e thereof, do declare as follows.

The States in North America which confederated to establish their
independence on the government of Great Britain, of which Virginia was
one, became, on that acquisition, free and independent States, and, as
such, authorized to constitute governments, each for itself, in such
form as it thought best.

They entered into a compact (which is called the Constitution of the
United States of America), by which they agreed to unite in a single
government as to their relations with each other, and with foreign
nations, and as to certain other articles particularly specified.
They retained at the same time, each to itself, the other rights of
independent government, comprehending mainly their domestic interests.

For the administration of their federal branch, they agreed to appoint,
in conjunction, a distinct set of functionaries, legislative, executive,
and judiciary, in the manner settled in that compact: while to each,
severally and of course, remained its original right of appointing, each
for itself, a separate set of functionaries, legislative, executive,
and judiciary, also, for administering the domestic branch of their
respective governments.

These two sets of officers, each independent of the other, constitute
thus a whole of government, for each State separately; the powers
ascribed to the one, as specifically made federal, exercised over
the whole, the residuary powers, retained to the other, exercisable
exclusively over its particular State, foreign herein, each to the
others, as they were before the original compact.

To this construction of government and distribution of its powers, the
Commonwealth of Virginia does religiously and affectionately adhere,
opposing, with equal fidelity and firmness, the usurpation of either set
of functionaries on the rightful powers of the other.

But the federal branch has assumed in some cases, and claimed in others,
a right of enlarging its own powers by constructions, inferences, and
indefinite deductions from those directly given, which this Assembly
does declare to be usurpations of the powers retained to the independent
branches, mere interpolations into the compact, and direct infractions
of it.

They claim, for example, and have commenced the exercise of a right to
construct roads, open canals, and effect other internal improvements
within the territories and jurisdictions exclusively belonging to the
several States, which this