The Woman Citizen's Library (Volume 6); Practical Politics, by F. H. Macgregor. a Systematic Course of Reading in Preparation for the Larger Citizenship - Softcover
Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913. Excerpt: ... PART V Federal Government CHAPTER I THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION AT the apex of the American system is the federal constitution and the government of the United States. The American federal constitution is one of the great written documents of history, and its adoption marked the most advanced step that had been taken in the progress of representative government. Its influence upon the governments of the world has been profound, unsurpassed by any similar document, unless it be, perhaps, that great charter of English liberty, the Magna Charta of King John. But there was long a prevalent misconception concerning both its formation and the creation of the union. It was thought that the fathers there and then created a great nation and out of their wisdom formulated a new and republican form of government. From what has already been said in the previous volumes regarding the precedents and origins of the various branches of government in the United States, it will be apparent that the constitution was not a new creation, or original with those who framed it, but that the British constitution, the colonial charters, colonial state papers, and even the state constitutions themselves, furnished precedents for most of its provisions, and that several attempts at union had been made before the American federal state was formed. (i) Attempts at Union. There were in the colonies from the beginning conditions which tended toward union. Practically all of the colonists were of English descent; they spoke the same language and with the exception of the Catholics of Maryland belonged to the Protestant faith. Their institutions were English and they were governed by the English common law. They claimed as their birthright all the privileges of Englishmen. It was therefore e...
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