The Connecticut, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, aud Texas constitutions declare

“That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and that they have at all times an undeniable and indefeasible right to alter their form of government in such manner as they may think expedient."

The Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Oregon, and (in substance) Maine constitutions declare

"That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness: for the advancement of these ends, they have, at all times, an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their government, in such manner as they may think proper."

The Maryland constitution declares

"That all government of right originates from the people, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole; and they have at all times, according to the mode prescribed in this constitution, the unalienable right to alter, reform, or abolish their forms of government, in such manner as they may deem expedient."

The Virginia constitution of 1851 declares

"That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community of all the various modes and forms of government, that is best which is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety, and is most effectually secured against the danger of maladministration; and that when any government shall be found inadequate, or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal."

The Missouri constitution declares

"That the people of this state have the inherent, sole, and exclusive right of regulating the internal government and police thereof,

and of altering and abolishing their constitution and form of government, whenever it may be necessary to their safety and happiness."

The Iowa, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Ohio constitutions declare

"All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people; and they have the right, at all times, to alter or reform the same whenever the public good may require it."

The South Carolina and Illinois constitutions declare-"All power is originally vested in the people; and all free governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness."

FEDERAL FORTS ARE CONSTRUCTED BY PERMISSION OF THE STATES.

A state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, permits the United States' government to purchase and hold lands within its jurisdiction, for national purposes; such as for post-houses, custom offices, federal court-houses, arsenals, forts, navy and army depôts, &c. This permission is given by an act of the legislature of the state, as shown by the following statute passed by the Kentucky legislature, December 20th, 1803.

"Be it enacted by the general assembly of the commonwealth of Kentucky, That the purchase made by the United States, of five acres and six square poles of land in the town of Newport, and county of Campbell, for the purpose of erecting an arsenal and other public buildings thereon, shall, and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed, vesting in the United States the power to exercise the exclusive jurisdiction therein, saving to this commonwealth the right to demand and receive from the officer or other person who may have the command or direction thereof, any person charged with crimes committed in any other part of this state, or such

other person or persons as shall move there to evade the execution of the laws of this state."

GRADES OF TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENTS.

Before closing this chapter, we will recapitulate the epochs of government common to any given territorial domain, as practised in our past history.

1st. The period when the people inhabiting the territory had no voice whatever in the government; a governor and judges appointed by the president, adopted laws from the codes of the states, and executed them.

2nd. The next period was when the inhabitants were permitted to share in the government, by giving them a council composed of their own citizens (appointed by the president), to act with the judges in adopting laws.

3rd. The period, still later, when the inhabitants were permitted a territorial legislature, consisting of a House of Representatives, elected by themselves; a council appointed by the president; and liberty to originate laws: but all their acts, as in those of the two other grades, were subject to the approbation of Congress. At this epoch, the people of the territory were permitted, through courtesy, to elect a delegate to the lower house of Congress.

4th. The period when the inhabitants of the territory were permitted to frame a constitution, and organise a state government.

Until the organisation of the state government, the Congress of the United States exercised full and complete authority over the territories; but after that transition, the sovereignty irrevocably passed to the new state.

CHAPTER VI.

The United States' Confederation of 1781; Articles of Confederation proposed by the Congress; ratified by the Colonies, and the Government organised.

THE UNITED STATES' CONFEDERATION OF 1781. In order to effect a common and united defence, during the revolutionary war, the colonies deemed it necessary to form an alliance, in the nature of a league and perpetual union. The Congress was composed of representatives from the respective colonies. It was but a convention of delegates, assembled together in one body, to consult upon the affairs of the country, and recommend all needful measures to their constituencies. The convention could only act in such matters as might have been previously permitted by the states. During the first years of the war, the colonists were engaged in the formation of state constitutional governments, and the Congress was to some extent neglected. In order to accomplish the independence of the country, the united action of the people, directed towards the fulfilment of the same measures, was found to be indispensably necessary. To attain this great desideratum, the Congress of 1777 recommended to the different states, for adoption, the following organic instrument; viz.

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION AND PERPETUAL UNION. To all to whom these presents shall come, we the undersigned delegates of the states affixed to our names, send greeting.-Whereas the dele

gates of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, did, on the 15th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1777, and in the second year of the independence of America, agree to certain articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, in the words following; viz.—

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

ARTICLE I.-The style of this confederacy shall be "The United States of America."

ARTICLE II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled.

ARTICLE III.-The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever.

ARTICLE IV.—The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among the people of the different states in this Union, the free inhabitants of each of these states-paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice excepted-shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several states; and the people of each state shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other state, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such restriction shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any state, to any other state of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also that no imposition, duties, or restriction shall be laid by any state on the property of the United States, or either of them.