e　he　makes　the　government　a　mixture　of　a　　consolidated　government　and　a　confederated　government；　but　　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　exclusively。　　Say　the　people　of　the　　United　States　were　one　people　in　all　232　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　respects；　and　under　a　　government　which　is　neither　a　consolidated　nor　a　confederated　　government；　nor　yet　a　mixture　of　the　two；　but　a　government　in　　which　the　powers　of　government　are　divided　between　a　general　　government　and　particular　governments；　each　emanating　from　the　　same　source；　and　you　will　have　the　simple　fact；　and　precisely　　what　Mr。　Madison　means；　when　is　eliminated　what　is　derived　from　　his　theory　of　the　origin　of　government　in　compact。　　It　is　this　　theory　of　the　conventional　origin　of　the　constitution；　and　which　　excludes　the　Providential　or　real　constitution　of　the　people；　　that　has　misled　him　and　so　many　other　eminent　statesmen　and　　constitutional　lawyers。
  The　convention　did　not　create　the　Union　or　unite　the　States；　for　　it　was　assembled　by　the　authority　of　the　United　States　who　were　　present　in　it。　　The　United　States　or　Union　existed　before　the　　convention；　as　the　convention　itself　affirms　in　declaring　one　of　　its　purposes　to　be　〃to　provide　for　a　more　perfect　union。〃　　If　　there　had　been　no　union；　it　could　not　and　would　not　have　spoken　　of　providing　for　a　more　perfect　union；　but　would　have　stated　its　　purpose　to　be　to　create　or　form　a　union。　　The　convention　did　not　　form　the　Union；　nor　in　fact　provide　for　a　more　perfect　union；　it　　simply　provided　for　the　233　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　more　perfect　representation　or　expression　　in　the　General　government　of　the　Union　already　existing。　　The　　convention；　in　common　with　the　statesmen　at　the　time；　recognized　　no　unwritten　or　Providential　constitution　of　a　people；　and　　regarded　the　constitution　of　government　as　the　constitution　of　　the　state；　and　consequently　sometimes　put　the　state　for　the　　government。　　In　intepreting　its　language；　it　is　necessary　to　　distinguish　between　its　act　and　its　theory。　　Its　act　is　law；　its　　theory　is　not。　　The　convention　met；　among　other　things；　to　　organize　a　government　which　should　more　perfectly　represent　the　　union　of　the　States　than　did　the　government　created　by　the　　Articles　of　Confederation。
  The　convention；　certainly；　professes　to　grant　or　concede　powers　　to　the　United　States；　and　to　prohibit　powers　to　the　States；　but　　it　simply　puts　the　state　for　the　government。　　The　powers　of　the　　United　States　are；　indeed；　grants　or　trusts；　but　from　God　through　　the　law　of　nature；　and　are　grants；　trusts；　or　powers　always　　conceded　to　every　nation　or　sovereign　people。　　But　none　of　them　　are　grants　from　the　convention。　　The　powers　the　convention　grants　　or　concedes　to　the　United　States　are　powers　granted　or　conceded　　by　the　United　States　to　the　General　government　it　assembled　to　　organize　and　establish；　　234　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　which；　as　it　extends　over　the　whole　　population　and　territory　of　the　Union；　and；　as　the　interests　it　　is　charged　with　relate　to　all　the　States　in　common；　or　to　the　　people　as　a　whole；　is　with　no　great　impropriety　called　the　　government　of　the　United　States；　in　contradistinction　from　the　　State　governments；　which　have　each　only　a　local　jurisdiction。　　　But　the　more　exact　term　is；　for　the　one；　the　general　government；　　and　for　the　others；　particular　governments；　as　having　charge　only　　of　the　particular　interests　of　the　State；　and　the　two　together　　constitute　the　government　of　the　United　States；　or　the　complete　　national　government；　for　neither　the　General　government　nor　the　　State　government　is　complete　in　itself。　　The　convention　developed　　a　general　government；　and　prescribed　its　powers；　and　fixed　their　　limits　and　extent；　as　well　as　the　bounds　of　the　powers　of　the　　State　or　particular　governments；　but　they　are　the　United　States　　assembled　in　convention　that　do　all　this；　and；　therefore；　　strictly　speaking；　no　powers　are　conceded　to　the　United　States　　that　they　did　not　previously　possess。　　The　convention　itself；　in　　the　constitution　it　ordained；　defines　very　clearly　from　whom　the　　General　government　holds　its　powers。　　It　holds　them；　as　we　I　　have　seen；　from　〃We；　the　people　235　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　of　the　United　States；〃　not　we；　　the　people　of　the　States　severally；　but　of　the　States　united。　　If　it　had　meant　the　States　severally；　it　would　have　said；　We；　the　　States；　if　it　had　recognized　and　meant　the　population　of　the　　country　irrespective　of　its　organization　into　particular　States；　　it　would　have　said　simply；　We；　the　people。　　By　saying　〃We；　the　　people　of　the　United　States；〃　it　placed　the　sovereign　power　where　　it　is；　in　the　people　of　the　States　united。
  The　convention　ordains　that　the　powers　not　conceded　to　the　　General　government　or　prohibited　to　the　particular　governments；　　〃are　reserved　to　the　States　respectively；　or　to　the　people。〃　But　　the　powers　reserved　to　the　States　severally　are　reserved　by　order　　of　the　United　States；　and　the　powers　not　so　reserved　are　reserved　　to　the　people。　　What　people？　　The　first　thought　is　that　they　are　　the　people　of　the　States　severally；　for　the　constitution　　understands　by　people　the　state　as　distinguished　from　the　state　　government；　but　if　this　had　been　its　meaning　in　this　place；　it　　would　have　said；　〃are　reserved　to　the　States　respectively；　or　to　　the　people〃　thereof。　　As　it　does　not　say　so；　and　does　not　define　　the　people　it　means；　it　is　necessary　to　understand　by　them　the　　people　called　in　the　preamble　〃the　people　of　the　United　States。〃　　　This　is　con…　236　　　　　　　　　　　　firmed　by　the　authority　reserved　to　amend　the　　constitution；　which　certainly　is　not　reserved　to　the　States　　severally；　but　necessarily　to　the　power　that　ordains　the　　constitution〃We；　the　people　of　the　United　States。〃　　No　power　　except　that　which　ordains　is　or　can　be　competent　to　amend　a　　constitution　of　government。　　The　particular　mode　prescribed　by　　the　convention　in　which　the　constitution　of　the　government　may　be　　amended　has　no　bearing　on　the　present　argument；　because　it　is　　prescribed　by　the　States　united；　not　severally；　and　the　power　to　　amend　is　evidently　reserved；　not　indeed　to　the　General　　government；　but　to　the　United　States；　for　the　ratification　by　any　　State　or　Territory　not　in　the　Union　counts　for　nothing。　　The　　States　united；　can；　in　the　way　prescribed；　give　more　or　less　　power　to　the　General　government；　and　reserve　more　or　less　power　　to　the　States　individually。　　The　so…called　reserved　powers　are　　really　reserved　to　the　people　of　the　United　States；　who　can　make　　such　disposition　of　them　as　seems　to　them　good。
  The　conclusion；　then；　that　the　General　government　holds　from　the　　States　united；　not　from　the　States　severally；　is　not　invalidated　　by　the　fact　that　its　constitution　was　completed　only　by　the　　ratification　of　the　States　in　their　individ…　237　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ual　capacity。　　The　　ratification　was　made　necessary　by　the　will　of　the　people　in　　convention　assembled；　but　the　convention　was　competent　to　　complete　it　and　put　it　in　force　without　that　ratification；　had　it　　so　willed。　　The　general　practice　under　the　American　system　is　for　　the　convention　to　submit　the　constitution　it　has　agreed　on　to　the　　people；　to　be　accepted　or　rejected　by　a　plebiscitum；　but　such　　submission；　though　it　may　be　wise　and　prudent；　is　not　necessary。　　　The　convention　is　held　to　be　the　convention　of　the　people；　and　to　　be　clothed　with　the　full　authority　of　the　sovereign　people；　and　　it　is　in　this　that　it　differs　from　the　congress　or　the　　legislature。　　It　is　not　a　congress　of　delegates　or　ministers　who　　are　obliged　to　act　under　instructions；　to　report　their　acts　to　　their　respective　sovereigns　for　approval　or　rejection；　it　is　　itself　sovereign；　and　may　do　whatever　the　people　themselves　can　　do。　　There　is　no　necessity　for　it　to　appeal　to　a　plebiscitum　to　　complete　its　acts。　　That　the　convention；　on　the　score　of　　prudence；　is　wise　in　doing　so；　nobody　questions；　but　the　　convention　is　always　competent；　if　it　chooses；　to　ordain　the　　constitution　without　appeal。　　The　power　competent　to　ordain　the　　constitution　is　always　competent　to　change；　modify；　or　amend　it。　　　That　amend…　238　　　　　　　　　　　ments　to　the　constitution　of　the　government　can　be　　adopted　only　by　being　proposed　by　a　convention　of　all　the　States　　in　the　Union；　or　by　being　proposed；　by　a　two…thirds　vote　of　both　　houses　of　Congress；　and　ratified　by　three…fourths　of　the　States；　　is　simply　a　conventional　ordinance；　which　the　convention　can　　change　at　its　pleasure。　　It　proves　nothing　as　it　stands　but　the　　will　of　the　convention。
  The　term　ratification　itself；　because　the　term　commonly　used　in　　reference　to　treaties　between　sovereign　powers；　has　been　seized　　on；　since　sometimes　used　by　the　convention；　to　prove　that　the　　constitution　emanates　from　the　States　severally；　and　is　a　treaty　　or　compact　between　sovereign　states；　not　an　organic　or　　fundamental　law　ordained　by　a　single　sovereign　will；　but　this　　argument　is　inadmissible；　because；　as　we　have　just　seen；　the　　convention　is　competent　to　ordain　the　constitution　without　　submitting　it　for　ratification；　and　because　the　convention　uses　　sometimes　the　word　adopt　instead　of　the　word　ratify。　　That　the　　framers　of　the　constitution　held　it　to　be　a　treaty；　compact；　or　　agre