can be levied only by the employment of force; troops must be embodied, men must be openly raised; but nei ther arms, nor the actual application of the force to the object, are indispensably requisite. To march in arms with a force marshalled and arrayed, committing acts of violence, in order to compel the resignation of a public officer, thereby to render ineffective an act of congress, is high treason. When war is levied, all who perform a part, however remote from the scene of action, being leagued in the conspiracy, commit treason. If one advise or command an overt act of treason, he is guilty accessorily.

On the other hand, a mere conspiracy to levy war is not treason. A secret, unarmed meeting of conspirators, not in force, nor in warlike form, though met for treasonable purpose, and enlisted, is not treason; but these offences are high misdemeanors.

Treason, by the laws of the United States, is punishable with death.

Corruption of blood, by the common law of England, signifies, that a person attainted of felony, forfeits his estate; and that he can neither inherit lands from his ancestors, nor transmit them to his heirs. But the constitution of the United States very properly prohibits this illiberal and unjust practice; and in the exercise of this power, congress has declared, that "no conviction or judgment shall work corruption of blood, or any forfeiture of estate;" so that the forfeiture may be omitted, even during the life of the offender.

Proof and Effect of State Records. "Full faith and credit shall be given, in each state, to the public acts, re

plication of force necessary? How is treason punishable? What is meant by corruption of blood? Is this allowed by the constitution? What does the constitution provide respecting the proof and et

cords and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the congress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof."

This provision was designed to secure the rights of those who are liable to suffer losses and injustice from the removal of persons and their property into another state; as it was to be presumed that cases of this kind would frequently occur near the borders of states. Congress has, in the exercise of this power, prescribed the manner of authenticating such records, and declared that they shall have such credit in every court within the United States, as they have in the courts of the state from which they are taken.

Admission of New States. "New States may be adnitted by the congress into this union; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned, as well as of the congress.

As the United States, at the time of the adoption of the constitution, possessed a large national territory, and as more might be acquired by cession or otherwise, the to form new states, and to admit them into the union, was necessary; and it could not with propriety have been vested elsewhere than in the national govern

ment.

power

"The

Disposal of the Territory and other Property. congress shall have power to dispose of and make all

fect of state records, &c? What is the object of this provision? What does the act of congress provide on this subject? Under what restrictions may congress admit new states into the Union? Why was this power deemed necessary? By what authority are

needful rules respecting the territory or other property of the United States; and nothing in this constitution shall. be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state.

The power of congress to exercise authority over the territory ceded to the United States during the existence of the confederation had been disputed; an express grant of this power was therefore inserted in the constitution. As the general government possessed the right to acquire territory, it should also have the power to govern the same; as the territory so acquired does not become entitled to the right of self-government, and is not subject to the jurisdiction of any individual state.

CHAPTER XIX.

Miscellaneous Powers of Congress-continued.

Guaranties to the States. "The United States shall guaranty to every state in this union, a republican form of government; and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive, (when the legislature cannot be convened,) against domestic violence."

Without this guaranty, the states could not demand from the general government any interference in preserving their constitutions, when threatened by domestic com

the territory and other public property disposed of? How is this power restricted? Why was this power vested in the government? What do the United States guaranty to every state in the Union?

L

motions; and the general government could not constitu. tionally afford assistance to the supporters of the state governments. And without authority to protect the sev eral states against invasion, and aid them in maintaining their republican forms of government, there would be no security to the general government itself. For, should one state after another be permitted to relinquish its re publican form of government, the whole system would ultimately be subverted. Every state, however, may make any alteration in its constitution, that shall not change its republican form.

Amendments of the

Constitution. "The congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall amendments to this constitution, or on propose the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments; which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the congress: Provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article: and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the senate."

It was presumed by the framers of the constitution, that, notwithstanding the care with which it had been prepared, experience would discover it to be imperfect; or that, how well soever it might, at that time, serve all the

Why is this guaranty necessary? How are amendments to the constitution proposed? In what manner are they ratified by the people? The assent of what number of states is necessary to their ratifica

purposes of government, time and change of circumstances would render some alterations necessary. It was, therefore, requisite that some mode of amending it should be provided. But lest, by such provision, the government should be rendered unstable, by too frequent alterations, modes of amendment were adopted which are calculated to guard against any alteration that is not required to remedy some palpable inconvenience.

The only provisions in the constitution that are not subject to alteration, are those which relate to the importation of slaves, the imposition of capitation and other direct taxes, and equality of suffrage of each state in the

senate.

Since the adoption of the constitution, amendments or additions have been, at three different times, proposed by congress, and ratified by the people. The first ten articles of the amendments were proposed at the first session of the first congress, which was begun and held at the city of New York, on the 4th of March, 1789, and were adopted by the requisite number of states. The eleventh article was proposed at the second session of the third congress. And the twelfth article, which changes the mode of electing the president and vice president, was proposed at the first session of the eighth congress. This amendment having been adopted, the 3d clause of the 1st section of the 2d article of the constitution was thereby repealed.

Frequent attempts have been made during the last few years, to propose amendments to the constitution; but such is the veneration with which the people regard the work

tion? Why was not a more easy mode of amendment prescribed? What provisions in the constitution are not subject to alteration? When were the several articles of amendment proposed? What provision in the constitution has been repealed by amendment? Is