the american republic-第33节

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federation　for　union。　　The　failure　of　　confederation　and　the　success　of　union　are　ample　proofs　of　the　　unity　of　the　American　nation。　　The　instinct　of　unity　rejected　　State　sovereignty　in　1787　as　it　did　in　1861。　　The　first　and　the　　last　attempt　to　establish　State　sovereignty　have　failed；　and　the　　failure　vindicates　the　fact　that　the　sovereignty　is　in　the　States　　united；　not　in　the　States　severally。




218　CHAPTER　X

CONSTITUTION　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES


The　constitution　of　the　United　States　is　twofold；　written　and　　unwritten；　the　constitution　of　the　people　and　the　constitution　of　　the　government。

The　written　constitution　is　simply　a　law　ordained　by　the　nation　　or　people　instituting　and　organizing　the　government；　the　　unwritten　constitution　is　the　real　or　actual　constitution　of　the　　people　as　a　state　or　sovereign　community；　and　constituting　them　　such　or　such　a　state。　　It　is　Providential；　not　made　by　the　　nation；　but　born　with　it。　　The　written　constitution　is　made　and　　ordained　by　the　sovereign　power；　and　presupposes　that　power　as　　already　existing　and　constituted。

The　unwritten　or　Providential　constitution　of　the　United　States　　is　peculiar；　and　difficult　to　understand；　because　incapable　of　　being　fully　explained　by　analogies　borrowed　from　any　other　state　　historically　known；　or　described　219　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　political　philosophers。　　It　　belongs to　the　Graeco…Roman　family；　and　is　republican　as 　distinguished　from　despotic　constitutions；　but　it　comes　under　the　　head　of　neither　monarchical　nor　aristocratic；　neither　democratic　　nor　mixed　constitutions；　and　creates　a　state　which　is　neither　a　　centralized　state　nor　a　confederacy。　　The　difficulty　of　　understanding　it　is　augmented　by　the　peculiar　use　under　it　of　the　　word　state；　which　does　not　in　the　American　system　mean　a　　sovereign　community　or　political　society　complete　in　itself；　like　　France；　Spain；　or　Prussia；　nor　yet　a　political　society　　subordinate　to　another　political　society　and　dependent　on　it。　　　The　American　States　are　all　sovereign　States　united；　but；　　disunited；　are　no　States　at　all。　　The　rights　and　powers　of　the　　States　are　not　derived　from　the　United　States；　nor　the　rights　and　　powers　of　the　United　States　derived　from　the　States。

The　simple　fact　is；　that　the　political　or　sovereign　people　of　the　　United　States　exists　as　united　States；　and　only　as　united　States。　　　The　Union　and　the　States　are　coeval；　born　together；　and　can　exist　　only　together。　　Separation　is　dissolutionthe　death　of　both。　　　The　United　States　are　a　state；　a　single　sovereign　state；　but　this　　single　sovereign　state　consists　in　the　union　and　solidarity　of　　States　instead　of　individuals。　　The　220　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Union　is　in　each　of　the　　States；　and　each　of　the　States　is　in　the　Union。

It　is　necessary　to　distinguish　in　the　outset　between　the　United　　States　and　the　government　of　the　United　States；　or　the　so…called　　Federal　government；　which　the　convention　refused；　contrary　to　its　　first　intention　to　call　the　national　government。　　That　government　　is　not　a　supreme　national　government；　representing　all　the　powers　　of　the　United　States；　but　a　limited　government；　restricted　by　its　　constitution　to　certain　specific　relations　and　interests。　　The　　United　States　are　anterior　to　that　government；　and　the　first　　question　to　be　settled　relates　to　their　internal　and　inherent　　Providential　constitution　as　one　political　people　or　sovereign　　state。　　The　written　constitution；　in　its　preamble；　professes　to　　be　ordained　by　〃We；　the　people　of　the　United　States。〃　　Who　are　　this　people？　　How　are　they　constituted；　or　what　the　mode　and　　conditions　of　their　political　existence？　　Are　they　the　people　of　　the　States　severally？　　No；　for　they　call　themselves　the　people　of　　the　United　States。　　Are　they　a　national　people；　really　existing　　outside　and　independently　of　their　organization　into　distinct　and　　mutually　independent　States？　　No；　for　they　define　themselves　to　　be　the　people　of　the　United　States。　　If　they　had　considered　221　themselves　existing　as　States　only；　they　would　have　said　〃We；　the　　States；〃　and　if　independently　of　State　organization；　they　would　　have　said　〃We；　the　people；〃　do　ordain；　&c。

The　key　to　the　mystery　is　precisely　in　this　appellation　United　　States；　which　is　not　the　name　of　the　country；　for　its　distinctive　　name　is　America；　but　a　name　expressive　of　its　political　　organization。　　In　it　there　are　no　sovereign　people　without　　States；　and　no　States　without　union；　or　that　are　not　united　　States。　　The　term　united　is　not　part　of　a　proper　name；　but　is　　simply　an　adjective　qualifying　States；　and　has　its　full　and　　proper　sense。　　Hence　while　the　sovereignty　is　and　must　be　in　the　　States；　it　is　in　the　States　united；　not　in　the　States　severally；　　precisely　as　we　have　found　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　in　　the　people　collectively　or　as　society；　not　in　the　people　　individually。　　The　life　is　in　the　body；　not　in　the　members；　　though　the　body　could　not　exist　if　it　had　no　members；　so　the　　sovereignty　is　in　the　Union；　not　in　the　States　severally；　but　　there　could　be　no　sovereign　union　without　the　States；　for　there　　is　no　union　where　there　is　nothing　united。

This　is　not　a　theory　of　the　constitution；　but　the　constitutional　　fact　itself。　　It　is　the　simple　historical　fact　that　precedes　the　　law　and　con…　222　　　　　　　　　　　　stitutes　the　law…making　power。　　The　people　of　the　　United　States　are　one　people；　as　has　already　been　proved：　they　　were　one　people；　as　far　as　a　people　at　all；　prior　to　　independence；　because　under　the　same　Common　Law　and　subject　to　　the　same　sovereign；　and　have　been　so　since；　for　as　united　States　　they　gained　their　independence　and　took　their　place　among　　sovereign　nations；　and　as　united　States　they　have　possessed　and　　still　possess　the　government。　　As　their　existence　before　　independence　in　distinct　colonies　did　not　prevent　their　unity；　　so　their　existence　since　in　distinct　States　does　not　hinder　them　　from　being　one　people。　　The　States　severally　simply　continue　the　　colonial　organizations；　and　united　they　hold　the　sovereignty　that　　was　originally　in　the　mother　country。　　But　if　one　people；　they　　are　one　people　existing　in　distinct　State　organizations；　as　　before　independence　they　were　one　people　existing　in　distinct　　colonial　organizations。　　This　is　the　original；　the　unwritten；　and　　Providential　constitution　of　the　people　of　the　United　States。

This　constitution　is　not　conventional；　for　it　existed　before　the　　people　met　or　could　meet　in　convention。　　They　have　not；　as　an　　independent　sovereign　people；　either　established　their　union；　or　　distributed　themselves　into　distinct　and　mu…　223　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　tually　independent　　States。　　The　union　and　the　distribution；　the　unity　and　the　　distinction；　are　both　original　in　their　constitution；　and　they　　were　born　United　States；　as　much　and　as　truly　so　as　the　son　of　a　　citizen　is　born　a　citizen；　or　as　every　one　born　at　all　is　born　a　　member　of　society；　the　family；　the　tribe；　or　the　nation。　　The　　Union　and　the　States　were　born　together；　are　inseparable　in　their　　constitution；　have　lived　and　grown　up　together；　no　serious　　attempt　till　the　late　secession　movement　has　been　made　to　　separate　them；　and　the　secession　movement；　to　all　persons　who　　knew　not　the　real　constitution　of　the　United　States；　appeared　　sure　to　succeed；　and　in　fact　would　have　succeeded　if；　as　the　　secessionists　pretended；　the　Union　had　been　only　a　confederacy；　　and　the　States　had　been　held　together　only　by　a　conventional　　compact；　and　not　by　a　real　and　living　bond　of　unity。　　The　popular　　instinct　of　national　unity；　which　seemed　so　weak；　proved　to　be　　strong　enough　to　defeat　the　secession　forces；　to　trample　out　the　　confederacy；　and　maintain　the　unity　of　the　nation　and　the　　integrity　of　its　domain。

The　people　can　act　only　as　they　exist；　as　they　are；　not　as　they　　are　not。　　Existing　originally　only　as　distributed　in　distinct　and　　mutually　independent　colonies；　they　could　at　first　act　only　224　through　their　colonial　organizations；　and　afterward　only　through　　their　State　organizations。　　The　colonial　people　met　in　　convention；　in　the　person　of　representatives　chosen　by　colonies；　　and　after　independence　in　the　person　of　representatives　chosen　by　　States。　　Not　existing　outside　of　the　colonial　or　State　　organizations；　they　could　not　act　outside　or　independently　of　　them。　　They　chose　their　representatives　or　delegates　by　colonies　　or　States；　and　called　at　first　their　convention　a　Congress；　but　　by　an　instinct　surer　than　their　deliberate　wisdom；　they　called　it　　not　the　Congress　of　the　confederate；　but　of　the　United　States；　　asserting　constitutional　unity　as　well　as　constitutional　　multiplicity。　　It　is　true；　in　their　first　attempt　to　organize　a　　general　government；　they　called　the　constitution　they　devised　　Articles　of　Confederation；　but　only　because　they　had　not　attained　　to　full　consciousness　of　themselves；　and　that　they　really　meant　　union；　not　confederation；　is　evident　from　their　adopting；　as　the　　official　style　of　the　nation　or　new　power；　united；　not　　confederate　States。

That　the　sovereignty　vested　in　the　States　united；　and　was　　represented　in　some　sort　by　the　Congress；　is　evident　from　the　　fact　that　the　several　States；　when　they　wished　to　adopt