distinction at the same time of this one people into particular
States, precedes the convention, and is the unwritten
constitution, the Providential constitution, of the American
people or civil society, as distinguished from the constitution
of the government, which, whether general or particular, is the
ordination of civil society itself.
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