l these circumstances weighed， and the foundations of the new government laid upon principles of reciprocal concession and equitable compromise. the jealousies which the smaller states might entertain of the power of the rest were allayed by a rule of representation confessedly unequal at the time， and designed forever to remain so. a natural fear that the broad scope of general legislation might bear upon and unwisely control particular interests was counteracted by limits strictly drawn around the action of the federal authority， and to the people and the states was left unimpaired their sovereign power over the innumerable subjects embraced in the internal government of a just republic， excepting such only as necessarily appertain to the concerns of the whole confederacy or its intercourse as a united community with the other nations of the world.
this provident forecast has been verified by time. half a century， teeming with extraordinary events， and elsewhere producing astonishing results， has passed along， but on our institutions it has left no injurious mark. from a small community we have risen to a people powerful in numbers and in strength； but with our increase has gone hand in hand the progress of just principles. the privileges， civil and religious， of the humblest individual are still sacredly protected at home， and while the valor and fortitude of our people have removed far from us the slightest apprehension of foreign power， they have not yet induce
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