THE FUNDAMENTALS OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE GREAT DOCUMENTS ON WHICH ITS TRIATION, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY CHARLES Z. LINCOLN AUTHOR OF "THE CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK," MEMBER OF REVISION COMMISSION AND LEGAL ADVISER ΤΟ GOVERNORS MORTON, BLACK, AND ROOSEVELT. THE LAWYERS CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING COMPANY ROCHESTER, N. Y. 1907. KF 2980 HARVARD Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year nineteen hundred seven, by In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. E. R. ANDREWS PRINTING CO., ROCHESTER, N. Y. PREFACE. The title of the book shows what it is, or, at least, what it is intended to be. It is prepared primarily for the information of foreigners intending to become American citizens; but it is hoped that it will also be useful to experienced citizens, and to native Americans coming into citizenship. The chief purpose of the book is the presentation in convenient form of the four great documents which compose the foundation of our government, namely, Magna Charta, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. These have been preceded by a general introduction, in which I have tried to set forth, as briefly as practicable, the elements of our system of government, the relations sustained by the states to one another and to the nation, and also some observations on the rights, privileges, immunities, and duties of citizens. The increased tendency manifested by recent naturalization laws to raise the standard of foreign citizenship by imposing educational qualifications, requiring more knowledge of the American system of government, seems to demand the preparation of a volume from which the foreigner may obtain some knowledge of the fundamentals of our government. The situation presented by the large immigration of recent years, by which our population is increased monthly by the hundred thousand, has aroused the attention. and excited the patriotic interest of large numbers of our |