nce, and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not by
this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress
assembled." By the third article it was further declared, that "the said
_States_ hereby severally enter into _a firm league_ of friendship with
each other, for their common defence, the security of their liberties,
and their mutual and general welfare." By another article, a "committee
of the _States_, or any nine of them," was authorized in the recess to
execute the powers of Congress. The government thus constituted was a
compact between _sovereign States_,--or, according to its precise
language, "a firm league of friendship" between _these States_,
administered, in the recess of Congress, by a "committee of _the
States_." Thus did State Rights triumph.

But its imbecility from this pretension soon became apparent. As early
as December, 1782, a committee of Congress made an elaborate report on
the refusal of Rhode Island, one of the States, to confer certain powers
on Congress with regard to revenue and commerce. In April, 1783, an
address of Congress to _the States_ was put forth, appealing to their
justice and plighted faith, and representing the consequence of a
failure on their part to sustain the Government and provide for its
wants. In April, 1784, a similar appeal was made to what were called
"the several States," whose legislatures were recommended to vest "the
United States in Congress assembled" with certain powers. In July, 1785,
a committee of Congress made another elaborate report on the reason why
the States should confer upon Congress powers therein enumerated, in the
course of which it was urged, that, "unless _the States_ act together,
there is no plan of policy into which they can separately enter, which
they will not be separately interested to defeat, and, of course, all
their measures must prove vain and abortive." In February and March,
1786, there were two other reports of committees of Congress, exhibiting
the failure of _the States_ to comply with the requisitions of Congress,
and the necessity for a complete accession of _all the States_ to the
revenue system. In October, 1786, there was still another report, most
earnestly renewing the former appeals to _the States_. Nothing could be
more urgent.

As early as July, 1782, even before the first report to Congress,
resolutions were adopted by the State of New York, declaring "that the
situation of _these States