tates together; but when peace was restored the
evils of the league were so glaring, and the dangers in the future so
imminent, that the good sense of the people saved the young nation in
time, by sheltering it under that broad, strong roof, the present
national Constitution. Thus the individual States legislate and act for
themselves in all that concerns themselves alone. But in that which
concerns themselves in connection and in common with other States, and
where, if each State were absolutely independent, such State action
would come into conflict with the wants or rights of other States, and
also be a great cost to the single State--all such common and general
matters are accomplished with uniformity and harmony by all the States
collectively through the general or central government.

But further.--This central government itself, like the nation which it
serves, is a compound body; a unit composed of parts, each of which in
its own sphere is independent, yet beyond that sphere is limited by the
functions of the other parts. This government is a _triple_ compound,
and consists of the legislative, the judicial, and the executive
departments.

The legislative, or Congress, declares the will of the nation.

The judicial or judging department decides and declares the proper ways
and means, the how, the when, the persons and conditions, according to
which this national will is to be carried out, and--the executive
department is the arm and hand that does the carrying out; that performs
by its proclamations and by its civil and military agents, what the
Congress and judicial departments have willed and constitutionally
decided shall be done.

Thus is perceived a beautiful analogy between these three departments
acting separately and yet in concert--and the will, the intellect, and
the bodily powers of the individual man. A man's will is very different
and distinct from his intellect or reasoning faculty; and both will and
intellect are widely distinct from the bodily powers. Not only are these
three distinct and totally different elements in man's nature, but only
in the degree that they remain distinct, and that they are duly balanced
against each other, and that they all act in concert--only in this
degree is the life of the individual self-poised, harmonious, and free.

And precisely the same is true of these three functions of government.
It is essential to a free republican state that these functions should
rem