The idea of separating the executive business of the confederacy from
Congress, as the judiciary is already, in some degree, is just and
necessary. I had frequently pressed on the members individually, while
in Congress, the doing this by a resolution of Congress for appointing
an executive committee, to act during the sessions of Congress, as
the committee of the States was to act during their vacations. But the
referring to this committee all executive business, as it should present
itself, would require a more persevering self-denial than I suppose
Congress to possess. It will be much better to make that separation by
a federal act. The negative proposed to be given them on all the acts
of the several legislatures, is now, for the first time, suggested to
my mind. _Prima facie_, I do not like it. It fails in an essential
character; that the hole and the patch should be commensurate. But this
proposes to mend a small hole, by covering the whole garment. Not more
than one out of one hundred State acts, concern the confederacy. This
proposition, then, in order to give them one degree of power, which
they ought to have, gives them ninety-nine more, which they ought not
to have, upon a presumption that they will not exercise the ninety-nine.
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