Thomas B. Wait to George Thatcher (August 10, 1789)

I shall support the Amendmts. proposed to the Constitution that any exception to the powers of Congress shall not be so construed as to give it any powers not expressly given, & the enumeration of certain rights shall not be so construed as to deny others retained by the people—&1 the powers not delegated by this Constn. nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively;2 if these amendts. are adopted, they will go a great way in preventing Congress from interfering with our negroes after 20 years or prohibiting the importation of them. Otherwise, they may even within the 20 years by a strained construction of some power embarass us very much.3 I had this in contemplation not a little, in my opposition to the Legislature's giving judicial construction on the Constitutn.