第 40 节
作者:公主站记      更新:2021-04-30 17:05      字数:9322
  nclusion。  To the General government is  denied expressly or by necessary implication all jurisdiction in  matters of private rights and interests; and to the State  government is denied all jurisdiction in right; or interests  which extend; as has been said; beyond the boundaries of the  State。  〃No State shall enter into any treaty; alliance; or  confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money;  emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and silver coin a  tender in the payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder; ex  post facto law; or law impairing the obligation of contracts; or  grant any title of nobility。  No State shall; without the  consent of Congress; lay any imposts or duties on imports or  exports; except what may be absolutely necessary for executing  its inspection laws and the net produce of all duties and  imposts laid by any State on imports and exports shall be for the  use of the treasury of the United States; and all such laws  shall be subject to the revision and control of Congress。  No  State shall; with… 268                  out the consent of Congress; lay any duty of  tonnage; keep troops or ships…of…war in time of peace; enter into  any agreement or compact with another State or with a foreign  power; or engage in war; unless actually invaded; or in such  imminent danger as will not admit of delay。〃
  The powers denied to the States in some matters which are rather  private and particular; such as bills of attainder; ex post  facto laws; laws impairing the obligation of contracts; granting  titles of nobility; are denied equally to the General government。   There is evidently a profound logic in the constitution; and  there is not a single provision in it that is arbitrary; or  anomalous; or that does not harmonize dialectically with the  whole; and with the real constitution of the American people。  At  first sight the reservation to the State of the appointment of  the officers of the militia might seem an anomaly; but as the  whole subject of internal police belongs to the State; it should  have some military force at its command。  The subject of  bankruptcies; also; might seem to be more properly within the  province of the State; and so it would be if commerce between the  several States had not been placed under Congress; or if trade  were confined to the citizens 269                               of the State and within its  boundaries; but as such is not the case; it was necessary to  place it under the General government; in order that laws on the  subject might be uniform throughout the Union; and that the  citizens of all the States; and foreigners trading with them;  should be placed on an equal footing; and have the same remedies。   The subject follows naturally in the train of commerce; for  bankruptcies; as understood at the time; were confined to the  mercantile class; bankers; and brokers; and since the regulation  of commerce; foreign and inter…state; was to be placed under the  sole charge of the General government; it was necessary that  bankruptcy should be included。  The subject of patents is placed  under the General government; though the patent is a private  right; because it was the will of the convention that the patent  should be good in all the States; as affording more encouragement  to science and the useful arts than if good only within a single  State; or if the power were left to each State to recognize or  not patents granted by another。  The right created; though  private in its nature; is Yet general or common to all the States  in its enjoyment or exercise。
  The division of the powers of government between a General  government and particular 270                           governments; rendered possible and  practicable by the original constitution of the people  themselves; as one people existing and acting through State  organizations; is the American method of guarding against the  undue centralism to which Roman imperialism inevitably tends;  and it is far simpler and more effective than any of the  European systems of mixed governments; which seek their end by  organizing an antagonism of interests or classes。  The American  method demands no such antagonism; no neutralizing of one social  force by another; but avails itself of all the forces of society;  organizes them dialectically; not antagonistically; and thus  protects with; equal efficiency both public authority and  private rights。  The General government can never oppress the  people as individuals; or abridge their private rights or  personal freedom and independence; because these are not within  its jurisdiction; but are placed in charge; within each State;  of the State government; which; within its sphere; governs as  supremely as the General government: the State governments  cannot weaken the public authority of the nation or oppress the  people in their general rights and interests; for these are  withdrawn from State jurisdiction; and placed under charge of a  Gen… 271 eral government; which; in its sphere; governs as supremely as  the State government。  There is no resort to a system of checks  and balances; there is no restraint on power; and no systematic  distrust of power; but simply a division of powers between two  co…ordinate governments; distinct but inseparable; moving in  distinct spheres; but in the same direction; or to a common end。   The system is no invention of man; is no creation of the  convention; but is given us by Providence in the living  constitution of the American people。  The merit of the statesmen  of 1787 is that they did not destroy or deface the work of  Providence; but accepted it; and organized the government in  harmony with the real orders the real elements given them。  They  suffered themselves in all their positive substantial work to be  governed by reality; not by theories and speculations。  In this  they proved themselves statesmen; and their work survives; and  the republic; laugh as sciolists may; is; for the present and  future; the model republicas much so as was Rome in her day;  and it is not simply national pride nor American self…conceit  that pronounces its establishment the beginning of a new and  more advanced order of civilization; such is really the fact。
  The only apparently weak point in the sys… 272                                          tem is in the  particular States themselves。  Feudalism protected the feudal  aristocracy effectively for a time against both the king and the  people; but left the king and the; people without protection  against the aristocracy; and hence it fell。  It was not adequate  to the wants of civil society; did not harmonize all social  elements; and protect all social and individual rights and  interests; and therefore could not but fail。  The General  government takes care of public authority and rights; the State  protects private rights and personal freedom as against the  General government: but what protects the citizens in their  private rights; their personal freedom and independence; against  the particular State government?  Universal suffrage; answers  the democrat。  Armed with the ballot; more powerful than the  sword; each citizen is able to protect himself。  But this is  theory; not reality。  If it were true; the division of the  powers of government between two co…ordinate; governments would  be of no practical importance。  Experience does not sustain the  theory; and the power of the ballot to protect the individual  may be rendered ineffective by the tyranny of party。  Experience  proves that the ballot is far less effective in securing the  freedom and independence of the individual citizen than is 273 commonly pretended。  The ballot of an isolated individual counts  for nothing。  The individual; though armed with the ballot; is  as powerless; if he stands alone; as if he had it not。  To  render it of any avail he must associate himself with a party;  and look for his success in the success of his party; and to  secure the success of his party; he must give up to it his own  private convictions and free will。  In practice; individuals are  nothing individually; and parties are every thing。  Even the  suppression of the late rebellion; and the support of the  Administration in doing it; was made a party question; and the  government found the leaders of the party opposed to the  Republican party an obstacle hardly less difficult to surmount  than the chiefs of the armies of the so…called Confederate  States。
  Parties are formed; one hardly knows how; and controlled; no one  knows by whom; but usually by demagogues; men who have some  private or personal purposes; for which they wish; through party  to use the government。  Parties have no conscience; no  responsibility; and their very reason of being is; the  usurpation and concentration of power。  The real practical  tendency of universal suffrage is to democratic; instead of an  imperial; centralism。 274                        What is to guard against this centralism?   Not universal suffrage; for that tends to create it;; and if the  government is left to it; the government becomes practically the  will of an ever shifting and irresponsible majority。  Is the  remedy in written or paper constitutions?  Party can break  thr