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No alternative was pregented but resistance, or uncon- 

 ditional submission. Between these cojild be no hesi- 

 tation. They closed in the ay)peal to arms. Tiiey de- 

 clared themselves independent states. They confede- 

 rated together into one great republic; thus securing 

 to every state the benefit of an union of their whole 

 force. In each state separately a new form of govern- 

 ment was established. Of ours particularly the follow- 

 ing are the outlines. The executive powers are lodg- 

 ed in the hands of a governor, chosen annually, and 

 incapable of acting more than three years in seven. 

 He is assisted by a council of eight members. The 

 judiciary powers are divided among several courts, as 

 will be he<-eafter explained. — Legislation is exercised 

 by two houses of assembly, the one called the house of 

 Delegates, comf)osed of two mend)ers from each coun- 

 ty, chosen annually by the citizens possessing an es- 

 tate for life in 100 acres of uninhabited land, or 25 acres 

 with a house on it, or in a house or lot in some town: 

 the other called the Senate, consisting of 24 members, 

 chosen quadrenially by the same electors, who for this 

 purpose are distributed into 24 districts. The concur- 

 rence of both horses is necessary to the passage of a 

 law. They have the af)pointment of the governor and 

 council, the judges of the superior courts, auditors, at- 

 torney general, treasurer, register of the hind office, 

 and delegates to congress. As the dismemberment of 

 the state had never had its confirmation, but, on the 

 contrary, had always been the subject of protestation 

 and complaint, that it might never be in our own j)Ower 

 to raise scruples on that subject, or to disturb the har- 

 mony of our new confederacy, the grants to Maryland, 

 Pennsylvania, and the two Carolinas, were ratified. 



This constitution was formed when we were new 

 and unexperienced, in the science of government. It 

 was the first too which was formed in the whole Unit- 

 ed States. No wond'~r then that time and trial have 

 discovered very ca[)ital defects in it. 



1. The majority of the men in the state, who pay and 

 fight for its su{)port, are unrepresented in the legisla- 



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