▁government , ▁real izing ▁the ▁imp ending ▁difficulty ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁the ▁consent ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁needed ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁oper ational , ▁were ▁anxious ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁un anim ous ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁deleg ations ▁from ▁each ▁state . ▁It ▁was ▁fe ared ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁deleg ates ▁would ▁refuse ▁to ▁give ▁their ▁individual ▁ass ent ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁Therefore , ▁in ▁order ▁that ▁the ▁action ▁of ▁the ▁Convention ▁would ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁un anim ous , ▁the ▁formula , ▁Done ▁in ▁convention ▁by ▁the ▁un anim ous ▁consent ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁present ▁... ▁was ▁de vised . ▁ ▁The ▁document ▁is ▁dated : ▁" the ▁Se vent e enth ▁Day ▁of ▁September ▁in ▁the ▁Year ▁of ▁our ▁Lord " ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁and ▁" of ▁the ▁Independ ence ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁the ▁Tw elf th ." ▁ ▁This ▁two - fold ▁epo ch ▁d ating ▁serves ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁Constitution ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁religious ▁trad itions ▁of ▁Western ▁civil ization ▁and , ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁links ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁regime ▁principles ▁proc laimed ▁in ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁ ▁This ▁dual ▁reference ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Articles ▁of ▁Confeder ation ▁and ▁the ▁North west ▁Ord in ance . ▁ ▁The ▁closing ▁end ors ement ▁serves ▁an ▁authentication ▁function ▁only . ▁It ▁neither ▁assign s ▁powers ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁nor ▁does ▁it ▁provide ▁specific ▁limitations ▁on ▁government ▁action . ▁It ▁does , ▁however ,