scandalous, and malicious writings;
because such writings render the Administration odious and contemptible
among the people, and by doing so have a tendency to produce opposition
to the laws." To make it support the construction of the committee, it
should say that "Congress shall have power over all acts which are
likely to produce acts which hinder the execution of," etc. Our
construction confines the power of Congress to such acts as immediately
interfere with the execution of the enumerated powers of Congress,
because the power can only be necessary as well as proper when the acts
would really hinder the execution. The construction of the committee
extends the power of Congress to all acts which have a relation, ever so
many degrees removed, to the enumerated powers, or rather to the acts
which would hinder their execution. By our construction, the
Constitution remains defined and limited, according to the plain intent
and meaning of its framers; by the construction of the committee, all
limitation is lost, and it may be extended over the different actions of
life as speculative politicians may think fit. What has a greater
tendency to fit men for insurrection and resistance to government than
dissolute, immoral habits, at once destroying love of order, and
dissipating the fortune which gives an interest in society? The doctrine
that Congress can punish any act which has a tendency to hinder the
execution of the laws, as well as acts which do hinder it, will,
therefore, clearly entitle them to assume a general guardianship over
the morals of the people of the United States. Again, nothing can have a
greater tendency to ensure obedience to law, and nothing can be more
likely to check every propensity to resistance to government, than
virtuous and wise education; therefore Congress must have power to
subject all the youth of the United States to a certain system of
education. It would be very easy to connect every sort of authority used
by any government with the well-being of the General Government, and
with as much reason as the committee had for their opinion, to assign
the power to Congress, although the consequence must be the prostration
of the State governments.

But enough has been said to show the necessity of adhering to the common
meaning of the word "necessary" in the clause under consideration, which
is, that the power to be assumed must be one without which some one of
the enumerated powers cannot exis