The Origin And Growth Of The American Constitution Classic Reprint

Excerpt from The Origin and Growth of the American Constitution A long time has elapsed since the author undertook to draw out The Origin and Growth of the English Constitution, within the limits of two octavo volumes, the first of which is in the eighth edition, the second in the fourth. The very cordial reception given to that work throughout the Eng lish-speaking world and beyond it naturally suggested a sequel to be entitled The Origin and Growth of the American Constitution, which has been completed on the same plan. After thirty years of ehort to unfold the histories of the two closely related constitutions as one progressive development, the author was blessed with a piece of good fortune which has more than requited all the labor bestowed. That good fortune consisted of the unearthing of a priceless document, very near the surface, which has cast a bright light into what was heretofore a very dark place. It explains for the first time the real history of the invention of that marvelous system of government, partly federal and partly national, given to the world by the Federal Con vention at the close of its labors at Philadelphia on September I7, 1787. Beyond that point the influence of the document in question does not extend, - except in one important particular it sheds no new light on the after history. So far as this book is concerned, it is a mere episode, simply one link in a long chain of causation presented herein as a connected whole. It is, however, a great thing to know for certain that the most notable of all political inventions had a personal inventor; that the entirely unique and path-breaking creation embodied in the American Constitution came into being in a perfectly normal way; that its birth was neither mythical nor miraculous. Beginning upon that sane basis an effort has been made to unfold the growth of that Constitution according to the Historical Method, which regards all law, public and private, as a living and growing organism that changes as the relations of society change. When that method is applied to such data as are contained in printed documents, the growth of constitutions may be worked out by processes almost as exact as those employed in physical science. As Bishop Stubbs has happily ex pressed it: I confess that to me, as an old investigator, a good deal of the accepted theory of continuous history, in this region, at least, of history, seems to rest on arguments as sound, within its own material and area, as those on which Copernicus and Kepler worked out their astronomical con elusions. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Law of the American Constitution, Vol. 1: Its Origin and Development The American federal system is based upon the Consti tution of the United States. That instrument was adopted to make more perfect the union which, having had its beginning in the common allegiance of the colonies to the British Crown during the war for independence, was welded closer by the necessity for common action, and found its first constitutional expression in the Articles of Confedera tion. Nineteen articles of amendment have been added to the Constitution in the hundred and thirty-four years since its adoption. It is hoped that in the first three chapters of this book a clear picture is given of the making of the Constitution, of the nature of the federal system which was set up, and of the principles which underlie the amending power. The Constitution of the United States first of all estab lishes a national government, and sets off to it certain fields in which it shall be supreme, at the same time imposing upon it certain specific prohibitions and restrictions. It was, however, very far from the purpose of the framers of that instrument to do away with the separate States or to reduce them to mere administrative units. Yet the grants of powers to the national government did of necessity operate as limitations upon the previous sovereign powers of the States; and to these implied limitations were added others which are express. In the second part of this book, I have dealt with the national government in its executive, judicial, and legislative departments, discussing the powers which are granted to each of them, and the limitations which are placed upon their activities. In Part III are con sidered the restrictions placed upon the States, and the extent of the powers which may still be exercised by them. It is believed that this is a logical method of treatment, and it is hoped that it will help to make clear the division of powers between the national and state governments under our federal system. No attempt has been made to treat of the powers of the States under their individual constitutions. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A General View of the Origin and Nature of the Constitution and Government of the United States About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The English Constitution: A Commentary on Its Nature and Growth In the introductory chapter, the statement is made that one object of the book is to enable American readers to gain a better knowledge of the American government. It may be an advantage to some readers for me to add that Part I. Was prepared specifically in order that Americans might be able to read with greater profit Bryce's The American Common wealth. To fully appreciate that great work, the American needs to be well grounded in English politics. He must know the present Constitution in its theory and in its practice. Part II. Is designed to answer certain questions often raised in an attempt to understand the present English Constitution. Americans should never forget that, until the founding of the colonies, English history is our history. Nor should they fail to remember that for a hundred years after, there was a per sistent effort to establish in England a government according to what would now be called the American model, - that is, a government based upon an artificial constitution whereby the Legislature and the Executive should be balanced one against the other. It was not until the coming in of the House of Hanover, in 1715, that English constitution-making became of a distinctly different character. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from History of the Formation of the Constitution of the United States of America The cons'rrru'rton 1n vmonvra and rn new mmrsman. From May 1785 to the Twenty-fifth of J 11110 1788. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Constitutional History of the United States: As Seen in the Development of American Law, a Course of Lectures Before the Political Science Association of the Univerisity of Michigan Since we began the career of written constitutions, the wisest, most learned, and scientific heads in France, Holland. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Evolution of the Constitution of the United States of America and History of the Monroe Doctrine Surely a system of government which li'as established the essential liberties of the people under the orderly limitations of fundamental law, and which has approved itself to succes sive generations by an unparalleled experience of national growth, prosperity, and happiness under its provisions, will never cease to be a most interesting study alike for statesmen and students. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Constitutional History of the United States Important additions have been made to the original Constitution by way of amendment, but scarcely more so than those which have come to it through the process of the gradual unfolding of its unexpressed meaning, which has naturally followed the expansion of our national domain, the development of our national re sources, the meeting of new responsibilities in govern ment, the contending with new difficulties which have confronted us in the execution of our newly acquired powers. While we have a wmtten, and therefore, in a' certain sense, a settled Constitution, it is an elastic one. Had the original Constitution of 1787 been so limited by its own terms that it could not have been construed to mean more than was actually and clearly expressed by the language in which it was clothed, our Government would soon have gone to wreck or have remained a feeble and insignificant member of the sisterhood of nations, unless by amendment of the old, or by the adoption of a new constitution new power had been given it. Fortunately it was not so framed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.