the american republic-第54节

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o　reason　to　applaud　it。

That　there　is　some　danger　that　for　a　time　the　victory　will　be　　taken　as　a　victory　for　humanitarianism　or　socialism；　it　would　be　　idle　to　deny。　　It　is　so　taken　now；　and　the　humanitarian　party　　throughout　the　world　are　in　ecstasies　over　it。　　The　party　claim　　it。　　The　European　Socialists　and　Red　Republicans　applaud　it；　and　　the　Mazzinis　and　the　Garibaldis　inflict　on　us　the　deep　　humiliation　of　their　congratulations。　　A　cause　that　can　be　　approved　by　the　revolutionary　leaders　of　European　Liberals　must　　be　strangely　misunderstood；　or　have　in　it　some　infamous　element。　　　It　is　no　compliment　to　a　nation　to　receive　the　congratulations　of　　men　who　assert　not　only　people…king；　but　people…God；　and　those　　Americans　who　are　delighted　with　them　are　worse　enemies　to　the　　American　democracy　than　ever　were　Jefferson　Davis　and　his　fellow　　conspirators；　and　more　contemptible；　as　the　swindler　is　more　　contemptible　than　the　highwayman。

But　it　is　probable　the　humanitarians　have　reckoned　without　their　　host。　　Not　they　are　the　real　victors。　　When　the　smoke　of　battle　　has　367　　　　　cleared　away；　the　victory；　it　will　be　seen；　has　been　won　by　　the　Republic；　and　that　that　alone　has　triumphed。　　The　　abolitionists；　in　so　far　as　they　asserted　the　unity　of　the　race　　and　opposed　slavery　as　a　denial　of　that　unity；　have　also　won；　but　　in　so　far　as　they　denied　the　reality　or　authority　of　territorial　　and　individual　circumscriptions；　followed　a　purely　socialistic　　tendency；　and　sought　to　dissolve　patriotism　into　a　watery　　sentimentality　called　philanthropy；　have　in　reality　been　　crushingly　defeated；　as　they　will　find　when　the　late　　insurrectionary　States　are　fully　reconstructed。　　The　Southern　or　　egoistical　democrats；　so　far　as　they　denied　the　unity　and　　solidarity　of　the　race；　the　rights　of　society　over　individuals；　　and　the　equal　rights　of　each　and　every　individual　in　face　of　the　　state；　or　the　obligations　of　society　to　protect　the　weak　and　help　　the　helpless；　have　been　also　defeated；　but　so　far　as　they　　asserted　personal　or　individual　rights　which　society　neither　　gives　nor　can　take　away；　and　so　far　as　they　asserted；　not　State　　sovereignty；　but　State　rights；　held　independently　of　the　General　　government；　and　which　limit　its　authority　and　sphere　of　action；　　they　share　in　the　victory；　as　the　future　will　prove。

European　Jacobins；　revolutionists；　conspiring　openly　or　secretly　　against　all　legitimate　author…　368　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ity；　whether　in　Church　or　State；　　have　no　lot　or　part　in　the　victory　of　the　American　people：　not　　for　them　nor　for　men　with　their　nefarious　designs　or　mad　dreams；　　have　our　brave　soldiers　fought；　suffered　and　bled　for　four　years　　of　the　most　terrible　war　in　modern　times；　and　against　troops　as　　brave　and　as　well　led　as　themselves；　not　for　them　has　the　country　　sacrificed　a　million　of　lives；　and　contracted　a　debt　of　four　　thousand　millions　of　dollars；　besides　the　waste　and　destruction　　that　it　will　take　years　of　peaceful　industry　to　repair。　　They　and　　their　barbaric　democracy　have　been　defeated；　and　civilization　has　　won　its　most　brilliant　victory　in　all　history。　　The　American　　democracy　has　crushed；　actually　or　potentially；　every　species　of　　barbarism　in　the　New　World；　asserted　victoriously　the　state；　and　　placed　the　government　definitively　on　the　side　of　legitimate　　authority；　and　made　its　natural　association　henceforth　with　all　　civilized　governmentsnot　with　the　revolutionary　movements　to　　overthrow　them。　　The　American　people　will　always　be　progressive　　as　well　as　conservative；　but　they　have　learned　a　lesson；　which　　they　much　needed　against　false　democracy：　civil　war　has　taught　　them　that　〃the　sacred　right　of　insurrection〃　is　as　much　out　of　　place　in　a　democratic　state　as　in　an　aristocratic　or　a　mon…　369　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　archical　　state；　and　that　the　government　should　always　be　clothed　with　　ample　authority　to　arrest　and　punish　whoever　plots　its　　destruction。　　They　must　never　be　delighted　again　to　have　their　　government　send　a　national　ship　to　bring　hither　a　noted　traitor　　to　his　own　sovereign　as　the　nation's　guest。　　The　people　of　the　　Northern　States　are　hardly　less　responsible　for　the　late　　rebellion　than　the　people　of　the　Southern　States。　　Their　press　　had　taught　them　to　call　every　government　a　tyranny　that　refused　　to　remain　quiet　while　the　traitor　was　cutting　its　throat　or　　assassinating　the　nation；　and　they　had　nothing　but　mad　　denunciations　of　the　Papal；　the　Austrian；　and　the　Neapolitan　　governments　for　their　severity　against　conspirators　and　traitors。　　　But　their　own　government　has　found　it　necessary　for　the　public　　safety　to　be　equally　arbitrary；　prompt；　and　severe；　and　they　will　　most　likely　require　it　hereafter　to　co…operate　with　the　　governments　of　the　Old　World　in　advancing　civilization；　instead　　of　lending　all　its　moral　support；　as　heretofore；　to　the　Jacobins；　　revolutionists；　socialists；　and　humanitarians；　to　bring　back　the　　reign　of　barbarism。

The　tendency　to　individualism　has　been　sufficiently　checked　by　　the　failure　of　the　rebellion；　and　no　danger　from　the　　disintegrating　　370　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　element；　either　in　the　particular　State　or　in　the　　United　States；　is　henceforth　to　be　apprehended。　　But　the　tendency　　in　the　opposite　direction　may　give　the　American　state　some　　trouble。　　The　tendency　now　is；　as　to　the　Union；　consolidation；　　and　as　to　the　particular　state；　humanitarianism；　socialism；　or　　centralized　democracy。　　Yet　this　tendency；　though　it　may　do　much　　mischief；　will　hardly　become　exclusive。　　The　States　that　seceded；　　when　restored；　will　always；　even　in　abandoning　State　sovereignty；　　resist　it；　and　still　assert　State　rights。　　When　these　States　are　　restored　to　their　normal　position；　they　will　always　be　able　to　　protect　themselves　against　any　encroachments　on　their　special　　rights　by　the　General　government。　　The　constitution；　in　the　　distribution　of　the　powers　of　government；　provides　the　States　　severally　with　ample　means　to　protect　their　individuality　against　　the　centralizing　tendency　of　the　General　government；　however　　strong　it　may　be。

The　war　has；　no　doubt；　had　a　tendency　to　strengthen　the　General　　government；　and　to　cause　the　people；　to　a　great　extent；　to　look　　upon　it　as　the　supreme　and　exclusive　national　government；　and　to　　regard　the　several　State　governments　as　subordinate　instead　of　　co…ordinate　governments。　　It　is　not　improbable　that　the　　Executive；　since　371　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　outbreak　of　the　rebellion；　has　proceeded　　throughout　on　that　supposition；　and　hence　his　extraordinary　　assumptions　of　power；　but　when　once　peace　is　fully　re…established　　and　the　States　have　all　resumed　their　normal　position　in　the　　Union；　every　State　will　be　found　prompt　enough　to　resist　any　　attempt　to　encroach　on　its　constitutional　rights。　　Its　instinct　　of　self…preservation　will　lead　it　to　resist；　and　it　will　be　　protected　by　both　its　own　judiciary　and　that　of　the　United　　States。

The　danger　that　the　General　government　will　usurp　the　rights　of　　the　States　is　far　less　than　the　danger　that　the　Executive　will　　usurp　all　the　powers　of　Congress　and　the　judiciary。　　Congress；　　during　the　rebellion；　clothed　the　President；　as　far　as　it　could；　　with　dictatorial　powers；　and　these　powers　the　Executive　continues　　to　exercise　even　after　the　rebellion　is　suppressed。　　They　were　　given　and　held　under　the　rights　of　war；　and　for　war　purposes　　only；　and　expired　by　natural　limitation　when　the　war　ceased；　but　　the　Executive　forgets　this；　and；　instead　of　calling　Congress　　together　and　submitting　the　work　of　reconstruction　of　the　States　　that　seceded　to　its　wisdom　and　authority；　undertakes　to　　reconstruct　them　himself；　as　if　he　were　an　absolute　sovereign；　　372　and　the　people　seem　to　like　it。　　He　might　and　should；　as　　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　and　navy；　govern　them　as　military　　departments；　by　his　lieutenants；　till　Congress　could　either　　create　provisional　civil　governments　for　them　or　recognize　them　　as　self…governing　States　in　the　Union；　but　he　has　no　right；　under　　the　constitution　nor　under　the　war　power；　to　appoint　civil　　governors；　permanent　or　provisional；　and　every　act　he　has　done　in　　regard　to　reconstruction　is　sheer　usurpation；　and　done　without　　authority　and　without　the　slightest　plea　of　necessity。　　His　acts　　in　this　respect；　even　if　wise　and　just　in　themselves；　are　　inexcusable；　because　done　by　one　who　has　no　legal　right　to　do　　them。　　Yet　his　usurpation　is　apparently　sustained　by　public　　sentiment；　and　a　deep　wound　is　inflicted　on　the　constitution；　　which　will　be　long　in　healing。

The　danger　in　this　respect　is　all　the　greater　because　it　did　not　　originate　with　the　rebellion；　but　had　manifested　itself　for　a　　long　time　before。　　There　is　a　growing　disposition　on　the　part　of　

Congress　to　throw　as　much　of　the　business　of　government　as　　possible　into　the　hands　of　the　Executive。　　The　patronage　the　　Executive　wields；　even　in　times　of　peace；　is　so　large　that　he　has　　indirectly　an　almost　supreme　control　373　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　over　the　legislative　branch　　of　the　government。　　For　this；　which　is；　and；　if　not　checked　will　　continue　to　be；　a　growing　evil；　there　is　no　obvious　remedy；　　unless　the　President　is　chosen　for　a　longer　term　of　office　and　　made