FDR Fire Side Chats On the Reorganization of the Judiciary - Tuesday, March 9, 1937

"It is the American people themselves who are in the driver's seat.

It is the American people themselves who want the furrow plowed.

It is the American people themselves who expect the third horse to

pull in unison with the other two.

I hope that you have re-read the Constitution of the United States

in these past few weeks. Like the Bible, it ought to be read again and

again.

It is an easy document to understand when you remember that it was

called into being because the Articles of Confederation under which

the original thirteen States tried to operate after the Revolution showed

the need of a National Government with power enough to handle national

problems. In its Preamble, the Constitution states that it was intended

to form a more perfect Union and promote the general welfare; and the

powers given to the Congress to carry out those purposes can be best

described by saying that they were all the powers needed to meet each

and every problem which then had a national character and which could

not be met by merely local action."