Clause 1.—Prior Debts and Engagements.

All debts contracted and engagements entered into before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this constitution as under the confederation.

The debts were incurred and the engagements were entered into by the United States, and changing the form of government would not release the country from its obligations. The insertion of this provision however, served as an explicit statement of the purpose of the government to live up to its engagements.

Clause 2.—National Supremacy.

This constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

This provision settles definitely, and in what would seem to be unmistakable terms, the question of supremacy, about which so much discussion has been carried on. Within its sphere, within the limitations placed upon it by the constitution itself, the national government has the supremacy over any and all state governments.

Clause 3.—Oath of Office.

_The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this constitution;[1] but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.[2]

[1] The first law passed by congress under the constitution was an act prescribing the form of the oath required by the provision above. It is as follows: "I, A. B., do solemnly swear, or affirm (as the case may be), that I will support the constitution of the United States."

[2] In all other countries at the time of the adoption of this constitution eligibility to public office was limited to members of the established church of the country. This constitution set the example of abolishing religious tests for public office, and the wisdom of this is so apparent that it has been followed entirely or in part by many of the civilized nations.