execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasion; to organize and discipline the militia,* and to govern such of them as might be employed in the service of the United States; to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over such district, not exceeding ten miles square, as might, by cession of particular States and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government; and to exercise a like authority over all places purchased, with consent of the legislature of the State in which the same might be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings; to make all laws which should be necessary and proper for carrying into effect the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by the Constitution in the government of the United States or in any department or officer thereof.

To Congress it was expressly forbidden: To prohibit the migration or importation of such persons (i.e., blacks, imported as slaves) as any of the exhibited to isting States might think proper to admit,

Acts pro

Congress. prior to 1808; to suspend the writ of habeas

corpus, unless when, in cases of invasion or rebellion, the public safety might require it; to pass any bill of attainder or ex-post facto law; to levy any capitation or other direct tax unless in proportion to population; to lay any tax or duty on articles exported from any State; to give preference, by any regulation of commerce or revenue, to the ports of one State over those of another. To the States it was expressly forbidden: To enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; hibited to the grant "letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of

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States.

*To the States was reserved the appointment of officers and the training of the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.

debts; pass any bill of attainder or ex-post facto law or laws impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility; to levy, without the consent of Congress, any imposts or duties on imports or exports except what might be absolutely necessary for executing the inspection laws of any State; to lay, without the consent of Congress, any duty of tonnage; keep troops or ships of war in times of peace; or engage in war unless actually invaded or in such imminent danger as would not admit of delay.

In the Second Article, relating to the Executive, it was declared: That the executive power should be vested in the President of the United States, a natural-born citizen, who, with a Vice-President, should hold office for four years; that the President and the Vice-President should be chosen by Electors, who, for each State, should be equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which that State might be entitled in Congress the time of choosing Electors and the day on which they should give their votes (uniform throughout the United States) being determined by Congress; that, in case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability, the Vice-President should succeed, Congress being authorized to provide by law for a further succession; that the President should be commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces; and should have power to grant re- Powers and prieves and pardons for offences against the duties of the United States, except in cases of impeachment; that he should have power, by and with the consent of two-thirds of the Senate, to make treaties with foreign nations; that he should nominate, and, by and

Executive.

*Such inspection laws to be subject to the revision and control of Congress; and the net produce of all such duties and imposts to be for the use of the United States.

with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court and all other officers of the United States whose appointment should not otherwise be provided for and which should be established by law; that in the recess of the Senate the President should have power to fill all vacancies which might occur, such commissions to expire at the end of the next session; that the President should from time to time give Congress information of the state of the Union and recommend such measures as he might deem necessary and expedient; that the President should receive ambassadors and other public ministers; that he should take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and should commission all officers of the United States; that the President, VicePresident, and all the civil officers of the United States should be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.

The judicial

The Third Article provided for the Judiciary. It was declared that the judicial power of the United States should be vested in one Supreme Court and power and in such inferior tribunals as Congress might jurisdiction. from time to time establish, the judges holding their offices during good behavior; that the judicial power should extend to all cases, in law or equity, arising under the Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made under their authority, to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, to all controversies to which the United States should be a party, to controversies between two or more States, between a

* Congress having the power to vest by law the appointment of such inferior officers as they might think proper in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

State and citizens of another State, between citizens of different States, between citizens of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and between a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign States, citizens, or subjects. In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, and those in which a State should be a party, the Supreme Court should have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned the Supreme Court should have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions and under such regulations as the Congress might make. The trial of all crimes, except in case of impeachment, should be by jury, such trial being held in the State in which such crimes should have been committed. Treason against the United States should consist only in levying war against them or in giving aid and comfort to their enemies no person to be convicted of treason except upon the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or upon confession in open court. In another place it was provided that Congress should have power to declare the punishment of treason; but that no attainder of treason should work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.

The Fourth Article governed the relations between individual States and between the States and the United

States and

with the Unit

ed States.

States. It was provided: That full faith Relations and credit should be given in each State between the to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State; that the citizens of each State should be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States; that any person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other crime, who should flee from justice and be found in another State, should, on the demand of the executive authority of the State from

which he fled, be delivered up; that no person held to service or labor (apprentice or slave) in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, should, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but should be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor was due; that new States might be admitted into the Union; but that no new State should be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State, nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States or parts of States, without the consent of the legislatures of the States concerned, as well as of Congress; that Congress should have power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting, the territory belonging to the United States; that the United States should guarantee to every State a republican form of government; and should protect each of them against invasion, and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature could not be convened), against domestic violence.

Amendments.

The Fifth Article provided for amendments to the Constitution, as follows: Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses should deem it necessary, should propose amendments to the Constitution, or, on the application of the legislature of twothirds of the several States, should call a convention for proposing amendments, which in either case should be valid, as part of the Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification might be proposed by Congress; provided that no State without its consent should be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

The Sixth Article declared: That all debts contracted and engagements entered into before the adop