north america-2-第48章

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　fashion　of　our　British　cabinet；　is　struggling　to　get　itself　righted。　　No　doubt　the　position　of　Foreign　Secretary　has　for　some　time　past　been　considered　as　the　most　influential　under　the　President。　　This　has　been　so　much　the　case　that　many　have　not　hesitated　to　call　the　Secretary　of　State　the　chief　minister。　　At　the　present　moment；　May；　l862；　the　gentleman　who　is　at　the　head　of　the　War　Department　has；　I　think；　in　his　own　hands　greater　power　than　any　of　his　colleagues。　It　will　probably　come　to　pass　before　long　that　one　special　minister　will　be　the　avowed　leader　of　the　cabinet；　and　that　he　will　be　recognized　as　the　chief　servant　of　the　States　under　the　President。　Our　own　cabinet；　which　now…a…days　seems　with　us　to　be　an　institution　as　fixed　as　Parliament　and　as　necessary　as　the　throne；　has　grown　by　degrees　into　its　present　shape；　and　is　not　in　truth　nearly　so　old　as　many　of　us　suppose　it　to　be。　　It　shaped　itself；　I　imagine；　into　its　present　form；　and　even　into　its　present　joint　responsibility；　during　the　reign　of　George　III。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　even　with　us　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　constitutional　Prime　Minister；　and　that　our　Prime　Minister　is　not　placed　above　the　other　ministers　in　any　manner　that　is　palpable　to　the　senses。　　He　is　paid　no　more　than　the　others；　he　has　no　superior　title；　he　does　not　take　the　highest　rank　among　them；　he　never　talks　of　his　subordinates；　but　always　of　his　colleagues；　he　has　a　title　of　his　own；　that　of　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；　but　it　implies　no　headship　in　the　cabinet。　　That　he　is　the　head　of　all　political　power　in　the　nation；　the　Atlas　who　has　to　bear　the　globe；　the　god　in　whose　hands　rest　the　thunderbolts　and　the　showers；　all　men　do　know。　　No　man's　position　is　more　assured　to　him。　But　the　bounds　of　that　position　are　written　in　no　book；　are　defined　by　no　law；　have　settled　themselves　not　in　accordance　with　the　recorded　wisdom　of　any　great　men；　but　as　expediency　and　the　fitness　of　political　things　in　Great　Britain　have　seemed　from　time　to　time　to　require。　　This　drifting　of　great　matters　into　their　proper　places　is　not　as　closely　in　accordance　with　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　American　people　as　it　is　with　our　own。　　They　would　prefer　to　define　by　words；　as　the　French　do；　what　shall　be　the　exact　position　of　every　public　servant　connected　with　their　government；　or　rather　of　every　public　servant　with　whom　the　people　shall　be　held　as　having　any　concern。　　But　nevertheless；　I　think　it　will　come　to　pass　that　a　cabinet　will　gradually　form　itself　at　Washington　as　it　has　done　at　London；　and　that　of　that　cabinet　there　will　be　some　recognized　and　ostensible　chief。　But　a　Prime　Minister　in　the　United　States　can　never　take　the　place　there　which　is　taken　here　by　our　Premier。　　Over　our　Premier　there　is　no　one　politically　superior。　　The　highest　political　responsibility　of　the　nation　rests　on　him。　　In　the　States　this　must　always　rest　on　the　President；　and　any　minister；　whatever　may　be　his　name　or　assumed　position；　can　only　be　responsible　through　the　President。　　And　it　is　here　especially　that　the　working　of　the　United　States　system　of　government　seems　to　me　deficientappears　as　though　it　wanted　something　to　make　it　perfect　and　round　at　all　points。　　Our　ministers　retire　from　their　offices　as　do　the　Presidents；　and　indeed　the　ministerial　term　of　office　with　us；　though　of　course　not　fixed；　is　in　truth　much　shorter　than　the　presidential　term　of　four　years。　　But　our　ministers　do　not　in　fact　ever　go　out。　　At　one　time　they　take　one　position；　with　pay；　patronage；　and　power；　and　at　another　time　another　position；　without　these　good　things；　but　in　either　position　they　are　acting　as　public　men；　and　are　in　truth　responsible　for　what　they　say　and　do。　　But　the　President；　on　whom　it　is　presumed　that　the　whole　of　the　responsibility　of　the　United　States　government　rests；　goes　out　at　a　certain　day；　and　of　him　no　more　is　heard。　　There　is　no　future　before　him　to　urge　him　on　to　constancy；　no　hope　of　other　things　beyond；　of　greater　honors　and　a　wider　fame；　to　keep　him　wakeful　in　his　country's　cause。　　He　has　already　enrolled　his　name　on　the　list　of　his　country's　rulers；　and　received　what　reward　his　country　can　give　him。　　Conscience；　duty；　patriotism　may　make　him　true　to　his　place。　　True　to　his　place；　in　a　certain　degree；　they　will　make　him。　　But　ambition　and　hope　of　things　still　to　come　are　the　moving　motives　of　the　minds　of　most　men。　　Few　men　can　allow　their　energies　to　expand　to　their　fullest　extent　in　the　cold　atmosphere　of　duty　alone。　　The　President　of　the　States　must　feel　that　he　has　reached　the　top　of　the　ladder；　and　that　he　soon　will　have　done　with　life。　　As　he　goes　out　he　is　a　dead　man。　　And　what　can　be　expected　from　one　who　is　counting　the　last　lingering　hours　of　his　existence？　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time；〃　Mr。　Buchanan　is　reported　to　have　said；　when　a　friend　spoke　to　him　with　warning　voice　of　the　coming　rebellion。　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time。〃　　In　the　old　days；　before　democracy　had　prevailed　in　upsetting　that　system　of　presidential　election　which　the　Constitution　had　intended　to　fix　as　permanent；　the　Presidents　were　generally　re…elected　for　a　second　term。　　Of　the　first　seven　Presidents　five　were　sent　back　to　the　White　House　for　a　second　period　of　four　years。　　But　this　has　never　been　done　since　the　days　of　General　Jackson；　nor　will　it　be　done；　unless　a　stronger　conservative　reaction　takes　place　than　the　country　even　as　yet　seems　to　promise。　　As　things　have　lately　ordered　themselves；　it　may　almost　be　said　that　no　man　in　the　Union　would　be　so　improbable　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency　as　the　outgoing　President。　　And　it　has　been　only　natural　that　it　should　be　so。　Looking　at　the　men　themselves　who　have　lately　been　chosen；　the　fault　has　not　consisted　in　their　non…re…election；　but　in　their　original　selection。　　There　has　been　no　desire　for　great　men；　no　search　after　a　man　of　such　a　nature　that；　when　tried；　the　people　should　be　anxious　to　keep　him。　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time；〃　says　the　expiring　President。　　And　so；　without　dismay；　he　sees　the　empire　of　his　country　slide　away　from　him。　A　President；　with　the　possibility　of　re…election　before　him；　would　be　as　a　minister　who　goes　out　knowing　that　he　may　possibly　come　in　again　before　the　session　is　over；　and；　perhaps；　believing　that　the　chances　of　his　doing　so　are　in　his　favor。　　Under　the　existing　political　phase　of　things　in　the　United　States；　no　President　has　any　such　prospect；　but　the　ministers　of　the　President　have　that　chance。　It　is　no　uncommon　thing　at　present　for　a　minister　under　one　President　to　reappear　as　a　minister　under　another；　but　a　statesman　has　no　assurance　that　he　will　do　so　because　he　has　shown　ministerial　capacity。　　We　know　intimately　the　names　of　all　our　possible　ministerstoo　intimately　as　some　of　us　thinkand　would　be　taken　much　by　surprise　if　a　gentleman　without　an　official　reputation　were　placed　at　the　head　of　a　high　office。　　If　something　of　this　feeling　prevailed　as　to　the　President's　cabinet；　if　there　were　some　assurance　that　competent　statesmen　would　be　appointed　as　Secretaries　of　State；　a　certain　amount　of　national　responsibility　would　by　degrees　attach　itself　to　them；　and　the　President's　shoulders　would；　to　that　amount；　be　lightened。　　As　it　is；　the　President　pretends　to　bear　a　burden　which；　if　really　borne；　would　indicate　the　possession　of　Herculean　shoulders。　　But；　in　fact；　the　burden　at　present　is　borne　by　no　one。　　The　government　of　the　United　States　is　not　in　truth　responsible　either　to　the　people　or　to　Congress。　But　these　ministers；　if　it　be　desired　that　they　shall　have　weight　in　the　country；　should　sit　in　Congress　either　as　Senators　or　as　Representatives。　　That　they　cannot　so　sit　without　an　amendment　of　the　Constitution；　I　have　explained　in　the　previous　chapter；　and　any　such　amendment　cannot　be　very　readily　made。　　Without　such　seats　they　cannot　really　share　the　responsibility　of　the　President；　or　be　in　any　degree　amenable　to　public　opinion　for　the　advice　which　they　give　in　their　public　functions。　　It　will　be　said　that　the　Constitution　has　expressly　intended　that　they　should　not　be　responsible；　and　such；　no　doubt；　has　been　the　case。　　But　the　Constitution；　good　as　it　is；　cannot　be　taken　as　perfect。　　The　government　has　become　greater　than　seems　to　have　been　contemplated　when　that　code　was　drawn　up。　It　has　spread　itself　as　it　were　over　a　wider　surface；　and　has　extended　to　matters　which　it　was　not　necessary　then　to　touch。　　That　theory　of　governing　by　the　means　of　little　men　was　very　well　while　the　government　itself　was　small。　　A　President　and　his　clerks　may　have　sufficed　when　there　were　from　thirteen　to　eighteen　States；　while　there　were　no　Territories；　or　none　at　least　that　required　government；　while　the　population　was　still　below　five　millions；　while　a　standing　army　was　an　evil　not　known　and　not　feared；　while　foreign　politics　was　a　troublesome　embroglio　in　which　it　was　quite　unnecessary　that　the　United　States　should　take　a　part。　　Now　there　are　thirty…four　States。　　The　territories　populated　by　American　citizens　stretch　from　the　States　on　the　Atlantic　to　those　on　the　Pacific。　　There　is　a　population　of　thirty　million　souls。　　At　the　present　moment　the　United　States　are　employing　more　soldiers　than　any　other　nation；　and　have　acknowledged　the　necessity　of　maintaining　a　large　army　even　when　the　present　troubles　shall　be　over。　　In　addition　to　this　the　United　States　have　occasion　for　the　use　of　statecraft　with　all　the　great　kingdoms　of　Europe。　　That　theory　of　ruling　by　little　men　will　not　do　much　longer。　　It　will　be　well　that　they　should　bring　forth　their　big　men　and　put　them　in　the　place　of　rulers。　The　President　has　at　present　seven　ministers。　　They　are　the　Secretary　of　State；　who　is　supposed　to　have　the　direction　of　foreign　affairs；　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　who　answers　to　our　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　the　Secretaries　of　the　Army　and　of　the　Navy；　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　the　Attorney…General；　and　the　Postmaster…General。　　If　these　officers　were　allowed　to　hold　seats　in　one　House　or　the　otheror　rather　if　the　President　were　enjoined　to　place　in　these　offices　men　who　were　known　as　members　of　Congress；　not　only　would　the　position　of　the　President's　ministers　be　enhanced　and　their　weight　increased；　but　the　position　also　of　Congress　would　be　enhanced　and　the　weight　of　Congress　would　be　increased。　　I　may；　perhaps；　best　exemplify　this　by　suggesting　what　would　be　the　effect　on　our　Parliament　by　withdrawing　from　it　the　men　who　at　the　present　momentor　at　any　momentform　the　Queen's　cabinet。　　I　will　not　say　that　by　adding　to　Congress　the　men　who　usually　form　the　President's　cabinet；　a　weight　would　be　given　equal　to　that　which　the　withdrawal　of　the　British　cabinet　would　take　from　the　British　Parliament。　　I　cannot　pay　that　compliment　to　the　President's　choice　of　servants。　But　the　relationship　between　Congress　and　the　President's　ministers　would　gradually　come　to　resemble　that　which　exists　between　Parliament　and　the　Queen's　ministers。　　The　Secretaries　of　State　and　of　the　Treasury　would　after　awhile　obtain　that　honor　of　leading　the　Houses　which　is　exercised　by　our　high　political　officers；　and　the　dignity　added　to　the　positions　would　make　the　places　worthy　of　the　acceptance　of　great　men。　　It　is　hardly　so　at　present。　　The　career　of　one　of　the　President's　ministers　is　not　a　very　high　career　as　thing