and within the time agreed on by the United States in Congress assembled: but if the United States in Congress assembled shall, on consideration of circumstances, judge proper that any state should not raise men, or should raise a smaller number than its quota, and that any other state should raise a greater number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be raised, officered, clothed, armed, and equipped in the same manner as the quota of such state, unless the legislature of such state shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely spared out of the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, clothe, arm, and equip as many of such extra number as they judge can be safely spared. And the officers and men so clothed, armed, and equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in Congress assembled.

The United States, in Congress assembled, shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of marque and reprisal in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defence and welfare of the United States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of vessels of war to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander-in-chief of the army or navy, unless nine states assent to the same: nor shall a question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day, be determined, unless by the votes of a majority of the United States in Congress assembled.

The Congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within the United States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of six months, and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except such parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances, or military operations, as in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each state on any question shall be entered on the journal, when it is desired by any delegate; and the delegates of a state, or any of them, at his or their request, shall be furnished with a transcript of the said journal, except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the several states.

ARTICLE X.-The committee of the states, or any nine of them,

shall be authorised to execute, in the recess of Congress, such of the powers of Congress as the United States in Congress assembled, by the consent of nine states, shall from time to time think expedient to vest them with; provided that no power be delegated to the said committee, for the exercise of which, by the articles of confederation, the voice of nine states in the Congress of the United States assembled, is requisite.

ARTICLE XI.—Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union: but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine states.

ARTICLE XII.—All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by, or under the authority of Congress, before the assembling of the United States, in pursuance of the present confederation, shall be deemed and considered as a charge against the United States, for payment and satisfaction whereof, the said United States and the public faith are hereby solemnly pledged.

ARTICLE XIII.-Every state shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation is submitted to them. And the articles of this confederation shall be inviolably observed by every state, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every state.

And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of, and to authorise us to ratify the said articles of confederation and perpetual union. Know Ye that we the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained and we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which by the said confederation are submitted to them. And that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by

the states we respectively represent, and that the Union shall be perpetual. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress.-Done at Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, the 9th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1778, and in the third year of the independence of America.

THE ARTICLES RATIFIED, AND THE GOVERNMENT

ORGANISED.

These articles were ratified by the respective states, in time, as follows:-On the 9th of July, 1778, they were signed by the delegates from the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. On the 21st of July they were ratified by North Carolina: on the 24th of the same month, by Georgia: on the 26th of November, by New Jersey: on the 5th of May, 1779, by Delaware; and, on the 1st of March, 1781, by Maryland. The first Congress of the confederation government met on the 2nd of March, 1781, the day after Maryland had ratified the articles for its formation. From this date commenced the "Confederation of the United States"-an important step towards the establishment of a nation! It will be observed, that each of the states retained "its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which was not, by the articles of confederation, expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled." It was to be "a firm league of friendship," "a perpetual union," for their common defence and mutual welfare. It was to enable the whole to resist all attacks made upon them, or any one of them. Such was the solemn obligation entered into by the

respective colonies, one with the other. It was not to be an agreement for the time being; but it was to continue for ever it was irrevocable; and no state reserved the right to withdraw from the new government. The articles formed a compact; and each of the thirteen colonies signed that perpetual league, and thereafter sent delegates to the national Congress. The organisation of the confederation was made complete in conformity with the stipulations contained in the articles. Notwithstanding the solemnity of the compact, and the pledge of permanency, before ten years had passed, eleven of the thirteen states seceded from the confederation, and formed a new government.

We will now recapitulate the epochs of the national government.

1st. The thirteen separate colonial charter or patent governments, exercising power derived from the throne of Great Britain.

2nd. The rebellion epoch, which ended on the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776.

3rd. The revolutionary period, dating from July 4th, 1776, from which time the common interests of the colonies were managed by a Congress, or a convention, composed of delegates from the respective colonial governments in revolt, until 1781.

4th. The confederation of the United States, organised as a" perpetual union," and intended to be a national government, March 2nd, 1781; and, subsequent to this, was—

5th. The constitutional government of the United States of America, perfected by the inauguration of General Washington, April 30th, 1789.

M

CHAPTER VII.

Failure of the Confederation of 1781; adoption of the Constitution of 1787; Ratification of the Constitution by the States; Organisation of the United States' Government.

FAILURE OF THE CONFEDERATION OF 1781.

After the close of the revolutionary war, in 1783, the national government, organised in conformity with the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union," was found to be impracticable. The states were indifferent about carrying out the recommendations of the confederation Congress. The cessation of the long war had produced a singular disposition among the people to let things glide along with as little concern as possible. Congress assessed the states for the necessary moneys to sustain the government, and for the payment of the national debt. Some of them promptly paid the levy; but others disregarded or neglected the appeals. It was difficult to collect the assessments from the people. The war had ceased, and the necessity for a government revenue could not be appreciated by many of the people called upon for the payment of taxes. The confederation government was soon found to be inoperative, and a complete failure; it was but a mere agency, and had not the power to enforce its own decrees.

With a view to consummate the greatest good for the