inst foreigners and citizens of
other states. To remedy this, to establish fair-handed justice throughout
the land, the national judiciary was created by the constitution.

[5] "Domestic tranquillity" means here peace among the states and within
each state. The condition of affairs during the confederation period had
been woeful. A long war had impoverished the people, and unable to pay
their taxes they had in several places broken out in rebellion. Each state
by commercial regulations was trying to better its fortunes even at the
expense of the others. These regulations, and disputes about boundaries,
kept the states quarreling among themselves.

By transferring to the general government the power to regulate commerce
with foreign nations and among the states, by giving it power to enforce
treaties, and by creating a tribunal with authority to settle
controversies between states, the framers of the constitution removed in a
large measure the irritating causes of discord. But to _insure_ peace, the
general government was expressly given power to put down insurrections in
the states.

[6] To defend the country is another of the important duties of
government. The United States could do this better than each state could
defend itself. Several reasons are obvious. Therefore the general
government was empowered to raise and maintain an army and navy, and it
thus became "competent to inspire confidence at home and respect abroad."

[7] "To promote the general welfare" was the great object for which the
government was organized, and all the provisions of the constitution have
that in view. This expression was intended to cover all those things which
a government may properly do for the good of the people. It is very
elastic, as it was intended to be, and has covered acts as different as
the purchase of Louisiana, and the endowment of agricultural colleges, the
granting of a patent, and the establishment of post-offices.

[8] This is a worthy climax to the preamble. The great struggle, which
began in the mother country, continued through colonial times, and
culminated in the revolution, had been for liberty. The love of liberty
had illumined the pathway of the pilgrims crossing unknown seas; it had
glowed in the Declaration of Independence; it had warmed the hearts of the
half-clad soldiers at Valley Forge.

Liberty had now been won; the problem was how to render it secure. The
desired security was to be found only in the