Andevenifshecouldcommandit,theprocesswouldbetooslowtoaffordeffectualrelief.ItisimpossibletoimaginethatanyfreeandsovereignStateeverdesignedtosurrenderherpowerofselfprotectioninacaselikethis,orevermeanttoauthorizeanyotherpowertoreducehertoasituationsohelplessandcontemptible.25
Yielding,therefore,totheSupremeCourtallthejurisdictionandauthoritywhichproperlybelongstoit,wecannotsafelyorwiselyreposeinitthevasttrustofascertaining,definingorlimitingthesovereignpowersoftheStates.
Letusnowfollowtheauthorintheenquiry,bywhatrulesshalltheConstitutionbeinterpreted?Manyofthosewhichhehasgivenaremerelysuchasweapplytoeveryinstrument,andtheydonot,therefore,requireanyparticularexamination.Theprincipalone,andthatfromwhichhededucesmanyothersasconsequences,isthis:\"Itistobeconstruedasaframeorfundamentallawofgovernment,establishedbythepeopleoftheUnitedStates,accordingtotheirownfreepleasureandsovereignwill.Inthisrespect,itisinnowisedistinguishablefromtheconstitutionsoftheStategovernments.\"ThatourConstitutionis\"aframeofgovernment\"willscarcelybedeniedbyanyone,andthis,whetheritbeinitsnaturefederalorconsolidated.Itis,also,asineveryotherconstitutionofgovernment,\"afundamentallaw.\"Itistheacknowledgedbasisofallfederalpowerandauthority,thesolechartbywhichfederalofficersaretodirecttheircourse.Butallthisleavestheenquirystillopen,whatisthisfundamentallaw,whatisthecourseindicatedbythechartoffederalpower,andhowisittobeascertained?JudgeStoryseemstosupposethatafullanswertothisquestionmaybefoundinthefact,thatthisframeorfundamentallawofgovernmentwasestablishedby\"thepeopleoftheUnitedStates,accordingtotheirfreepleasureandsovereignwill.\"Ifthefactwerereallyso,itwouldundoubtedlyexertanimportantinfluence,andwouldgofartojustifyhisconstructionoftheConstitution.Weherediscerntheusefulnessandnecessityofthathistoricalenquiry,whichhasjustbeenfinished.Fromthatenquiry,welearn,distinctlyandwithoutdoubt,thattheConstitutionwasnotestablishedby\"thepeopleoftheUnitedStates,\"and,consequently,thatitdoesnotresemble,inthatrespect,theconstitutionsoftheStates.Thereisnosuchanalogybetweenthem,aswillpresentlybeshown,astorequirethattheyshouldbeconstruedbythesamerules.TheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesistobeconsideredasacompactorconfederationbetweenfree,independentandsovereignStates,andistobeconstruedassuch,inallcaseswhereitslanguageisdoubtful.
Thisistheleadingandfundamentalrule,fromwhichthefollowingmaybededucedasconsequences.
Itistobeconstruedstrictly.JudgeStorysupposesthattheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesoughttoreceiveasfavorableaconstructionasthoseoftheStates;thatitistobeliberallyconstrued;thatdoubtfulwordsaretobetakenmoststronglyinfavorofthepowersoftheFederalGovernment;