also placed
limitations upon the governing bodies. As the first great series
of written constitutions, these frames of government attracted wide
attention. Congress printed a set for general distribution, and numerous
editions were circulated both at home and abroad.

The constitutions were brief documents, varying from one thousand to
twelve thousand words in length, which established the framework of the
governmental machinery. Most of them, before proceeding to practical
working details, enunciated a series of general principles upon the
subject of government and political morality in what were called
declarations or bills of rights. The character of these declarations may
be gathered from the following excerpts:

"That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have
certain inherent rights,... the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the
means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining
happiness and safety. That no man, or set of men, are entitled to
exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from the community, but
in consideration of public services.

"The body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals;
it is a social compact by which the whole people covenants with each
citizen and each citizen with the whole people that all shall be
governed by certain laws for the common good.

"That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws, by any
authority, without consent of the representatives of the people, is
injurious to their rights, and ought not to be exercised.

"That general warrants,... are grievous and oppressive, and ought not to
be granted.

"All penalties ought to be proportioned to the nature of the offence.

"That sanguinary laws ought to be avoided, as far as is consistent with
the safety of the State; and no law, to inflict cruel and unusual pains
and penalties, ought to be made in any case, or at any time hereafter.

"No magistrate or court of law shall demand excessive bail or sureties,
impose excessive fines....

"Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God
according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; ...

"That the freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty,
and can never be restrained but by despotic governments."

It will be perceived at once that these are but variations of the
English Declaration of Rights of 1689, which indeed was consciously
followed as a mod