SofarasJudgeStory\'sargumentisconcerned,thesubjectmightbepermittedtoresthere.Indeed,onewouldbetemptedtothink,fromtheapparentcarelessnessandindifferencewithwhichtheargumentisurged,thathehimselfdidnotattachtoitanyparticularimportance.Itisnothishabittodismissgravematterswithsuchlightexamination,nordoesitconsistwiththecharacterofhismindtobesatisfiedwithreasoningwhichbearsevenadoubtfulrelationtohissubject.NeithercanitbesupposedthathewouldbewillingtorelyonthesimpleipsedixitofChiefJusticeJay,unsupportedbyargument,unsustainedbyanyreferencetohistoricalfacts,andwhollyindefiniteinextentandbearing.Why,then,wasthispassagewritten?Asmerehistory,apartfromitsbearingontheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,itisofnovalueinthiswork,andiswhollyoutofplace.Alldoubtsuponthissubjectwillberemovedintheprogressofthisexamination.ThegreateffortofJudgeStory,throughouttheentirework,istoestablishthedoctrine,thattheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesisagovernmentof\"thepeopleoftheUnitedStates,\"ascontradistinguishedfromthepeopleoftheseveralStates;or,inotherwords,thatitisaconsolidated,andnotafederativesystem.Hisconstructionofeverycontestedfederalpowerdependsmainlyuponthisdistinction;andhencethenecessityofestablishingaonenessamongthepeopleoftheseveralcolonies,priortotheRevolution.Itmaywellexciteoursurprise,thatapropositionsonecessarytotheprincipaldesignofthework,shouldbestatedwithsolittleprecision,anddismissedwithsolittleefforttosustainitbyargument.OnesowellinformedasJudgeStory,ofthestateofpoliticalopinionsinthiscountry,couldscarcelyhavesupposedthatitwouldbereceivedasanadmittedtruth,requiringnoexamination.ItenterstoodeeplyintogravequestionsofConstitutionallaw,tobesosummarilydisposedof.Weshouldnotbecontent,therefore,withsimplyprovingthatJudgeStoryhasassignednosufficientreasonfortheopinionhehasadvanced.
Thesubjectdemandsofusthestillfartherproofthathisopinionis,infact,erroneous,andthatitcannotbesustainedbyanyotherreasons.
Inordertoconstitute\"onepeople,\"inapoliticalsense,oftheinhabitantsofdifferentcountries,somethingmoreisnecessarythanthattheyshouldoweacommonallegiancetoacommonsovereign.Neitherisitsufficientthat,insomeparticulars,theyareboundalike,bylawswhichthatsovereign,mayprescribe;nordoesthequestiondependongeographicalrelations.
Theinhabitantsofdifferentislandsmaybeonepeople,andthoseofcontiguouscountriesmaybe,asweknowtheyinfactare,differentnations.Bytheterm\"people,\"ashereused,wedonotmeanmerelyanumberofpersons.
Wemeanbyitapoliticalcorporation,themembersofwhichoweacommonallegiancetoacommonsovereignty,anddonotoweanyallegiancewhichisnotcommon;whoareboundbynolawsexceptsuchasthatsovereigntymayprescribe;whoowetooneanotherreciprocalobligations;whopossesscommonpoliticalinterests;whoareliabletocommonpoliticalduties;