ery can be made
constitutional.

And what is the object of resorting to these flying reports for
evidence, on which to change the meaning of the constitution? Is it to
change the instrument from a dishonest to an honest one? from an unjust
to a just one? No. But directly the reverse--and solely that dishonesty
and injustice may be carried into effect. A purpose, for which no
evidence of any kind whatever could be admitted in a court of justice.

Again. If the principle be admitted, that the meaning of the
constitution can be changed, on proof being made that the scriveners or
framers of it had secret and knavish intentions, which do not appear on
the face of the instrument, then perfect license is given to the
scriveners of constitutions to contrive any secret scheme of villainy
they may please, and impose it upon the people as a system of
government, under cover of a written instrument that is so plainly
honest and just in its terms, that the people readily agree to it. Is
such a principle to be admitted in a country where the people claim the
prerogative of establishing their own government, and deny the right of
any body to impose a government upon them, either by force, or fraud, or
against their will?

Finally. The constitution is a contract; a written contract, consisting
of a certain number of precise words, to which, and to which only, all
the parties to it have, in theory, agreed. Manifestly neither this
contract, nor the meaning of its words, can be changed, without the
consent of all the parties to it. Nor can it be changed on a
representation, to be made by any number of them less than the whole,
that they intended any thing different from what they have said. To
change it, on the representation of a part, without the consent of the
rest, would be a breach of contract as to all the rest. And to change
its _legal meaning_, without their consent, would be as much a breach of
the contract as to change its words. If there were a single honest man
in the nation, who assented, in good faith, to the honest and legal
meaning of the constitution, it would be unjust and unlawful to change
the meaning of the instrument so as to sanction slavery, even though
every other man in the nation should testify that, in agreeing to the
constitution, he intended that slavery should be sanctioned. If there
were _not_ a single honest man in the nation, who adopted the
constitution in good faith, and with the intent that its lega