The Constitution of the usa

The Constitution is the fundamental law of the USA, framed in 1787 by the Constitutional Convention. It went into effect on March 4, 1789. The following are its opening sentences:

The Constitution of the United States of America

We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility¹, provide² for the common defence, promote³ the general Welfare⁴, and secure⁵ the Blessings⁶ of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity⁷, do ordain⁸ and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I Section 1 All legislative Powers herein⁹ granted¹⁰ shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

While the constitution was being worked out, Thomas Jefferson was in Paris, and in his letter of December 20, 1787, to James Madison he set out his opinion as to the proposed constitution:

"I like much the general idea of framing a government which should go on of itself¹¹ peaceably, without needing continual recurrence¹² to the state legislatures. I like the organization of the government into Legislative, Judiciary and Executive. I like the power given the Legislature to levy taxes and for that reason solely¹³ approve of the greater¹⁴ house¹⁵ being chosen by the people directly. For¹⁶ though I think a house chosen by them will be very illy¹⁷ qualified to legislate¹⁸ for the Union, for foreign nations and so on, yet this evil¹⁹ does not weigh²⁰ against the good of preserving inviolate²¹ the fundamental principle that the people are not to be taxed²² but²³ by representatives chosen immediately²⁴ by themselves.

I will now add what I do not like. First, the omission²⁵ of a bill of rights providing clearly and without the aid²⁶ of sophisms²⁷ for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies²⁸, restriction²⁹ against monopolies, the eternal³⁰ and unremitting³¹ force of the habeas corpus³² laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable³³ by the laws of the land³⁴ and not by the law of nations³⁵.

The second feature I dislike, and greatly dislike, is the abandonment³⁶ in every instance³⁷ of the necessity of rotation³⁸ in office, and most particularly in the case of the President. Experience concurs³⁹ with reason in concluding that the first magistrate⁴⁰ will always be re-elected if the Constitution permits it. He is then an officer for life."

¹спокойствие, безмятежность

²обеспечивать, предусматривать

³содействовать

⁴благосостояние

⁵обеспечить

⁶благо, благословение

⁷потомство

⁸предписывать, постановлять

⁹в этом (документе); здесь

¹⁰предоставлять

¹¹ само по себе (of itself)

¹²обращение (к); возврат (к)

¹³ с единственной целью

¹⁴больший

¹⁵палата (Конгресса)

¹⁶ибо

¹⁷плохо

¹⁸законодательствовать

¹⁹порок, зло

²⁰иметь значение (по сравнению с); весить

²¹ненарушенный

²²подвергать налогообложению

²³кроме как, за исключением

²⁴непосредственно

²⁵невключение, опущение

²⁶помощь

²⁷софизм, уловка, мнимое доказательство

²⁸ регулярная армия (standing army)

²⁹ограничение

³⁰вечный

³¹неослабный

³² судебный приказ о доставлении в суд лица, содержащегося под стражей, для выяснения правомерности содержания его под стражей (habeas corpus)

³³подлежащий рассмотрению в суде

³⁴законы страны

³⁵ международное право (the law of nations)

³⁶отказ

³⁷случай, инстанция

³⁸ротация, смена

³⁹совпадать, сходиться

⁴⁰ глава исполнительной власти (the first magistrate)