Page:Works of John C. Calhoun, v1.djvu/164

them aid and comfort." It might be easily shown that — "the United States" — mean here — as they do everywhere in the constitution — the several States in their confederated character — that treason against them, is treason against their joint sovereignty — and, of course, as much treason against each State, as the act would be against any one of them, in its individual and separate character. But I forbear. Enough has already been said to place the question beyond controversy. Having now established that the constitution is federal throughout, in contradistinction to national; and that the several States still retain their sovereignty and independence unimpaired, one would suppose that the conclusion would follow, irresistibly, in the judgment of all, that the government is also federal. But such is not the case. There are those, who admit the constitution to be entirely federal, but insist that the government is partly federal, and partly national. They rest their opinion on the authority of the "Federalist." That celebrated work comes to this conclusion, after explicitly admitting that the constitution was ratified and adopted by the people of the several States, and not by them as individuals composing one entire nation — that the act establishing the constitution is, itself, a federal, and not a national act — that it resulted neither from the act of a majority of the people of the Union, nor from a majority of the States; but from the unanimous assent of the several States — differing no otherwise from their ordinary assent than as being given, not by their legislatures,