the american republic-第3节

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sen　people　of　God；　through　whom　the　　primitive　traditions　were　to　be　preserved　in　their　purity　and　　integrity；　and　the　Messiah　was　to　come。　　The　Greeks　were　the　　chosen　people　of　God；　for　the　development　and　realization　of　the　　beautiful　or　the　divine　splendor　in　art；　and　of　the　true　in　　science　and　philosophy；　and　the　Romans；　for　the　development　of　　the　state；　law；　and　jurisprudence。　　The　great　despotic　nations　of　　Asia　were　never　properly　nations；　or　if　they　were　nations　with　a　　mission；　they　proved　false　to　it；　and　count　for　nothing　in　the　　progressive　development　of　the　human　race。　　History　has　not　　recorded　their　mission；　and　as　far　as　they　are　known　they　have　　contributed　only　to　the　abnormal　development　or　corruption　of　　religion　and　civilization。　　Despotism　is　barbaric　and　abnormal。

The　United　States；　or　the　American　Republic；　has　a　mission；　and　　is　chosen　of　God　for　the　realization　of　a　great　idea。　　It　has　　been　chosen　not　only　to　continue　the　work　assigned　to　Greece　and　　Rome；　but　to　accomplish　a　greater　work　than　was　assigned　to　　either。　　In　art；　it　will　prove　false　to　its　mission　if　it　do　not　　rival　Greece；　and　in　science　and　philosophy；　if　it　do　not　surpass　　it。　　In　the　state；　in　law；　in　jurisprudence；　it　must　continue　and　　surpass　Rome。　　Its　idea　5　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　is　liberty；　indeed；　but　liberty　with　law；　　and　law　with　liberty。　　Yet　its　mission　is　not　so　much　the　　realization　of　liberty　as　the　realization　of　the　true　idea　of　the　　state；　which　secures　at　once　the　authority　of　the　public　and　the　　freedom　of　the　individualthe　sovereignty　of　the　people　without　　social　despotism；　and　individual　freedom　without　anarchy。　　In　　other　words；　its　mission　is　to　bring　out　in　its　life　the　　dialectic　union　of　authority　and　liberty；　of　the　natural　rights　　of　man　and　those　of　society。　　The　Greek　and　Roman　republics　　asserted　the　state　to　the　detriment　of　individual　freedom；　modern　　republics　either　do　the　same；　or　assert　individual　freedom　to　the　　detriment　of　the　state。　　The　American　republic　has　been　　instituted　by　Providence　to　realize　the　freedom　of　each　with　　advantage　to　the　other。

The　real　mission　of　the　United　States　is　to　introduce　and　　establish　a　political　constitution；　which；　while　it　retains　all　　the　advantages　of　the　constitutions　of　states　thus　far　known；　is　　unlike　any　of　them；　and　secures　advantages　which　none　of　them　did　　or　could　possess。　　The　American　constitution　has　no　prototype　in　　any　prior　constitution。　　The　American　form　of　government　can　be　　classed　throughout　with　none　of　the　forms　of　government　described　　by　Aristotle；　or　6　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　even　by　later　authorities。　　Aristotle　knew　only　　four　forms　of　government：　Monarchy；　Aristocracy；　Democracy；　and　　Mixed　Governments。　　The　American　form　is　none　of　these；　nor　any　　combination　of　them。　　It　is　original；　a　new　contribution　to　　political　science；　and　seeks　to　attain　the　end　of　all　wise　and　　just　government　by　means　unknown　or　forbidden　to　the　ancients；　　and　which　have　been　but　imperfectly　comprehended　even　by　American　　political　writers　themselves。　　The　originality　of　the　American　　constitution　has　been　overlooked　by　the　great　majority　even　of　　our　own　statesmen；　who　seek　to　explain　it　by　analogies　borrowed　　from　the　constitutions　of　other　states　rather　than　by　a　profound　　study　of　its　own　principles。　　They　have　taken　too　low　a　view　of　　it；　and　have　rarely；　if　ever；　appreciated　its　distinctive　and　　peculiar　merits。

As　the　United　States　have　vindicated　their　national　unity　and　　integrity；　and　are　preparing　to　take　a　new　start　in　history；　　nothing　is　more　important　than　that　they　should　take　that　new　　start　with　a　clear　and　definite　view　of　their　national　　constitution；　and　with　a　distinct　understanding　of　their　　political　mission　in　the　future　of　the　world。　　The　citizen　who　　can　help　his　countrymen　to　do　this　will　render　them　an　im…　7　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　portant　　service　and　deserve　well　of　his　country；　though　he　may　have　been　　unable　to　serve　in　her　armies　and　defend　her　on　the　battle…field。　　　The　work　now　to　be　done　by　American　statesmen　is　even　more　　difficult　and　more　delicate　than　that　which　has　been　accomplished　　by　our　brave　armies。　　As　yet　the　people　are　hardly　better　　prepared　for　the　political　work　to　be　done　than　they　were　at　the　　outbreak　of　the　civil　war　for　the　military　work　they　have　so　　nobly　achieved。　　But；　with　time；　patience；　and　good…will；　the　　difficulties　may　be　overcome；　the　errors　of　the　past　corrected；　　and　the　Government　placed　on　the　right　track　for　the　future。

It　will　hardly　be　questioned　that　either　the　constitution　of　the　　United　States　is　very　defective　or　it　has　been　very　grossly　　misinterpreted　by　all　parties。　　If　the　slave　States　had　not　held　　that　the　States　are　severally　sovereign；　and　the　Constitution　of　　the　United　States　a　simple　agreement　or　compact；　they　would　never　　have　seceded；　and　if　the　Free　States　had　not　confounded　the　Union　　with　the　General　government；　and　shown　a　tendency　to　make　it　the　　entire　national　government；　no　occasion　or　pretext　for　secession　　would　have　been　given。　　The　great　problem　of　our　statesmen　has　　been　from　the　first；　How　to　assert　union　without　8　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　consolidation；　　and　State　rights　without　disintegration？　　Have　they；　as　yet；　　solved　that　problem？　　The　war　has　silenced　the　State　sovereignty　　doctrine；　indeed；　but　has　it　done　so　without　lesion　to　State　　rights？　　Has　it　done　it　without　asserting　the　General　government　　as　the　supreme；　central；　or　national　government？　　Has　it　done　it　　without　striking　a　dangerous　blow　at　the　federal　element　of　the　　constitution？　　In　suppressing　by　armed　force　the　doctrine　that　　the　States　are　severally　sovereign；　what　barrier　is　left　against　　consolidation？　　Has　not　one　danger　been　removed　only　to　give　　place　to　another？

But　perhaps　the　constitution　itself；　if　rightly　understood；　　solves　the　problem；　and　perhaps　the　problem　itself　is　raised　　precisely　through　misunderstanding　of　the　constitution。　　Our　　statesmen　have　recognized　no　constitution　of　the　American　people　　themselves；　they　have　confined　their　views　to　the　written　　constitution；　as　if　that　constituted　the　American　people　a　state　　or　nation；　instead　of　being；　as　it　is；　only　a　law　ordained　by　the　　nation　already　existing　and　constituted。　　Perhaps；　if　they　had　　recognized　and　studied　the　constitution　which　preceded　that　drawn　　up　by　the　Convention　of　1787；　and　which　is　intrinsic；　inherent　in　　the　9　　　　　republic　itself；　they　would　have　seen　that　it　solves　the　　problem；　and　asserts　national　unity　without　consolidation；　and　　the　rights　of　the　several　States　without　danger　of　disintegration。　　　The　whole　controversy；　possibly；　has　originated　in　a　　misunderstanding　of　the　real　constitution　of　the　United　States；　　and　that　misunderstanding　itself　in　the　misunderstanding　of　the　　origin　and　constitution　of　government　in　general。　　The　　constitution；　as　will　appear　in　the　course　of　this　essay　is　not　　defective；　and　all　that　is　necessary　to　guard　against　either　　danger　is　to　discard　all　our　theories　of　the　constitution；　and　　return　and　adhere　to　the　constitution　itself；　as　it　really　is　and　　always　has　been。

There　is　no　doubt　that　the　question　of　Slavery　had　much　to　do　　with　the　rebellion；　but　it　was　not　its　sole　cause。　　The　real　　cause　must　be　sought　in　the　program　that　had　been　made；　　especially　in　the　States　themselves；　in　forming　and　administering　　their　respective　governments；　as　well　as　the　General　government；　　in　accordance　with　political　theories　borrowed　from　European　　speculators　on　government；　the　socalled　Liberals　and　　Revolutionists；　which　have　and　can　have　no　legitimate　application　　in　the　United　States。　　The　tendency　of　American　politics；　for　the　　last　thirty　or　forty　years；　has　10　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　been；　within　the　several　States　　themselves；　in　the　direction　of　centralized　democracy；　as　if　the　　American　people　had　for　their　mission　only　the　reproduction　of　　ancient　Athens。　　The　American　system　is　not　that　of　any　of　the　　simple　forms　of　government；　nor　any　combination　of　them。　　The　　attempt　to　bring　it　under　any　of　the　simple　or　mixed　forms　of　　government　recognized　by　political　writers；　is　an　attempt　to　　clothe　the　future　in　the　cast…off　garments　of　the　past。　　The　　American　system；　wherever　practicable；　is　better　than　monarchy；　　better　than　aristocracy；　better　than　simple　democracy；　better　　than　any　possible　combination　of　these　several　forms；　because　it　　accords　more　nearly　with　the　principles　of　things；　the　real　order　　of　the　universe。

But　American　statesmen　have　studied　the　constitutions　of　other　　states　more　than　that　of　their　own；　and　have　succeeded　in　　obscuring　the　American　system　in　the　minds　of　the　people；　and　　giving　them　in　its　place　pure　and　simple　democracy；　which　is　its　　false　development　or　corruption。　　Under　the　influence　of　this　　false　development；　the　people　were　fast　losing　sight　of　the　　political　truth　that；　though　the　people　are　sovereign；　it　is　the　　organic；　not　the　inorganic　people；　the　territorial　people；　not　　the　people　as　11　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　simple　population；　and　were　beginning　to　assert　the　　absolute　God…given　right　of　the　majority　to　govern。　　All　the　　changes