第 8 节
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of power is preserved; and responsibility weighs with its heaviest
force on a single head。
The organization of our county administrations may be thought
more difficult。 But follow principle; and the knot unties itself。
Divide the counties into wards of such size as that every citizen can
attend; when called on; and act in person。 Ascribe to them the
government of their wards in all things relating to themselves
exclusively。 A justice; chosen by themselves; in each; a constable;
a military company; a patrol; a school; the care of their own poor;
their own portion of the public roads; the choice of one or more
jurors to serve in some court; and the delivery; within their own
wards; of their own votes for all elective officers of higher sphere;
will relieve the county administration of nearly all its business;
will have it better done; and by making every citizen an acting
member of the government; and in the offices nearest and most
interesting to him; will attach him by his strongest feelings to the
independence of his country; and its republican constitution。 The
justices thus chosen by every ward; would constitute the county
court; would do its judiciary business; direct roads and bridges;
levy county and poor rates; and administer all the matters of common
interest to the whole country。 These wards; called townships in New
England; are the vital principle of their governments; and have
proved themselves the wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man
for the perfect exercise of self…government; and for its
preservation。 We should thus marshal our government into; 1; the
general federal republic; for all concerns foreign and federal; 2;
that of the State; for what relates to our own citizens exclusively;
3; the county republics; for the duties and concerns of the county;
and 4; the ward republics; for the small; and yet numerous and
interesting concerns of the neighborhood; and in government; as well
as in every other business of life; it is by division and subdivision
of duties alone; that all matters; great and small; can be managed to
perfection。 And the whole is cemented by giving to every citizen;
personally; a part in the administration of the public affairs。
The sum of these amendments is; 1。 General Suffrage。 2。 Equal
representation in the legislature。 3。 An executive chosen by the
people。 4。 Judges elective or amovable。 5。 Justices; jurors; and
sheriffs elective。 6。 Ward divisions。 And 7。 Periodical amendments
of the constitution。
I have thrown out these as loose heads of amendment; for
consideration and correction; and their object is to secure
self…government by the republicanism of our constitution; as well as
by the spirit of the people; and to nourish and perpetuate that
spirit。 I am not among those who fear the people。 They; and not the
rich; are our dependence for continued freedom。 And to preserve
their independence; we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual
debt。 We must make our election between _economy and liberty_; or
_profusion and servitude_。 If we run into such debts; as that we
must be taxed in our meat and in our drink; in our necessaries and
our comforts; in our labors and our amusements; for our callings and
our creeds; as the people of England are; our people; like them; must
come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty…four; give the earnings of
fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily
expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread; we
must live; as they now do; on oatmeal and potatoes; have no time to
think; no means of calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to
obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the
necks of our fellow…sufferers。 Our landholders; too; like theirs;
retaining indeed the title and stewardship of estates called theirs;
but held really in trust for the treasury; must wander; like theirs;
in foreign countries; and be contented with penury; obscurity; exile;
and the glory of the nation。 This example reads to us the salutary
lesson; that private fortunes are destroyed by public as well as by
private extravagance。 And this is the tendency of all human
governments。 A departure from principle in one instance becomes a
precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on; till the
bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery; and
to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering。 Then
begins; indeed; the _bellum omnium in omnia_; which some philosophers
observing to be so general in this world; have mistaken it for the
natural; instead of the abusive state of man。 And the fore horse of
this frightful team is public debt。 Taxation follows that; and in
its train wretchedness and oppression。
Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence;
and deem them like the arc of the covenant; too sacred to be touched。
They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than
human; and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment。 I knew that
age well; I belonged to it; and labored with it。 It deserved well of
its country。 It was very like the present; but without the
experience of the present; and forty years of experience in
government is worth a century of book…reading; and this they would
say themselves; were they to rise from the dead。 I am certainly not
an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and
constitutions。 I think moderate imperfections had better be borne
with; because; when once known; we accommodate ourselves to them; and
find practical means of correcting their ill effects。 But I know
also; that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the
progress of the human mind。 As that becomes more developed; more
enlightened; as new discoveries are made; new truths disclosed; and
manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances;
institutions must advance also; and keep pace with the times。 We
might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him
when a boy; as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of
their barbarous ancestors。 It is this preposterous idea which has
lately deluged Europe in blood。 Their monarchs; instead of wisely
yielding to the gradual change of circumstances; of favoring
progressive accommodation to progressive improvement; have clung to
old abuses; entrenched themselves behind steady habits; and obliged
their subjects to seek through blood and violence rash and ruinous
innovations; which; had they been referred to the peaceful
deliberations and collected wisdom of the nation; would have been put
into acceptable and salutary forms。 Let us follow no such examples;
nor weakly believe that one generation is not as capable as another
of taking care of itself; and of ordering its own affairs。 Let us;
as our sister States have done; avail ourselves of our reason and
experience; to correct the crude essays of our first and
unexperienced; although wise; virtuous; and well…meaning councils。
And lastly; let us provide in our constitution for its revision at
stated periods。 What these periods should be; nature herself
indicates。 By the European tables of mortality; of the adults living
at any one moment of time; a majority will be dead in about nineteen
years。 At the end of that period; then; a new majority is come into
place; or; in other words; a new generation。 Each generation is as
independent as the one preceding; as that was of all which had gone
before。 It has then; like them; a right to choose for itself the
form of government it believes most promotive of its own happiness;
consequently; to accommodate to the circumstances in which it finds
itself; that received from its predecessors; and it is for the peace
and good of mankind; that a solemn opportunity of doing this every
nineteen or twenty years; should be provided by the constitution; so
that it may be handed on; with periodical repairs; from generation to
generation; to the end of time; if anything human can so long endure。
It is now forty years since the constitution of Virginia was formed。
The same tables inform us; that; within that period; two…thirds of
the adults then living are now dead。 Have then the remaining third;
even if they had the wish; the right to hold in obedience to their
will; and to laws heretofore made by them; the other two…thirds; who;
with themselves; compose the present mass of adults? If they have
not; who has? The dead? But the dead have no rights。 They are
nothing; and nothing cannot own something。 Where there is no
substance; there can be no accident。 This corporeal globe; and
everything upon it; belong to its present corporeal inhabitants;
during their generation。 They alone have a right to direct what is
the concern of themselves alone; and to declare the law of that
direction; and this declaration can only be mad