[Democracy In America<br>Volume 1 (of 2) by Alexis de Toqueville]@TWC D-Link book
Democracy In America
Volume 1 (of 2)

CHAPTER VIII: The Federal Constitution--Part I
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A spirit of conciliation prescribed the observance of distinct principles in the formation of these two assemblies.

I have already shown that two contrary interests were opposed to each other in the establishment of the Federal Constitution.

These two interests had given rise to two opinions.

It was the wish of one party to convert the Union into a league of independent States, or a sort of congress, at which the representatives of the several peoples would meet to discuss certain points of their common interests.

The other party desired to unite the inhabitants of the American colonies into one sole nation, and to establish a Government which should act as the sole representative of the nation, as far as the limited sphere of its authority would permit.
The practical consequences of these two theories were exceedingly different.
The question was, whether a league was to be established instead of a national Government; whether the majority of the State, instead of the majority of the inhabitants of the Union, was to give the law: for every State, the small as well as the great, would then remain in the full enjoyment of its independence, and enter the Union upon a footing of perfect equality.


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