What  subjects  of  a  local  and  domestic  character  merely,
in  respect  to  which  the  people  of  a  particular  state  are
only  interested,  and  in  the  administration  of  which  by
the  states,  the  security  and  prosperity  of  the  nation  will
not  be  jeopardized?  Whatever  those  subjects  were,
they  were  permitted  to  remain  under  state  jurisdiction ;
and  the  people  specified  the  subjects  to  be  committed
to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  national  government,  because,
being  of  a  general  character,  they  were  comparatively


EXPRESS  POWERS  OF  CONGRESS.  175

few,  and  easily  enumerated.  The  national  or  general
government  is  limited  in  its  administration  in  no  other
sense,  than  in  the  enumeration  of  the  subjects  over
which  it  has  jurisdiction.  But  in  respect  to  such  sub-
jectSj.for  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  committed
to  its  jurisdiction,  that  government  has  plenary  author-
ity ;  that  is,  it  has  the  unlimited  authority  of  the  nation
in  administering  upon  them.  It  has  the  same  authority,
and  the  same  latitude  of  administration  in  respect
thereto,  that  the  states  have  in  respect  to  subjects  left
to  their  local  administration.
