However, the people were very careful. Nearly every government in the world, before the organization of the United States, had at times proven false to the people. Many governments were false to the people all the time. Indignities and abuses were often heaped upon helpless men, women, and children. Governments were more often maintained to serve royalty or aristocracy than to protect the rights and liberties of the common people. Therefore when it came to organizing this new Nation, the people were careful to guard against the abuses of the past. Thus they not only specified definitely the powers conferred upon the United States, but (Sections 9 and 10 of Article I) positively stated certain things which the United States could not do. _The people also were suspicious._ The experience of the human race with governments justified this suspicion. When the Constitution was submitted to the people, many protested that the individual liberties of the people were not sufficiently guarded; and before the people consented to ratify the Constitution, it was necessary that they should be given assurance that upon the ratification of the Constitution, amendments would be proposed and submitted to the people, expressing clearly the guaranties given to the people against improper exercise of power by the National government and especially protecting the liberty of all the people. These amendments, which constitute the Great American Bill of Rights, were proposed by Congress in 1789 and were ratified by the States in 1791. Now let us get the foregoing brief summary fixed in our minds. The Constitution is a partnership between the people and the Nation in which the people (1) grant to the Nation certain specific powers; (2) restrain the Nation from exercising powers not granted; and (3) in many particulars direct the manner in which the powers granted shall be exercised. The Constitution also provides for what may be termed the “machinery of government”. It separates the powers of government into three divisions: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. It then provides for the officers (the agents or servants of the people), who shall exercise the powers of each department, and prescribes certain qualifications for such officers, the methods of their selection, and the terms of such officers. In Article I we find certain qualifications for Senators and Representatives—the length of their term of service. Senators are elected for six years, Representatives for two years. There are also certain provisions as to their election, the organization of the Senate and House, to some extent the method of procedure, and direction as to the exercise of certain powers.