north america-2-第57节

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ad。〃　　That　writing　down；　as　it　were；　at　a　single　sitting；　of　a　sufficient　code　of　instructions　for　the　governors　of　a　great　nation；　had　not　hitherto　in　the　world's　history　been　found　to　answer。　　In　this　instance　it　has；　at　any　rate；　answered　better　than　in　any　other；　probably　because　the　words　so　written　contained　in　them　less　pretense　of　finality　in　political　wisdom　than　other　written　constitutions　have　assumed。　　A　young　tree　must　bend；　or　the　winds　will　certainly　break　it。　　For　myself　I　can　honestly　express　my　hope　that　no　storm　may　destroy　this　tree。

CHAPTER　X。　THE　GOVERNMENT。

In　speaking　of　the　American　Constitution　I　have　said　so　much　of　the　American　form　of　government　that　but　little　more　is　left　to　me　to　say　under　that　heading。　　Nevertheless；　I　should　hardly　go　through　the　work　which　I　have　laid　out　for　myself　if　I　did　not　endeavor　to　explain　more　continuously；　and　perhaps　more　graphically；　than　I　found　myself　able　to　do　in　the　last　chapter；　the　system　on　which　public　affairs　are　managed　in　the　United　States。　And　here　I　must　beg　my　readers　again　to　bear　in　mind　how　moderate　is　the　amount　of　governing　which　has　fallen　to　the　lot　of　the　government　of　the　United　States；　how　moderate；　as　compared　with　the　amount　which　has　to　be　done　by　the　Queen's　officers　of　state　for　Great　Britain；　or　by　the　Emperor；　with　such　assistance　as　he　may　please　to　accept　from　his　officers　of　state；　for　France。　　That　this　is　so　must　be　attributed　to　more　than　one　cause；　but　the　chief　cause　is　undoubtedly　to　be　found　in　the　very　nature　of　a　federal　government。　　The　States　are　individually　sovereign；　and　govern　themselves　as　to　all　internal　matters。　　All　the　judges　in　England　are　appointed　by　the　Crown；　but　in　the　United　States　only　a　small　proportion　of　the　judges　are　nominated　by　the　President。　　The　greater　number　are　servants　of　the　different　States。　　The　execution　of　the　ordinary　laws　for　the　protection　of　men　and　property　does　not　fall　on　the　government　of　the　United　States；　but　on　the　executives　of　the　individual　Statesunless　in　some　special　matters；　which　will　be　defined　in　the　next　chapter。　　Trade；　education；　roads；　religion；　the　passing　of　new　measures　for　the　internal　or　domestic　comfort　of　the　people；all　these　things　are　more　or　less　matters　of　care　to　our　government。　　In　the　States　they　are　matters　of　care　to　the　governments　of　each　individual　State；　but　are　not　so　to　the　central　government　at　Washington。　But　there　are　other　causes　which　operate　in　the　same　direction；　and　which　have　hitherto　enabled　the　Presidents　of　the　United　States；　with　their　ministers；　to　maintain　their　positions　without　much　knowledge　of　statecraft；　or　the　necessity　for　that　education　in　state　matters　which　is　so　essential　to　our　public　men。　　In　the　first　place；　the　United　States　have　hitherto　kept　their　hands　out　of　foreign　politics。　　If　they　have　not　done　so　altogether；　they　have　so　greatly　abstained　from　meddling　in　them　that　none　of　that　thorough　knowledge　of　the　affairs　of　other　nations　has　been　necessary　to　them　which　is　so　essential　with　us；　and　which　seems　to　be　regarded　as　the　one　thing　needed　in　the　cabinets　of　other　European　nations。　　This　has　been　a　great　blessing　to　the　United　States；　but　it　has　not　been　an　unmixed　blessing。　　It　has　been　a　blessing　because　the　absence　of　such　care　has　saved　the　country　from　trouble　and　from　expense。　　But　such　a　state　of　things　was　too　good　to　last；　and　the　blessing　has　not　been　unmixed；　seeing　that　now；　when　that　absence　of　concern　in　foreign　matters　has　been　no　longer　possible；　the　knowledge　necessary　for　taking　a　dignified　part　in　foreign　discussions　has　been　found　wanting。　　Mr。　Seward　is　now　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　in　the　States；　and　it　is　hardly　too　much　to　say　that　he　has　made　himself　a　laughing…stock　among　the　diplomatists　of　Europe；　by　the　mixture　of　his　ignorance　and　his　arrogance。　　His　reports　to　his　own　ministers　during　the　single　year　of　his　office；　as　published　by　himself　apparently　with　great　satisfaction；　are　a　monument　not　so　much　of　his　incapacity　as　of　his　want　of　training　for　such　work。　　We　all　know　his　long　state…papers　on　the　〃Trent〃　affair。　　What　are　we　to　think　of　a　statesman　who　acknowledges　the　action　of　his　country's　servant　to　have　been　wrong；　and　in　the　same　breath　declares　that　he　would　have　held　by　that　wrong；　had　the　material　welfare　of　his　country　been　thereby　improved？　　The　United　States　have　now　created　a　great　army　and　a　great　debt。　　They　will　soon　also　have　created　a　great　navy。　　Affairs　of　other　nations　will　press　upon　them；　and　they　will　press　against　the　affairs　of　other　nations。　　In　this　way　statecraft　will　become　necessary　to　them；　and　by　degrees　their　ministers　will　become　habile；　graceful；　adroit；　and　perhaps　crafty；　as　are　the　ministers　of　other　nations。　And；　moreover；　the　United　States　have　had　no　outlying　colonies　or　dependencies；　such　as　an　India　and　Canada　are　to　us；　as　Cuba　is　and　Mexico　was　to　Spain；　and　as　were　the　provinces　of　the　Roman　empire。　Territories　she　has　had；　but　by　the　peculiar　beneficence　of　her　political　arrangements；　these　Territories　have　assumed　the　guise　of　sovereign　States；　and　been　admitted　into　federal　partnership　on　equal　terms；　with　a　rapidity　which　has　hardly　left　to　the　central　government　the　reality　of　any　dominion　of　its　own。　　We　are　inclined　to　suppose　that　these　new　States　have　been　allowed　to　assume　their　equal　privileges　and　State　rights　because　they　have　been　contiguous　to　the　old　States；　as　though　it　were　merely　an　extension　of　frontier。　　But　this　has　not　been　so。　　California　and　Oregon　have　been　very　much　farther　from　Washington　than　the　Canadas　are　from　London。　　Indeed　they　are　still　farther；　and　I　hardly　know　whether　they　can　be　brought　much　nearer　than　Canada　is　to　us；　even　with　the　assistance　of　railways。　　But　nevertheless　California　and　Oregon　were　admitted　as　States；　the　former　as　quickly　and　the　latter　much　more　quickly　than　its　population　would　seem　to　justify　Congress　in　doing；　according　to　the　received　ratio　of　population。　　A　preference　in　this　way　has　been　always　given　by　the　United　States　to　a　young　population　over　one　that　was　older。　　Oregon　with　its　60；000　inhabitants　has　one　Representative。　　New　York　with　4；000；000　inhabitants　has　thirty…　three。　　But　in　order　to　be　equal　with　Oregon；　New　York　should　have　sixty…six。　　In　this　way　the　outlying　populations　have　been　encouraged　to　take　upon　themselves　their　own　governance；　and　the　governing　power　of　the　President　and　his　cabinet　has　been　kept　within　moderate　limits。　But　not　the　less　is　the　position　of　the　President　very　dominant　in　the　eyes　of　us　Englishmen　by　reason　of　the　authority　with　which　he　is　endowed。　　It　is　not　that　the　scope　of　his　power　is　great；　but　that　he　is　so　nearly　irresponsible　in　the　exercise　of　that　power。　We　know　that　he　can　be　impeached　by　the　Representatives　and　expelled　from　his　office　by　the　verdict　of　the　Senate；　but　this　in　fact　does　not　amount　to　much。　　Responsibility　of　this　nature　is　doubtless　very　necessary；　and　prevents　ebullitions　of　tyranny　such　as　those　in　which　a　sultan　or　an　emperor　may　indulge；　but　it　is　not　that　responsibility　which　especially　recommends　itself　to　the　minds　of　free　men。　　So　much　of　responsibility　they　take　as　a　matter　of　course；　as　they　do　the　air　which　they　breathe。　　It　would　be　nothing　to　us　to　know　that　Lord　Palmerston　could　be　impeached　for　robbing　the　treasury；　or　Lord　Russell　punished　for　selling　us　to　Austria。　It　is　well　that　such　laws　should　exist；　but　we　do　not　in　the　least　suspect　those　noble　lords　of　such　treachery。　　We　are　anxious　to　know；　not　in　what　way　they　may　be　impeached　and　beheaded　for　great　crimes；　but　by　what　method　they　may　be　kept　constantly　straight　in　small　matters。　　That　they　are　true　and　honest　is　a　matter　of　course。　But　they　must　be　obedient　also；　discreet；　capable；　and；　above　all　things；　of　one　mind　with　the　public。　　Let　them　be　that；　or　if　not　they；　then　with　as　little　delay　as　may　be；　some　others　in　their　place。　　That　with　us　is　the　meaning　of　ministerial　responsibility。　To　that　responsibility　all　the　cabinet　is　subject。　　But　in　the　government　of　the　United　States　there　is　no　such　responsibility。　The　President　is　placed　at　the　head　of　the　executive　for　four　years；　and　while　he　there　remains　no　man　can　question　him。　　It　is　not　that　the　scope　of　his　power　is　great。　　Our　own　Prime　Minister　is　doubtless　more　powerfulhas　a　wider　authority。　　But　it　is　that　within　the　scope　of　his　power　the　President　is　free　from　all　check。　There　are　no　reins；　constitutional　or　unconstitutional；　by　which　he　can　be　restrained。　　He　can　absolutely　repudiate　a　majority　of　both　Houses；　and　refuse　the　passage　of　any　act　of　Congress　even　though　supported　by　those　majorities。　　He　can　retain　the　services　of　ministers　distasteful　to　the　whole　country。　　He　can　place　his　own　myrmidons　at　the　head　of　the　army　and　navy；　or　can　himself　take　the　command　immediately　on　his　own　shoulders。　　All　this　he　can　do；　and　there　is　no　one　that　can　question　him。　It　is　hardly　necessary　that　I　should　point　out　the　fundamental　difference　between　our　king　or　queen；　and　the　President　of　the　United　States。　　Our　sovereign；　we　all　know；　is　not　responsible。　Such　is　the　nature　of　our　constitution。　　But　there　is　not　on　that　account　any　analogy　betwe