north america-2-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　a　chamber　collected　together　as　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　is　collected！　　Nevertheless；　it　is　the　fact　that　many　Senators；　especially　those　who　have　been　sent　to　the　House　as　Democrats；　do　allow　the　State　legislatures　to　dictate　to　them　their　votes；　and　that　they　do　hold　themselves　absolved　from　the　personal　responsibility　of　their　votes　by　such　dictation。　　This　is　one　place　in　which　the　rock　which　was　thought　to　have　been　firm　has　slipped　away；　and　the　sands　of　democracy　have　made　their　way　through。　　But　with　reference　to　this　it　is　always　in　the　power　of　the　Senate　to　recover　its　own　ground；　and　re…establish　its　own　dignity；　to　the　people　in　this　matter　the　words　of　the　Constitution　give　no　authority；　and　all　that　is　necessary　for　the　recovery　of　the　old　practice　is　a　more　conservative　tendency　throughout　the　country　generally。　　That　there　is　such　a　conservative　tendency；　no　one　can　doubt；　the　fear　is　whether　it　may　not　work　too　quickly　and　go　too　far。　In　speaking　of　these　instructions　given　to　Senators　at　Washington；　I　should　explain　that　such　instructions　are　not　given　by　all　States；　nor　are　they　obeyed　by　all　Senators。　　Occasionally　they　are　made　in　the　form　of　requests；　the　word　〃instruct〃　being　purposely　laid　aside。　　Requests　of　the　same　kind　are　also　made　to　Representatives；　who；　as　they　are　not　returned　by　the　State　legislatures；　are　not　considered　to　be　subject　to　such　instructions。　　The　form　used　is　as　follows：　〃we　instruct　our　Senators　and　request　our　representatives；〃　etc。　etc。　The　Senators　are　elected　for　six　years；　but　the　same　Senate　does　not　sit　entire　throughout　that　term。　　The　whole　chamber　is　divided　into　three　equal　portions　or　classes；　and　a　portion　goes　out　at　the　end　of　every　second　year；　so　that　a　third　of　the　Senate　comes　in　afresh　with　every　new　House　of　Representatives。　　The　Vice…President　of　the　United　States；　who　is　elected　with　the　President；　and　who　is　not　a　Senator　by　election　from　any　State；　is　the　ex…officio　President　of　the　Senate。　　Should　the　President　of　the　United　States　vacate　his　seat　by　death　or　otherwise；　the　Vice…President　becomes　President　of　the　United　States；　and　in　such　case　the　Senate　elects　its　own　President　pro　tempore。　In　speaking　of　the　Senate；　I　must　point　out　a　matter　to　which　the　Constitution　does　not　allude；　but　which　is　of　the　gravest　moment　in　the　political　fabric　of　the　nation。　　Each　State　sends　two　Senators　to　Congress。　　These　two　are　sent　altogether　independently　of　the　population　which　they　represent；　or　of　the　number　of　members　which　the　same　State　supplies　to　the　Lower　House。　　When　the　Constitution　was　framed；　Delaware　was　to　send　one　member　to　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　Pennsylvania　eight；　nevertheless；　each　of　these　States　sent　two　Senators。　　It　would　seem　strange　that　a　young　people；　commencing　business　as　a　nation　on　a　basis　intended　to　be　democratic；　should　consent　to　a　system　so　directly　at　variance　with　the　theory　of　popular　representation。　　It　reminds　one　of　the　old　days　when　Yorkshire　returned　two　members；　and　Rutlandshire　two　also。　And　the　discrepancy　has　greatly　increased　as　young　States　have　been　added　to　the　Union；　while　the　old　States　have　increased　in　population。　　New　York；　with　a　population　of　about　4；000；000；　and　with　thirty…three　members　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　sends　two　Senators　to　Congress。　　The　new　State　of　Oregon；　with　a　population　of　50；000　or　60；000；　and　with　one　member　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　sends　also　two　Senators　to　Congress。　　But　though　it　would　seem　that　in　such　a　distribution　of　legislative　power　the　young　nation　was　determined　to　preserve　some　of　the　old　fantastic　traditions　of　the　mother　country　which　it　had　just　repudiated；　the　fact；　I　believe；　is　that　this　system；　apparently　so　opposed　to　all　democratic　tendencies；　was　produced　and　specially　insisted　upon　by　democracy　itself。　　Where　would　be　the　State　sovereignty　and　individual　existence　of　Rhode　Island　and　Delaware；　unless　they　could　maintain；　in　at　least　one　House　of　Congress；　their　State　equality　with　that　of　all　other　States　in　the　Union？　　In　those　early　days；　when　the　Constitution　was　being　framed；　there　was　nothing　to　force　the　small　States　into　a　union　with　those　whose　populations　preponderated。　　Each　State　was　sovereign　in　its　municipal　system；　having　preserved　the　boundaries　of　the　old　colony；　together　with　the　liberties　and　laws　given　to　it　under　its　old　colonial　charter。　　A　union　might　be　and　no　doubt　was　desirable；　but　it　was　to　be　a　union　of　sovereign　States；　each　retaining　equal　privileges　in　that　union；　and　not　a　fusion　of　the　different　populations　into　one　homogeneous　whole。　　No　State　was　willing　to　abandon　its　own　individuality；　and　least　of　all　were　the　small　States　willing　to　do　so。　　It　was；　therefore；　ordained　that　the　House　of　Representatives　should　represent　the　people；　and　that　the　Senate　should　represent　the　States。　From　that　day　to　the　present　time　the　arrangement　of　which　I　am　speaking　has　enabled　the　Democratic　or　Southern　party　to　contend　at　a　great　advantage　with　the　Republicans　of　the　North。　　When　the　Constitution　was　founded；　the　seven　Northern　StatesI　call　those　Northern　which　are　now　free…soil　States；　and　those　Southern　in　which　the　institution　of　slavery　now　prevailswere　held　to　be　entitled　by　their　population　to　send　thirty…five　members　to　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　they　sent　fourteen　members　to　the　Senate。　　The　six　Southern　States　were　entitled　to　thirty　members　in　the　Lower　House；　and　to　twelve　Senators。　　Thus　the　proportion　was　about　equal　for　the　North　and　South。　　But　nowor　rather　in　1860；　when　secession　commencedthe　Northern　States；　owing　to　the　increase　of　population　in　the　North；　sent　one　hundred　and　fifty　Representatives　to　Congress；　having　nineteen　States；　and　thirty…eight　Senators；　whereas　the　South；　with　fifteen　States　and　thirty　Senators；　was　entitled　by　its　population　to　only　ninety　Representatives；　although　by　a　special　rule　in　its　favor；　which　I　will　presently　explain；　it　was　in　fact　allowed　a　greater　number　of　Representatives；　in　proportion　to　its　population；　than　the　North。　　Had　an　equal　balance　been　preserved；　the　South；　with　its　ninety　Representatives　in　the　Lower　House；　would　have　but　twenty…three　Senators；　instead　of　thirty；　in　the　Upper。*　But　these　numbers　indicate　to　us　the　recovery　of　political　influence　in　the　North；　rather　than　the　pride　of　the　power　of　the　South；　for　the　South；　in　its　palmy　days；　had　much　more　in　its　favor　than　I　have　above　described　as　its　position　in　1860。　　Kansas　had　then　just　become　a　free…soil　State；　after　a　terrible　struggle；　and　shortly　previous　to　that　Oregon　and　Minnesota；　also　free　States；　had　been　added　to　the　Union。　　Up　to　that　date　the　slave　States　sent　thirty　Senators　to　Congress；　and　the　free　States　only　thirty…two。　　In　addition　to　this；　when　Texas　was　annexed　and　converted　into　a　State；　a　clause　was　inserted　into　the　act　giving　authority　for　the　future　subdivision　of　that　State　into　four　different　States　as　its　population　should　increase；　thereby　enabling　the　South　to　add　Senators　to　its　own　party　from　time　to　time；　as　the　Northern　States　might　increase　in　number。

*　It　is　worthy　of　note　that　the　new　Northern　and　Western　States　have　been　brought　into　the　Union　by　natural　increase　and　the　spread　of　population。　　But　this　has　not　been　so　with　the　new　Southern　States。　Louisiana　and　Florida　were　purchased；　and　Texas　wasannexed。

And　here　I　must　explain；　in　order　that　the　nature　of　the　contest　may　be　understood；　that　the　Senators　from　the　South　maintained　themselves　ever　in　a　compact　body；　voting　together；　true　to　each　other；　disciplined　as　a　party；　understanding　the　necessity　of　yielding　in　small　things　in　order　that　their　general　line　of　policy　might　be　maintained。　　But　there　was　no　such　system；　no　such　observance　of　political　tactics　among　the　Senators　of　the　North。　Indeed；　they　appear　to　have　had　no　general　line　of　politics；　having　been　divided　among　themselves　on　various　matters。　　Many　had　strong　Southern　tendencies；　and　many　more　were　willing　to　obtain　official　power　by　the　help　of　Southern　votes。　　There　was　no　bond　of　union　among　them；　as　slavery　was　among　the　Senators　from　the　South。　　And　thus；　from　these　causes；　the　power　of　the　Senate　and　the　power　of　the　government　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Southern　party。　I　am　aware　that　in　going　into　these　matters　here　I　am　departing　somewhat　from　the　subject　of　which　this　chapter　is　intended　to　treat；　but　I　do　not　know　that　I　could　explain　in　any　shorter　way　the　manner　in　which　those　rules　of　the　Constitution　have　worked　by　which　the　composition　of　the　Senate　is　fixed。　　That　State　basis；　as　opposed　to　a　basis　of　population　in　the　Upper　House　of　Congress；　has　been　the　one　great　political　weapon；　both　of　offense　and　defense；　in　the　hands　of　the　Democratic　party。　　And　yet　I　am　not　prepared　to　deny　that　great　wisdom　was　shown　in　the　framing　of　the　constitution　of　the　Senate。　　It　was　the　object　of　none　of　the　politicians　then　at　work　to　create　a　code　of　rules　for　the　entire　governance　of　a　single　nation　such　as　is　England　or　France。　　Nor；　had　any　American　politician　of　the　time　so　desired；　would　he　have　had　reasonable　hope　of　success。　　A　federal　union　of　separate　sovereign　States　was　the　necessity；　as　it　was　also　the　desire；　of　all　those　who　were　concerned　in　the　American　policy　of　the　day；　and　I　think　it　way　be　understood　and　maintained　that　no　such　federal　union　would　have　been　just；　or　could　have　been　accepted　by　the　smaller　States；　which　did　not　in　some　direct　way　recognize　their　equality　with　the　larger　States。　　It　is　moreover　to　be　observed；　that　in　this；　as　in　all　matters；　the　claims　of　the　minority　were　treated　with　indulgence。　No　ordinance　of　the　Constitution　is　made　in　a　niggardly　spirit。　　It　would　seem　as　though　they　who　met　together　to　do　the　work　had　been　actuated　by　no　desire　for　selfish　preponderance　or　individual　influence。　　No　ambition　to　bind　close　by　words　which　shall　be　exacting　as　well　as　exact　is　apparent。　　A　very　broad　power　of　interpretation　is　left　to　those　who　were　to　be　the　future　interpreters　of　the　written　document。　It　is　declared　that　〃representation　and　direct　taxes　shall　be　apportioned　among　the　several　States　which　may　be　included　within　this　Union；　according　to　their　respective　numbers；〃　thereby　meaning　that　representation　and　taxation　in　the　several　States　shall　be　adjusted　according　to　the　population。　　This　clause　ordains　that　throughout　all　the　States　a　certain　amount　of　population　shall　return　a　member　to　the　Lower　House　of　Congresssay　one　member　to　100；000　persons；　as　is　I　believe　about　the　present　proportionand　that　direct　taxation　shall　be　levied　according　to　the　number　of　representatives。　　If　New　York　return　thirty…three　members　and　Kansas　one；　on　New　York　shall　be　levied；　for　the　purposes　of　the　United　States　revenue；　thirty…three　times　as　much　direct　taxation　as　on　Kansas。　　This　matter　of　direct　taxation　was　not　then；　nor　has　it　been　since；　matter　of　much　moment。　　No　direct　taxation　has　hitherto　been　levied　in　the　United　States　for　national　purposes。　　But　the　time　has　now　come　when　this　proviso　will　be　a　terrible　stumbling…　block　in　the　way。　But　before　we　go　into　that　matter　of　taxation；　I　must　explain　how　the　South　was　again　favored　with　reference　to　its　representation。　As　a　mat