"I submit, on the other hand, most respectfully, that the Constitution not merely does not affirm that principle, but, on the contrary, altogether excludes it"

This quote by William H. Seward is referring to the concept of popular sovereignty, which is the idea that individuals are the source of all political power. Seward is arguing that the Constitution does not affirm this principle, however rather excludes it. He is recommending that the Constitution does not offer individuals the power to make choices about their government, however instead gives that power to the government itself. Seward is arguing that the Constitution does not acknowledge individuals as the source of political power, but rather offers the government the power to make choices on behalf of the people. This quote is a crucial reminder that the Constitution does not always recognize the people as the source of political power, and that the federal government has the power to make decisions on behalf of the people.