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Se&. 3. Treafon against the United States fhall confift only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. N person shall be convicted of treafon unless on the teftimony of two witneffes to the fame overt act, or on confeffion in open court.

The Congrefs fhall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treafon fhall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture, except during the life of the perfon attainted.

ARTICLE IV.

Sec. 1. Full faith and credit fhall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which fach acts, records, and proceedings fhall be proved, and the effect thereof.

Sect. 2. The citizens of each ftate fhall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the feveral states.

A perfon charged in any ftate with treafon, felony, or other crime, who fhall Ace from juftice, and be found in another state, shall on deinand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled be delivered up, to be removed to the ftate having jurisdiction of the crime.

No perfon held to fervice or labour in one ftate, under the laws thereof, efcaping into another, fhall in confequence of any law or regulation therein, be difcharged from fuch fervice or labour, but fhall be delivered np on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.

Sect. 3. New ftates may be admitted by the Congrefs into this union, but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the confent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congrefs.

The Congrefs fhall have power to difpofe of and make all needful rules and regulations refpecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this conftitution fhall be fo conftrued as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state.

Sect. 4. The United States fhall guarantee to every ftate in this union a republican form of government and fhall protect each of them against invafion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

ARTICLE V.

The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it neceffary, fhall propofe amendments to this conftitution; or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, fhall call a convention for propofing amendments, which, in either cafe, fhall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this conftitution, when ratified by the legiflatures of three-fourths of the feveral itates, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be propofed by the Congrefs: Provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, fhall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth fection of the first article; and that no ftate, without its confent, fhall be deprived of its equal fuffrage in the Senate.

ARTICLE

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ARTICLE VI.

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

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

The fenators and reprefentatives before-mentioned, and the members of the several state legiflatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the feveral ftates, fhall be bound by oath or affirmation, to fupport this conftitution; but no religious teft fhall 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 fufficient for the establishment of this conftitution between the states fo ratifying the fame.

DONE in Convention, by the unanimous confent of the flates prefent, the feventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One Thoufand Seven Hundred and Eighty-feven, and of the Independance of the United States of America the Twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto fubfcribed

our names.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Prefident.

Signed alfo by all the Delegates which were present from twelve States. WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary.

Atteft.

In CONVENTION, Monday September 17, 1787.

PRESENT,

The States of New-Hampshire, Maffachusetts, Connecticut, Mr. Hamilton from New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia.

Refolved,

HAT the preceding conftitution be laid before the United States in

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that it fhould afterwards be submitted to a convention of Delegates, chofen in each state by the people thereof, under the recommendation of its Le iflature, for their affent and ratification; and that each convention affenting to, and ratifying the fame, fhould give notice thereof to the United States in Congress affembled.

RESOLVED, That it is the opinion of this convention, that as fcon as the conventions of nine ftates fhall have ratified this conftitution, the United States in Congress affembled, should fix a day on which Electors fhould be appointed by the ftates which fhall have ratified the fame, and a day on which the Electors fhould affemble to vote for the Prefident, and the time and place for commencing proceedings under this conftitution. That after fuch publication, the Electors fhould be appointed, and

the

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the fenators and reprefentatives elected: That the electors fhould meet on the day fixed for the election of the Prefident, and should transmit their votes certified, figned, fealed and directed, as the conftitution requires, to the Secretary of the United States in Congrefs affembled; that the fenators and reprefentatives fhould convene at the time and place affigned; that the fenators fhould appoint a Prefident of the fenate, for the sole purpofe of receiving, opening and counting the votes for Prefident; and, that after he fhall be chofen, the Congrefs, together with the Prefident, should, without delay,` proceed to execute this Conftitution.

SIR,

By the unanimous order of the Convention,

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Prefident.
WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary.

In CONVENTION, September 17, 1787.

E have now the honour to submit to the confideration of the United

WStates in Congreis affembled, that conftitution which has appear

ed to us the most advisable.

The friends of our country have long feen and defired, that the power of making war, peace and treaties, that of levying money and regulating commerce, and the correfponding executive and judicial authorities fhould be fully and effectually vefted in the general government of the union ; but the impropriety of delegating fuch an extenfive truft to one body of men is evident. Hence refults the neceffity of a different organization.

It is obviously impracticable in the federal government of these states, to fecure all rights of independant fovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and fafety of all.-Individuals entering into fociety, must give up a fhare of liberty to preferve the reft. The magnitude of the facrifice muft depend as well on fituation and circumftances, 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 reserved; and on the present occafion this difficulty was encreased by a difference among the several states as to their situation, extent, habits and particular interests.

In all our deliberations on this fubject, we kept fteadily in our view, that which appears to us the greateft intereft of every true American, the confolidation of our union, in which is involved our profperity, felicity, fafety, perhaps our national existence. This important confideration, ferioufly and deeply impreffed on our minds, led each ftate in the convention to be lefs rigid on points of inferior magnitude, than might have been otherwise expected; and thus the conftitution, which we now prefent, is the refult of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and conceffion which the peculiarity of our political fituation rendered indifpenfible.

That it will meet the full and entire approbation of every state is not perhaps to be expected: but each will doubtlefs confider that had her interefts been alone confulted, the confequences might have been particularly disagreeable or injurious 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 fo dear to us all, and fecure her freedom and happiness, is our most ardent wish. With great respect, we have the honour to be, Sir, Your Excellency's moft obedient, and humble servants,

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Prefident.

By unanimous order of the Convention.

His Excellency the Prefident of Congrefs.

ELEVEN ftates having already ratified the above conftitution, Congress, agreeably to the seventh article, have taken the proper measures for its organization and establishment between the ratifying ftates.

Society of the Cincinnati.] This fociety has made so much noise both in Europe and America, and has derived fuch dignity and importance from the characters who compose it, that it is thought proper to infert the inftitution at large, for the information of the uninformed, and for the gratification of the respectable members of the Cincinnati, who wish to have their friendly and charitable intentions fully understood by all classes of their fellow-citizens.

The INSTITUTION of the SOCIETY of the CINCINNATI, as altered and amended at their firft general meeting at Philadelphia, May, 1784.

IT having pleased the fupreme governor of the univerfe to give fuccefs to the arms of our country, and to establish the United States free and independent: Therefore, gratefully to commemorate this event,— to inculcate to the latest ages the duty of laying down in peace, arms affumed for public defence, by forming an inftitution which recognizes that most important principle,-to continue the mutual friendships which commenced under the preffure of common danger, and effectuate the acts of beneficence, dictated by the fpirit of brotherly kindness, towards thofe officers and their families, who unfortunately may be under the neceffity of receiving them; the officers of the American army do hereby conftitute themselves into A fociety of friends: and, poffeffing the highest veneration for the character of that illuftrious Roman, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, denominate themselves THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCIN

NATI.

Sect. I. The perfons who conftitute this fociety, are all the commiffioned and brevet officers of the army and navy of the United States, who have ferved three years, and who left the fervice with reputation, all officers who were in actual fervice at the conclufion of the war; all the principal staff-officers of the continental army; and the officers who have been deranged by the feveral refolutions of Congrefs, upon the different reforms of the army.

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Sect. II. "There are also admitted into this fociety, the late and fent minifters of his most chriftian majefty to the United States; all the generals and colonels of regiments and legions of the land forces; all the admirals and captains of the navy, ranking as colonels, who have cooperated with the armies of the United States in their exertions for liberty; and fuch other persons as have been admitted by the respective state-meet

ings.

Sect.

Sect. III.

The society shall have a prefident, vice-president, secretary, and affiftant-fecretary.

Sect. IV. • There shall be a meeting of the society, at least once in three years, on the first Monday in May, at such place as the prefident fhall appoint.

The faid meeting fhall confift of the aforefaid officers (whofe expences fhall be equally borne by the ftate funds) a representation from each ftate.

• The business of this general meeting fhall be,-to regulate the diftribution of furplus funds;-to appoint officers for the enfuing term,— and to conform the bye-laws of ftate meetings to the general objects of the inftitution.

Sect. V. The fociety fhall be divided into state-meetings: each meeting fhall have a prefident, vice-prefident, fecretary and treasurer, refpectively to be chofen by a majority of votes annually.

Sect. VI. The ftate-meetings fhall be on the anniversary of independence. They fhall concert fuch measures as may conduce to the benevolent purposes of the society; and the several state-meetings fhall, at suitable periods, make application to their respective legislatures for grants of charters

Sect. VII. Any member removing from one flate to another, is to be confidered, in all refpects, as belonging to the meeting of the ftate in which he fhall actually refide.

Sec. VIII. • The ftate-meeting shall judge of the qualification of its members, admonifh, and (if neceffary) expel any one who may conduct himfelf unworthily.

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Sect. IX. The fecretary of each state-meeting fhall register the names of the members refident in each state, and transmit a copy thereof to the fecretary of the fociety.

Sect. X.

In order to form funds for the relief of unfortunate members, their widows and orphans, each officer fhall deliver to the treasurer of the ftate-meeting, one month's pay.

Sect. XI.

United States.

No donation fhall be received but from the citizens of the

Sect. XII. The funds of each ftate-meeting fhall be loaned to the ftate, by permiffion of the legislature, and the intereft only, annually to be applied for the purposes of the fociety; and if, in procefs of time, difficulties fhould occur in executing the intentions of this fociety, the legiflatures of the feveral states shall be entitled to make fuch equitable difpofition as may be moft correfpondent with the original defign of the conAtitution.

Sec. XIII. The fubjects of his most Christian majesty, members of this fociety, may hold meetings at their pleasure, and form regulations for the police, conformable to the objects of the inftitution, and to the fpirit of their government.

Sect. XIV. The fociety fhall have an order; which fhall be a bald eagle of gold, bearing on its breast the emblems described in the note,

*

fufpended

*The principal figure to be Cincinnatus, three fenators prefenting him

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