Excerpt from Inaugural Address of Hon.: Thomas Swann, Governor Elect of Maryland, Delivered in the Senate Chamber, Annapolis, January 11th, 1865

The first proposition for a general Convention to revise the defects of the old Confederation originated in this city, and was reported by Colonel Hamilton, as chairman of a commit tee appointed for that purpose, addressed to the Legislatures of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, whose Commissienors had assembled in Annapolis pursuant to appointment. The Confederation as it then stood was treated as little more than a league formed by the original States for the common safety in time of war. There was no recognized power of coercion to compel obedience to the governing power indispensable to perpetuate the National life. It was in fact a union without the authority and func tions of a National Government. The States, it is true, under the old articles of 'confederation were not sovereign; they were powerless as to the essential elements of sover eignty. They could neither make war, nor alliances, nor treaties. They could not hold communication with any for eign Sovereign, nor could they entertain propositions from any such source. They could exercise no powers offensive or defensive, for they had no recognized right to levy troops or equip vessels of war. But such was not the practical work ing of the system. The constant apprehension of a tendency towards consolidation, and the oppression of the weaker States, kept alive a spirit of jealousy which greatly embar rassed the early advocates of a National Government. The experience of our revolutionary struggle, the necessity for a limited concentration of power, not only to prevent collision between the States, but to make effective the powers dele gated by the people with a view to the permanency of our system, resulted at length in the adoption of our present Federal Constitutionz - We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish jus tice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and es tablish this Constitution for the United States of America.

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