when the offices of admiral and vice-admiral become vacant, these grades shall cease.

CLAUSE 14. "To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces."

In accordance with this clause, congress has adopted and published "Regulations for the Army of the United States." It is customary to read extracts from these articles to every garrisoned regiment, troop, and company once in six months.

Clauses 15 and 16 "provide for the calling forth and organizing the militia of the several states, to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions."

All officers of the regular army are commissioned by the president. All officers of the regiments raised by the states as militia, even when in the service of the United States, are commissioned by the governors of the states respectively.

Three times since the American Revolution, our government has been obliged to call out large bodies of men for the military service.

(1) In the war with Great Britain in 1812.

(2) In the Mexican War in 1846.

(3) During the Civil War, 1861 to 1865.

The number of men called into the service in the civil

war was very great. At the close of the war the entire

army of the United States numbered more than one million of men. The whole number mustered into service during the four years was 2,656,553.

The 17th clause of this section provides that congress shall have exclusive legislation over the District of Columbia, and also "over any places purchased by con

sent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings." The District of Columbia was originally ceded to the United States, by Maryland and Virginia, as a place for the capitol of the United States. In 1848 that part lying west of the Potomac was retroceded to Virginia.

During the Revolutionary War, the continental congress held its sessions a portion of the time at New York, and by act of congress remained there from March 4, 1789, until the close of the second session of the first congress. The act provided that the offices of the government be then removed to Philadelphia, that they should remain there for ten years, and that prior to the first Monday of December, 1800, the seat of government should be removed to the city of Washington, District of Columbia. Washington has, therefore, been the capital of the United States since December, 1800.

This clause also provides that the government shall have control over the places where it shall erect forts, arsenals, custom-houses, post-offices, etc., with the consent of the state legislature.

By an act of 1878, the government of the District of Columbia was placed under a board of three commissioners. Two are appointed by the president and senate for three years, and the third is an officer of the corps of engineers of the army, to be detailed by the president. These commissioners have charge of the municipal interests of the district, — appointing the police, firemen, school board, and all other officers. The expenses for carrying on the government of the district

are met, one half by appropriation from the national. treasury, and the other half by assessment upon the taxable property of the district.

CLAUSE 18. "To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, aud all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof."

This clause is what Patrick Henry called "the sweeping clause," by which, as he thought, congress was to overthrow the states. Great opposition to this clause was manifested by the state-rights party during the time in which the constitution was under discussion by the people and by state conventions prior to its adoption.

Nothing is plainer than that the government has under this constitution full national powers, and is limited only by the restrictions imposed by the constitution itself. Judge Story says: "It would be almost impracticable, if it were not useless, to enumerate the various instances in which congress, in the progress of the government, has made use of incidental and implied means to execute its powers. They are almost infinitely varied in their ramifications and details."

Chief Justice Marshall says: "A power vested carries with it all those incidental powers which are necessary to its complete and efficient execution."

This principle has been acted upon by the general government from 1789 to the present day.

Dr. I. W. Andrews says: "Nothing is plainer than that the constitution was intended to vest in the general government all the powers which properly belong to such a government, and so it has been understood from

the beginning.

The affairs of the nation could not be carried on a single year if no laws were enacted but such as are specifically provided for in the constitution." It is well known that the most remarkable powers which have been exercised by the government were the purchase of Louisiana in 1803, and the laying of an unlimited embargo in 1807. These measures were brought forward, says Judge Story, "and supported and carried by the known and avowed friends of strict construction. They were driven to the adoption of the doctrine that the right to acquire territory was incident to national sovereignty; that it was a resulting power, growing out of the aggregate powers confided by the constitution; that the appropriation might justly be vindicated on the grounds that it was for the common defence and the general welfare."

CHAPTER VII.

RESTRICTIONS UPON THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

SECTION 9, CLAUSE I. "The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight; but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person."

The first clause of this section contains one of those compromises which seemed necessary in order to make any constitution at all. At the beginning of the Revolution the general sentiment of the country was opposed to slavery. This sentiment had so far changed in the southern section of the union, at the time the constitution was formed, that the leading men of these states jealously guarded their peculiar domestic institution.

This clause provides that the congress shall not prohibit the importation of slaves, prior to the year 1808. The very fact that such a clause is introduced tends to show that without this specific clause congress might be deemed to have the power to prohibit the slave trade, although there is no clause in the eighth section granting them such power. The words slave and slavery do not appear in the constitution. The expression here used is: "The migration and importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit."