The Old South Leaflets
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780217601481
Paperback|9780217601481
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: No. 91). Washington's Letters on the Constitution. To John Jav, August i, 1786. Your sentiments, that our affairs are drawing rapidly to a crisis, accord with my own. What the event will be, is also beyond the reach of my foresight. We have errors to correct. We have probably had too good an opinion of human nature in forming our confederation. Experience has taught us that men will not adopt and carry into execution measures the best calculated for their own good, without the intervention of a coercive power. I do not conceive we can exist long as a nation without having lodged somewhere a power, which will pervade the whole Union in as energetic a manner as the authority of the State governments extends over the several States. To be fearful of investing Congress, constituted as that body is, with ample authorities for national purposes, appears to me the very climax of popular absurdity and madness. Could Congress exert them for the detriment of the public, without injuring themselves in an equal or greater proportion? Are not their interests inseparably connected with those of their constituents ? By the rotation of appointment, must they not mingle frequently with the mass of citizens ? Is it not rather to be apprehended, if they were possessed of the powers before described, that the individual members would be induced to use them, on many occasions, very timidly and inefficaciously for fear of losing their popularity and future election ? We must take human nature as we find it. Perfection falls not to the share of mortals. Many are of opinion that Congress have too frequently made use of the suppliant, humble tone of requisition in applications to the States, when they had a rightto assert their imperial dignity and command obedience. Be that as it ...
| ISBN-13 | 9780217601481 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 0217601480 |
| Weight | 1.99 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 9.00 x 6.00 x 1.38 In |
| List Price | $34.51 |
| Format | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Pages | 622 pages |
| Publisher | |
| Published On | 2009-08-01 |
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