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[General Regulations.]
ARTICLE VI.

LL debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this constitution, as under the confederation.

This constitution, and the laws of the United States, which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States, and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

ARTICLE VII.

The ratification of the conventions of nine states, shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution between the states so ratifying the same.

Done in convention, by the unanimous consent of the states present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof we have hercunto subscribed our names, GEORGE WASHINGTON, President,

and Deputy from Virginia.

New-Hampshire. John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman.-Massachusetts. Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King.--Connecticut. Witliam Samuel Johnston, Roger Sherman.-New-York. Alexander Hamilton.-New-Jersey. William Livingston, David Brearley, William Patterson, Jonathan Dayton.-Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thos. Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Governeur Morris. -Delaware. George Read, Gunning Bedford, jun. John Dicken son, Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom.-Maryland. James M‘Henry, Daniel of St. Tho. Jenifer, Daniel Carroll.-Virginia. John Blair, James Maddison, jun.-North-Carolina. William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson.-South-Carolina. John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler-Georgia. William Few, Abraham Baldwin. Attest, WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary. In

In CONVENTION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1787.

PRESENT,

The States of NEW-HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECT VICUT, Mr. Hamilton, from NEW-YORK, NEW-JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTHCAROLINA, SOUTH-CAROLINA and GEORGIA:

RESOLVED,

THAT

HAT the preceding constitution be laid before the United States in congress assembled, and that it is the opinion of this Convention, that it should afterwards be submitted to a convention of delegates, chosen in each state by the people thereof, under the recommendation of its legislature, for their assent and ratification; and that each convention assenting to, and ratifying the same, should give notice thereof to the United States in congress assembled.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this convention, that as soon as the conventions of nine states shall have ratified this constitution, the United States in congress assembled should fix a day on which electors should be appointed by the states which shall have ratified the same, and a day on which the electors should assemble to tote for the president, and the time and place for commencing proceeding under this constitution: That after such publication the electors should be appointed, and the senators and representatives elected: That the electors should meet on the day fixed for the election of the president, and should transmit their votes certified, signed, sealed and directed, as the constitution requires, to the secretary of the United States in congress assembled, that the senators and representatives should convene at the time and place assigned, that the senators should appoint a president of the senate, for the sole purpose of receiving, opening and counting the votes for pres ident and, that after he shall be chosen, the congress, together with the president, should, without delay, proceed to execute this consitution. By the unanimous order of the convention.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, President.. -William Jackson, Secretary.

In CONVENTION, SEPTEMBER 17, 1787.
SIR,

WE

E have now the honor to submit to the consideration of the United States in congress assembled, that constitution which has appeared to us the most adviseable.

The friends of our country have long seen and desired, that the power of making war, peace and treaties, that of levying mo

ney

ney and regulating commerce, and the correspondent executive and judicial authorities, should be fully and effectually vested in the general government of the union: but the impropriety of delegating such extensive trust to one body of men is evident-hence results the necessity of a different organization.

It is obviously impracticable in the foederal government of these states, to secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and safety of all.-Individuals entering into society, must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude of the sacrifice must depend as well on situation and circumstance, as on the object to be obtained. It is at all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those rights which must be surrendered, and those which may be reser- ved; and on the present occasion this difficulty was increased by a difference among the several states as to their situation, extent, habits and particular interests.

In all our deliberations on this subject, we kept steadily on our view, that which appears to us the greatest interest of every true American, the consolidation of our Union, in which is involved our prosperity, felicity, safety, perhaps our national existence.— This important consideration seriously and deeply impressed on our minds, led each state in the convention to be less rigid on points of inferior magnitude, than might have been otherwise expected: and thus the constitution, which we now present, is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable.

That it will meet the full and entire approbation of every state is not perhaps to be expected, but each will doubtless consider that had her interests been alone consulted, the consequences might have been particularly disagreeable or injurous to others; that it is liable to as few exceptions as could reasonably have been expected, we hope and believe; that it may promote the lasting welfare of that country so dear to us all, and secure her freedom and happiness,is our most ardent wish. With great respect, we have the honor to be,

SIR,

Your Excellency's most obedient,
And humble servants,

GEORGE WASHINGTON, President.

By unanimous order of the convention.

His Excellency the President of Congress.

THE END OF THE THIRD AND LAST VOLUME.

The Numerical Letters refer to the different Volumes;
the Figures to the Pages.

ACT, the first, imposing cus- frein, 251. admirals Hyde Parker

frein, 304. Rodney and de Grasse, 306. 307. lord Howe and the combined fleets, 343. Hughes and Suffrein, 352, 353.

toms on the colonies alone, and Zoutman, 233. Graves and to be collected by colonial re- Grasse, 251. Hughes and Sufvenue officers, i. 39. Acts passed by the English parliament respecting the colonies, 74. by the British parliament, 75, 79. 30. 86. 105. The act for better se- Adams, Mr. John, is chosen to curing the king's dock yard, 214. negociate a treaty of peace with for shutting up the port of Boston, Great Britain, iii. 28. commis231. for regulating the govern- sioned to be the American pleniment of Massachusetts Bay, 232. potentiary to the States General, for the impartial administration 179. presents a memorial to their of justice, and the suppression of high mightinesses, 188. pursues riots in the Massachusetts, ib. successful measures, and is acfor making more effectual provi- knowledged, 288. concludes a sion for the government of Que- treaty of amity and commerce bebec, 235. for restraining the com- tween the States General and the merce of the New-England pro- United States of America, 345. vinces, and for prohibiting their arrives at Paris, 348. writes in fishery, 300. for confiscating all favor of a compliance with the reAmerican property found upon commendation to be made by conthe water, ii. 37, 38. for prohibit- gress agreeable to the articles of ing all intercourse with the Thir- peace, 356. teen United Colonies, 53. for securing persons accused of high treason or suspected of piracy,

183.

Action, the naval, between the British and American fleets on Lake Champlain, ii. 145. between

Adams, Mr. Samuel, is chosen representative for Boston, i. 142. His views to independency, 140. his speech in congress, 272. is alarmed lest his views should be frustrated, ii. 13.

Address, a joint one, of both admirals Keppel and D'Orvilliers, houses of Parliament agreed to, 347. Byron and D'Estaing, 455. i. 280. but protested against by between the Serapis, capt. Pear- several lords, ibid.

son, and the Bon Homme Richard,

of the general ascapt. Paul Jones, 457. between, sembly of the church of Scotland, Sir George Rodney and Don Lan. ii, 188.

gara, iii. 82. Rodney and De Gui

Addresses approving the acts of chon, 84. Sir Samuel Hood and government and counter petitions, Count de Grasse, 220. commo- ii. 45.

dore Johnstone and Mr. de Suf- Administration, a new one,

VOL. III.

3 E

Formed in 1782, under the auspi- 99. evacuate the island, 101. their ces of the Marquis of Rocking- state afterwards, 104, 108. are

ham, iii. 282.

Affairs, the, of the United States in a ruinous condition, ii.

410.

Aitken, John, alias John the Painter, ii. 184.

Allen, colonel, surprises Tyconderoga, i. 334. is taken by Sir Guy Carleton, and put into irons,

426.

stationed at different places, 110. evacuate New-York island, 118. are guilty of great plunderings, 168. march toward the Brandywine, 215. are defeated by the royal army, 224. surprise the royal troops at Germantown, 232. their distress at Valley-forge, 310. engage the royal troops near Monmouth court-house, 357. their distress for want of provision, iii. 42.

Allied troops under General Washington arrive at the Head of are greatly dissatisfied, 54. Elk, and within half an hour after, hear of de Grasse's arrival, iii. 254. join the troops under la Fayette, 255.

Ambassador, the French, presents memorials to congress, ii. 408, 411.

the Spanish, the marquis d'Almodover, presents a manifesto to the British minister, ii. 45 1.

Americans insulted by several in both houses of parliament, i.

304.

some hundreds arrive at Marblehead in cartel ships from England, iii. 322.

the number of, lost by

the war, iii. 390.

American academy of arts and sciences, incorporated in the Massachusetts, iii. 76.

American army, the general return of it, at Cambridge in the Massachusetts, i. 367. they take possession of the Plowed-hill, 405. are visited from neighboring and distant colonies, 414. many sicken and die, and others suffer much, ib. they take possession of Cobblehill, 415. break ground at Lechmere's point, 417. They are changed by a new inlistment, ii. 14. A scheme for destroying the army when at New-York, 79. They are defeated on Long-Island,

in Canada, their mis behavior, ii. 62. their distress when general Thomas arrives and takes the command, 63. they retreat from before Quebec, 64. general Sullivan takes the command on the death of Thomas, 65. they retreat up the Sorel, and on to Crown-Point, 70. move to mount Independence, 105. evacuate the northern posts, 206. their force under general Schuyler, 211. commanded by general Gates, and engage the royal army under general Burgoyne, Sept. 19, 1777, 348. and again on Oct. 7, 255.

American commerce, the loss of it not generally felt, ii. 44.

impression, the first, of the bible in English, printed at Philadelphia by Mr. Aitken, iii. 3.34.

Amsterdam, the pensionary of, directs the signing of an eventual treaty between Holland and the United states of America, iii. 94. Andre, major, the affair of, iii. 130.

Arethusa and Belle Poule frigates engage, ii. 344.

Armed neutrality, iii. 79. Army, royal, to be employed against the Americans, the strength of it, ii. 60.

Arnold, Benedict, colonel, mar

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