CHAPTER VIII. THE CONSTITUTION. (17761789.) IN the scheme of these pages the forms of government, federal and State, lying between the Declaration of Independence and the Consti- tution of the United States, are only stepping-stones to the latter, or rather prophecies of it. Much, therefore, which might be of interest and of importance in itself, or from some other point of view than the present, must be passed over. The whole period intervening between the two dates may indeed be shortly disposed of here. It will be enough to call attention to the general forms of government under the Confederation and the State constitutions; taking the latter term to include, as it did, the Bills or Declarations of Right of such among the States as considered it desirable to set forth formally their theory of government, at the foundation of their constitutions. (i) THE CONFEDERATION. On June 11, 1776, some three weeks before the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to prepare a plan of confederation of the colonies. On July 12, the committee reported a draft by John Dickinson ; and the subject was then debated from time to time until November 15, 1777, when Congress finally agreed upon the articles. At the same time Congress directed that the articles be proposed to the legislatures of the several States; which were advised, if they approved of the plan, to authorise their delegates in Congress to ratify it. On July 9, 1778, the delegates of eight of the States in Congress ratified the articles, in accordance with the action of their several legislatures. The delegates from the other five States ratified them afterwards, at different times, as they became authorised; the last State, Maryland, not giving her consent until the year 1781. The articles were called "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States,' 1 the thirteen being named. The Confederation OH. VIII.
