At once ,in the place of the individual personality of each contracting party, this act of association creates a moral and collective body, composed of as many members as the assembly contains voters, and receiving from this act its act its unity, its common identity, life, and its will. This public person, so formed by the union of all persons, formerly took the name of city, and now takes that of republic or body politic; it is called by its members state when passive, sovereign when active, and power when compared with others like itself. Those who are associated in it take collectively the name of people, and severally are called citizens, as sharing in the sovereign power, and subjects, as being under the laws of the state.