Excerpt from Proceedings of the National Republican Convention of Young Men, Which Assembled in the City of Washington, May 7, 1832But I will first offer some additional views tending to show that the fears you profess to entertain, that the general government will pros trate the state sovereignties, are wholly unfounded either in the nature of things, or the history of nations. That there is, in reality, no such danger, will be apparent. To any man at all familiar with the~history of human ambition, who will attentively consider the nature'of the pow ers which, under our federative system, fall to the share of the state governments. For it'can be conclusively shown, that these constitute precisely the class of political powers that has the least attractions for ambition, and which, ~even the most despotic governments, possessing extensive territories, have voluntarily thrown off, as inglorious incum brances, and committed to local or provincial authorities. The powers of the state governments are limited to those measures of local reguw lation, iwhich, taken together, constitute the internal policezof the re5pec five states. They establish, the rules of property, fix and define the\ rights of persons, and providefor the security of both by appropriate civil remedies, and criminal, sanctions administered and enforced by. Their judicial tribunals: The subject embraced within the scope of these regulations, though highly important in the estimate of national happiness, have nothing of that imposing and attractive splendour which can dazzle the minds of ambitious rulers. Cast your eyes into history, that. Bloody record of the sufferings of the people, and the sins of their, rulers. Survey with attention thosemighty wastes, through which Ambitionhas held his lofty career, and in which he has, reared his proudest and bloodiest trophies. And when you have done so, con sult the record to ascertain the objects that stimulated, and'the means that facilitated, those mighty and desolating achievements. \vas that ambitious Conqueror, who waved his iron sceptre over the trembling and subject nations that had yielded to the terror of his arm, stimula ted in his, bloody march by a desire to regulate the domestic police of the conquered nations? Was it the power of fixing and defining the individual and private rights of his subjects, that furnished the means of'his aggrandizement? No. He was stimulated by higher though less worthy aims, and sustained by'mightier meanst These I shall pre sently consider. The states are constitutionally restrained from en tering into any treaty, alliance, or confederation, granting letters of marque and reprisal, and also from laying any duty of, tonnage, keeping troo'ps or 'ships of war in time of peace, entering into any agreement or compact-with another state, ' or with a foreign power, or engaging in war unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of' delay, without the consent of Congress. The powers of the state governments, then, are not only, limited in their Operation, but essentially pacific in their nature. From all the pride, pomp, and circumstance of lorious war, from all that class of politi cal actions, in'short, which urnish the most interesting themes of his tory, and attract in their recital, the almost exclusive attention of the14 Defence of a Liberal Construction of the Powers of Congress.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com