In Letter #33 of "The Federalist Papers", Alexander Hamilton gives an excellent explanation concerning the principle of the hierarchy of associations that existed among the thirteen States. The principle applies to both State Associations whose constituants are local communities and to the federal Republic whose constituants are the Free States. We will apply the principle of limited jurisdiction to a State Association first. Hamiliton states the following to explain "the republican principle":
"If individuals enter into a state of society (a local community represented in dark blue), the laws of that society must be the supreme regulator of their conduct. If a number of political societies
(represented in dark blue) enter into a larger political society (represented in light blue), the laws which the latter may enact, pursuant to the powers intrusted to it by its constitution, must necessarily be supreme over those societies and the individuals of whom they are composed. It would otherwise be a mere treaty, dependent on the good faith of the parties, and not a government, which is only another word for POLITICAL POWER AND SUPREMACY. But it will not follow from this doctrine that acts of the larger society which are not pursuant to its constitutional powers, but which are invasions of the residuary authorities of the smaller societies, will become the supreme law of the land. These will be merely acts of usurpation, and will deserve to be treated as such."
All Copyrights Reserved to Stephen L. Corrigan 2005
