Assembly does declare has not been given to
that branch by the constitutional compact, but remains to each State
among its domestic and unalienated powers, exercisable within itself and
by its domestic authorities alone.

This Assembly does further disavow, and declare to be most false and
unfounded, the doctrine, that the compact, in authorizing its federal
branch to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises to pay
the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the
United States, has given them thereby a power to do whatever they may
think, or pretend, would promote the general welfare, which construction
would make that, of itself, a complete government, without limitation
of powers; but that the plain sense and obvious meaning were, that they
might levy the taxes necessary to provide for the general welfare, by
the various acts of power therein specified and delegated to them, and
by no others.

Nor is it admitted, as has been said, that the people of these States,
by not investing their federal branch with all the means of bettering
their condition, have denied to themselves any which may effect that
purpose; since, in the distribution of these means, they have given to
that branch those which belong to its department, and to the States have
reserved separately the residue which belong to them separately: and
thus by the organization of the two branches taken together, have
completely secured the first object of human association, the full
improvement of their condition, and reserved to themselves all the
faculties of multiplying their own blessings.

Whilst the General Assembly thus declares the rights retained by the
States, rights which they have never yielded, and which this State
will never voluntarily yield, they do not mean to raise the banner of
disaffection, or of separation from their sister States, co-parties with
themselves to this compact. They know and value too highly the blessings
of their Union, as to foreign nations and questions arising among
themselves, to consider every infraction as to be met by actual
resistance. They respect too affectionately the opinions of those
possessing the same rights, under the same instrument, to make every
difference of construction a ground of immediate rupture. They would,
indeed, consider such a rupture as among the greatest calamities which
could befall them; but not the greatest. There is yet one greater,
submission to a govern