It was, finally, to differ from the American federal commonwealth in the great feature that it was to be merely a confederacy of sovereignties, not a representative Republic.

Its foundation was a compact, not a constitution.

The contracting parties were states and corporations, who considered themselves as representing small nationalities 'dejure et de facto', and as succeeding to the supreme power at the very instant in which allegiance to the Spanish monarch was renounced.

The general assembly was a collection of diplomatic envoys, bound by instructions from independent states.

The voting was not by heads, but by states.