north america-2-第46章

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tually　irresponsible。　　They　are　constitutionally　little　more　than　head　clerks。　　This　was　all　very　well　while　the　government　of　the　United　States　was　as　yet　a　small　thing；　but　now　it　is　no　longer　a　small　thing。　　The　President　himself　cannot　do　all；　nor　can　he　be　in　truth　responsible　for　all。　　A　cabinet；　such　as　is　our　cabinet；　is　necessary　to　him。　　Such　a　cabinet　does　exist；　and　the　members　of　it　take　upon　themselves　the　honors　which　are　given　to　our　cabinet　ministers。　　But　they　are　exempted　from　all　that　parliamentary　contact　which；　in　fact；　gives　to　our　cabinet　ministers　their　adroitness；　their　responsibility；　and　their　position　in　the　country。　　On　this　subject　also　I　must　say　another　word　or　two　farther　on。　But　how　am　I　to　excuse　the　Constitution　on　those　points　as　to　which　it　has；　as　I　have　said；　fallen　through；　in　respect　to　which　it　has　shown　itself　to　be　inefficient　by　the　weakness　of　its　own　words？　Seeing　that　all　the　executive　power　is　intrusted　to　the　President；　it　is　especially　necessary　that　the　choice　of　the　President　should　be　guarded　by　constitutional　enactments；　that　the　President　should　be　chosen　in　such　a　manner　as　may　seem　best　to　the　concentrated　wisdom　of　the　country。　　The　President　is　placed　in　his　seat　for　four　years。　　For　that　term　he　is　irremovable。　　He　acts　without　any　majority　in　either　of　the　legislative　houses。　　He　must　state　reasons　for　his　conduct；　but　he　is　not　responsible　for　those　reasons。　　His　own　judgment　is　his　sole　guide。　　No　desire　of　the　people　can　turn　him　out；　nor　need　he　fear　any　clamor　from　the　press。　　If　an　officer　so　high　in　power　be　needed；　at　any　rate　the　choice　of　such　an　officer　should　be　made　with　the　greatest　care。　　The　Constitution　has　decreed　how　such　care　should　be　exercised；　but　the　Constitution　has　not　been　able　to　maintain　its　own　decree。　　The　constituted　electors　of　the　President　have　become　a　mere　name；　and　that　officer　is　chosen　by　popular　election；　in　opposition　to　the　intention　of　those　who　framed　the　Constitution。　　The　effect　of　this　may　be　seen　in　the　characters　of　the　men　so　chosen。　　Washington；　Jefferson；　Madison；　the　two　Adamses；　and　Jackson　were　the　owners　of　names　that　have　become　known　in　history。　　They　were　men　who　have　left　their　marks　behind　them。　　Those　in　Europe　who　have　read　of　anything；　have　read　of　them。　　Americans；　whether　as　Republicans　they　admire　Washington　and　the　Adamses；　or　as　Democrats　hold　by　Jefferson；　Madison；　and　Jackson；　do　not　at　any　rate　blush　for　their　old　Presidents。　　But　who　has　heard　of　Polk；　of　Pierce；　of　Buchanan？　　What　American　is　proud　of　them？　　In　the　old　days　the　name　of　a　future　President　might　be　surmised。　　He　would　probably　be　a　man　honored　in　the　nation；　but　who　now　can　make　a　guess　as　to　the　next　President？　　In　one　respect　a　guess　may　be　made　with　some　safety。　　The　next　President　will　be　a　man　whose　name　has　as　yet　offended　no　one　by　its　prominence。　　But　one　requisite　is　essential　for　a　President；　he　must　be　a　man　whom　none　as　yet　have　delighted　to　honor。　This　has　come　of　universal　suffrage；　and　seeing　that　it　has　come　in　spite　of　the　Constitution；　and　not　by　the　Constitution；　it　is　very　bad。　　Nor　in　saying　this　am　I　speaking　my　own　conviction　so　much　as　that　of　all　educated　Americans　with　whom　I　have　discussed　the　subject。　　At　the　present　moment　universal　suffrage　is　not　popular。　Those　who　are　the　highest　among　the　people　certainly　do　not　love　it。　I　doubt　whether　the　masses　of　the　people　have　ever　craved　it。　　It　has　been　introduced　into　the　presidential　elections　by　men　called　politicians；　by　men　who　have　made　it　a　matter　of　trade　to　dabble　in　State　affairs；　and　who　have　gradually　learned　to　see　how　the　constitutional　law；　with　reference　to　the　presidential　electors；　could　be　set　aside　without　any　positive　breach　of　the　Constitution。*

*　On　this　matter　one　of　the　best；　and　best…informed　Americans　that　I　have　known；　told　me　that　he　differed　from　me。　　〃It　introduced　itself；〃　said　he。　　〃It　was　the　result　of　social　and　political　forces。　　Election　of　the　President　by　popular　choice　became　a　necessity。〃　　The　meaning　of　this　is；　that　in　regard　to　their　presidential　elections　the　United　States　drifted　into　universal　suffrage。　　I　do　not　know　that　his　theory　is　one　more　comfortable　for　his　country　than　my　own。

Whether　or　no　any　backward　step　can　now　be　takenwhether　these　elections　can　again　be　put　into　the　hands　of　men　fit　to　exercise　a　choice　in　such　a　mattermay　well　be　doubted。　　Facilis　descensus　Averni。　　But　the　recovery　of　the　downward　steps　is　very　difficult。　On　that　subject；　however；　I　hardly　venture　here　to　give　an　opinion。　I　only　declare　what　has　been　done；　and　express　my　belief　that　it　has　not　been　done　in　conformity　with　the　wishes　of　the　people；　as　it　certainly　has　not　been　done　in　conformity　with　the　intention　of　the　Constitution。　In　another　matter　a　departure　has　been　made　from　the　conservative　spirit　of　the　Constitution。　　This　departure　is　equally　grave　with　the　other；　but　it　is　one　which　certainly　does　admit　of　correction。　I　allude　to　the　present　position　assumed　by　many　of　the　Senators；　and　to　the　instructions　given　to　them　by　the　State　legislatures　as　to　the　votes　which　they　shall　give　in　the　Senate。　　An　obedience　on　their　part　to　such　instructions　is　equal　in　its　effects　to　the　introduction　of　universal　suffrage　into　the　elections。　　It　makes　them　hang　upon　the　people；　divests　them　of　their　personal　responsibility；　takes　away　all　those　advantages　given　to　them　by　a　six　years'　certain　tenure　of　office；　and　annuls　the　safety　secured　by　a　conservative　method　of　election。　　Here　again　I　must　declare　my　opinion　that　this　democratic　practice　has　crept　into　the　Senate　without　any　expressed　wish　of　the　people。　　In　all　such　matters　the　people　of　the　nation　has　been　strangely　undemonstrative。　　It　has　been　done　as　part　of　a　system　which　has　been　used　for　transferring　the　political　power　of　the　nation　to　a　body　of　trading　politicians　who　have　become　known　and　felt　as　a　mass；　and　not　known　and　felt　as　individuals。　　I　find　it　difficult　to　describe　the　present　political　position　of　the　States　in　this　respect。　　The　millions　of　the　people　are　eager　for　the　Constitution；　are　proud　of　their　power　as　a　nation；　and　are　ambitious　of　national　greatness。　　But　they　are　not；　as　I　think；　especially　desirous　of　retaining　political　influences　in　their　own　hands。　　At　many　of　the　elections　it　is　difficult　to　induce　them　to　vote。　　They　have　among　them　a　half…knowledge　that　politics　is　a　trade　in　the　hands　of　the　lawyers；　and　that　they　are　the　capital　by　which　those　political　tradesmen　carry　on　their　business。　These　politicians　are　all　lawyers。　　Politics　and　law　go　together　as　naturally　as　the　possession　of　land　and　the　exercise　of　magisterial　powers　do　with　us。　　It　may　be　well　that　it　should　be　so；　as　the　lawyers　are　the　best…educated　men　of　the　country；　and　need　not　necessarily　be　the　most　dishonest。　　Political　power　has　come　into　their　hands；　and　it　is　for　their　purposes　and　by　their　influences　that　the　spread　of　democracy　has　been　encouraged。　As　regards　the　Senate；　the　recovery　of　its　old　dignity　and　former　position　is　within　its　own　power。　　No　amendment　of　the　Constitution　is　needed　here；　nor　has　the　weakness　come　from　any　insufficiency　of　the　Constitution。　　The　Senate　can　assume　to　itself　to…morrow　its　own　glories；　and　can；　by　doing　so；　become　the　saviour　of　the　honor　and　glory　of　the　nation。　　It　is　to　the　Senate　that　we　must　look　for　that　conservative　element　which　may　protect　the　United　States　from　the　violence　of　demagogues　on　one　side；　and　from　the　despotism　of　military　power　on　the　other。　　The　Senate；　and　the　Senate　only；　can　keep　the　President　in　check。　　The　Senate　also　has　a　power　over　the　Lower　House　with　reference　to　the　disposal　of　money；　which　deprives　the　House　of　Representatives　of　that　exclusive　authority　which　belongs　to　our　House　of　Commons。　　It　is　not　simply　that　the　House　of　Representatives　cannot　do　what　is　done　by　the　House　of　Commons。　There　is　more　than　this。　　To　the　Senate；　in　the　minds　of　all　Americans；　belongs　that　superior　prestige；　that　acknowledged　possession　of　the　greater　power　and　fuller　scope　for　action；　which　is　with　us　as　clearly　the　possession　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　The　United　States　Senate　can　be　conservative；　and　can　be　so　by　virtue　of　the　Constitution。　　The　love　of　the　Constitution　in　the　hearts　of　all　Americans　is　so　strong　that　the　exercise　of　such　power　by　the　Senate　would　strengthen　rather　than　endanger　its　position。　　I　could　wish　that　the　Senators　would　abandon　their　money　payments；　but　I　do　not　imagine　that　that　will　be　done　exactly　in　these　days。　I　have　now　endeavored　to　describe　the　strength　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　to　explain　its　weakness。　　The　great　question　is　at　this　moment　being　solved；　whether　or　no　that　Constitution　will　still　be　found　equal　to　its　requirements。　　It　has　hitherto　been　the　main…spring　in　the　government　of　the　people。　　They　have　trusted　with　almost　childlike　confidence　to　the　wisdom　of　their　founders；　and　have　said　to　their　rulers〃There！　in　those　words　you　must　find　the　extent　and　the　limit　of　your　powers。　　It　is　written　down　for　you；　so　that　he　who　runs　may　read。〃　　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；　re