...people, and that government is instituted by them for their common interest, protection and security. That the powers of government may be reassumed by...delegated to the Congress of the United States, or the departments of the government thereof, remains to the people of the several states, or to their...

...the pursuit of happiness are essential rights which every government ought to respect and preserve. That the powers of government may be reassumed by the people, whensoever it shall be necessary to happiness . . . That the people have an equal, natural and unalienable right, freely...

...language proposed by the New York constitution offer the most noteworthy (and expansive) variation: That the powers of Government may be reassumed by...that every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this said Constitution clearly delegated to the Congress of the United States, or the departments...

...Constitution. To the contrary, New York and several other states, in their acts of ratification, noted that "the powers of government may be reassumed by...people, whensoever it shall become necessary to their happiness."31 The Tenth Amendment also makes clear that a right or power need not be expressly granted...

...representatives in Congress were enjoined to secure. The bill of rights contains the following: 68 "That every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by the said Constitution clearly the construction of the Constitution. ... No such important point should be left to doubt and construction....

...Constitution 30 to 27. The Convention predicated its ratification, however, on the following propositions: That the powers of government may be reassumed by...shall become necessary to their happiness ... That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well regulated militia, including the body of...

...more explicitly said: "That the powers of government may be reassumed by the people whenever it should become necessary to their happiness, that every power,...delegated to the Congress of the United States or the departments of the government thereof, remains to the people of the several States, or to their...

...people; that magistrates, therefore, are their trustees and agents, and at all times amenable to them. That the powers of government may be reassumed by...whensoever it shall become necessary to their happiness... Virginia: We, the delegates of the people of Virginia, duly elected in pursuance of a recommendation...

...proposed that the bill of rights for the national government declare that "the Powers of Government" could be "reassumed by the People, whensoever it shall become necessary to their Happiness." The omission of such principles in the bill of rights proposed by Madison led Aedanus Burke to dismiss...

...declaration of the principles on which her assent was given, from which the following extract is made: " That the powers of government may be reassumed by...delegated to the Congress of the United States, or the departments of the government thereof, remains to the people of the several States, or to their...