But I would not have you feel that the other parts of the Constitution are of small concern. Each provision of this great charter of human rights is very important, and worthy of careful study.
Article I of the Constitution provides that all legislative powers granted "shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives". Now you will understand of course that up to the time the Constitution was adopted, the United States had no power; in fact there was no United States. The colonists through the Articles of Confederation had attempted to establish a Nation which was designated "The United States of America", but the result of their efforts was really a confederation, and not a real union.(101) _The Nation was formed by the adoption of the Constitution._ The Nation formed was in the nature of a partnership. I suppose you know but little about partnerships organized by individuals. A partnership is generally formed by a written agreement signed by the partners. This agreement usually contains provisions as to the share or interest of each partner, the power of the partners and of the partnership, and the objects and purposes of the partnership.
The United States is a partnership between the people and the Nation. The Constitution is a partnership agreement binding upon all the parties to the agreement. Before the adoption of the Constitution the people possessed all the power of government and governmental action. The people gave some of their power to the Nation, but only a small part of the power of the people was given. Always bear in mind that the United States--the Nation--has no power, and never had any except what the people granted in the Constitution and in the amendments thereto.
You will see in Section 8 of Article I the specific powers granted to Congress by the people. They include the following: lay and collect taxes; pay debts; provide for defense and for the general welfare; borrow money; regulate commerce among the States and with foreign nations; provide for naturalization and uniform rules of bankruptcy; coin money, regulate the value thereof, and fix the standard of weights and measures; punish counterfeiting; establish post offices and post roads; protect authors and inventors by copyrights and patents; establish courts; punish piracies and felonies on the high seas; declare war, raise, and support armies; provide and maintain a navy; provide for organizing armies, for disciplining the militia, and for calling them to serge in certain emergencies; exercise exclusive power of legislation "over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States"; make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers "and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."