Constitution

The Constitution is made up of elementary principles, from which spring the vital functions of the Political Being, thus brought into existence, and upon which depend, mainly, the future and development of the Organism, and the character as well as standard, of its civilization.

An individual life, in all its forms and stages, is said to be the result of a war between opposing agencies, so it is with the political life or existence of every body politic.

History has devoted itself so exclusively to the consideration of human action only...hence treats chiefly of men and the impress their actions make upon society.

The opposite workings and effects of principle, or the results of their neglect, upon the very actions of men, of which they treat so largely, receive but slight, if any attention, even in the most graphic description of the most terrible convulsions, which, if traced to their origin, would often, and most frequently, perhaps, be found to arise, as effect follows cause, from those very principles or organic laws themselves.

Principles constitute the subject matter of this work.

Times change, and men often change with them, but principles never!
These, like truths, are eternal, unchangeable, and immutable!

Most of the diseases with which the human system is afflicted, proceed, as natural and inevitable consequences, from the violation or neglect of some one or more of the vital laws of its organization. All violent fevers and convulsions have their origin in this, though the real cause may be too occult to be ascertained by the most skillful Pathologist. So with political organizations, whether simple or complex, single or Federal. No great disorders ever occur in them without some similar real cause.

Alexander Stephens, War Between the States