登陆注册
15709400000246

第246章

In the beginning of this chapter I have spoken of the splendid results attained by those who drew up the Constitution; and then, as though in opposition to the praise thus given to their work, I have insisted throughout the chapter both on the insufficiency of the Constitution and on the breaches to which it has been subjected. Ihave declared my opinion that it is inefficient for some of its required purposes, and have said that, whether inefficient or efficient, it has been broken and in some degree abandoned. Imaintain, however, that in this I have not contradicted myself. Aboy, who declares his purpose of learning the AEneid by heart, will be held as being successful if at the end of the given period he can repeat eleven books out of the twelve. Nevertheless the reporter, in summing up the achievement, is bound to declare that that other book has not been learned. Under this Constitution of which I have been speaking, the American people have achieved much material success and great political power. As a people they have been happy and prosperous. Their freedom has been secured to them, and for a period of seventy-five years they have lived and prospered without subjection to any form of tyranny. This in itself is much, and should, I think, be held as a preparation for greater things to follow. Such, I think, should be our opinion, although the nation is at the present burdened by so heavy a load of troubles. That any written constitution should serve its purposes and maintain its authority in a nation for a dozen years is in itself much for its framers. Where are now the constitutions which were written for France? But this Constitution has so wound itself into the affections of the people, has become a mark for such reverence and love, has, after a trial of three-quarters of a century, so recommended itself to the judgment of men, that the difficulty consists in touching it, not in keeping it. Eighteen or twenty millions of people who have lived under it,--in what way do they regard it? Is not that the best evidence that can be had respecting it? Is it to them an old woman's story, a useless parchment, a thing of old words at which all must now smile? Heaven mend them, if they reverence it more, as I fear they do, than they reverence their Bible. For them, after seventy-five years of trial, it has almost the weight of inspiration. In this respect, with reference to this worship of the work of their forefathers, they may be in error. But that very error goes far to prove the excellence of the code. When a man has walked for six months over stony ways in the same boots, he will be believed when he says that his boots are good boots. No assertion to the contrary from any by-stander will receive credence, even though it be shown that a stitch or two has come undone, and that some required purpose has not effectually been carried out. The boots have carried the man over his stony roads for six months, and they must be good boots. And so I say that the Constitution must be a good constitution.

As to that positive breach of the Constitution which has, as Imaintain, been committed by the present government, although I have been at some trouble to prove it, I must own that I do not think very much of it. It is to be lamented; but the evil admits, Ithink, of easy repair. It has happened at a period of unwonted difficulty, when the minds of men were intent rather on the support of that nationality which guarantees their liberties, than on the enjoyment of those liberties themselves, and the fault may be pardoned if it be acknowledged. But it is essential that it should be acknowledged. In such a matter as that there should at any rate be no doubt. Now, in this very year of the rebellion, it may be well that no clamor against government should arise from the people, and thus add to the difficulties of the nation. But it will be bad, indeed, for the nation if such a fault shall have been committed by this government and shall be allowed to pass unacknowledged, unrebuked--as though it were a virtue and no fault. I cannot but think that the time will soon come in which Mr. Seward's reading of the Constitution and Mr. Lincoln's assumption of illegal power under that reading will receive a different construction in the States than that put upon it by Mr. Binney.

But I have admitted that the Constitution itself is not perfect. It seems to me that it requires to be amended on two separate points--especially on two; and I cannot but acknowledge that there would be great difficulty in making such amendments. That matter of direct taxation is the first. As to that I shall speak again in referring to the financial position of the country. I think, however, that it must be admitted, in any discussion held on the Constitution of the United States, that the theory of taxation as there laid down will not suffice for the wants of a great nation. If the States are to maintain their ground as a great national power, they must agree among themselves to bear the cost of such greatness. While a custom duty was sufficient for the public wants of the United States, this fault in the Constitution was not felt. But now that standing armies have been inaugurated, that iron-clad ships are held as desirable, that a great national debt has been founded, custom duties will suffice no longer, nor will excise duties suffice.

Direct taxation must be levied, and such taxation cannot be fairly levied without a change in the Constitution. But such a change may be made in direct accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, and the necessity for such an alteration cannot be held as proving any inefficiency in the original document for the purposes originally required.

As regards the other point which seems to me to require amendment, Imust acknowledge that I am about to express simply my own opinion.

同类推荐
  • 北户录

    北户录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大沩五峰学禅师语录

    大沩五峰学禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 集异记

    集异记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 阿难四事经

    阿难四事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太微仙君功过格

    太微仙君功过格

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 逆命仙尊

    逆命仙尊

    仙道“高考”,成绩平平,且看平凡少年苏永如何逆命而争,成就盖世仙尊。
  • 邪王宠妻

    邪王宠妻

    她是现代女杀手,医毒双修,在一次执行任务的时候不幸身亡;她是将军府的痴傻二小姐;当她成为她时,她将在异世留下什么传奇呢…
  • 上帝说,追回你是我的使命【完结】

    上帝说,追回你是我的使命【完结】

    【原创作者社团未央出品】【注:此文是作者仍属于小白时候的文章,作者很久以前就不能接受这种风格了,所以建议还是不要看了,真心的。。但是作者也不想删掉它,毕竟是小时候脑子里的少女幻想哈哈哈。】?<br/>你个臭P的家伙,你2次抛下姑奶奶我,现在又回来了?哈哈,许你三番二次放我鸽子,就不许我爱上别人啊?你等着吧,看上官我怎么整你!<br/><br/>
  • 风云大宋

    风云大宋

    秦越穿越了,来到北宋元佑四年的杭州,一个距离靖康之耻仅剩三十八年的时代。这是一个最好的时代,既富庶又文灿。苏东坡大江东去,李清照细柳黄昏,四学士齐名天下,米狂草一字万金。一句话,实在太好了。然而这又是一个最坏的时代,既积弱又纷乱。北辽西夏年年岁币仍不免年年内侵,新旧党争此时你谪岭南彼日我亦贬岭南。金虏铁蹄渐闻踢踏,江湖群豪即将啸林。同样也是一句话:好日子快到头了。在这个最好也是最坏的时代里,我们的主角成为一名大宋最底层的读书人。他将做什么,又将改变什么……市井风情,明月黄昏;佳人舞袖,朝堂纷纷;金戈铁马,寸土万金,尽在《风云大宋》。
  • TFBOYS之三角爱恋

    TFBOYS之三角爱恋

    上官若林喜欢王源,王俊凯喜欢上官若林,王源喜欢慕容若心,慕容若心喜欢易烊千玺,易烊千玺喜欢欧阳若曦,欧阳若曦喜欢王俊凯,这是一个三角爱恋,还想知道什么吗???那就继续看吧!!!!
  • 鬼泣之斗破天下

    鬼泣之斗破天下

    根据《鬼泣》游戏改编,同时也致敬鬼泣,我希望这部小说能够激起大家的热血
  • 怪奇事务所

    怪奇事务所

    在上古大神悉数陨落之际,各自选定了凡间的传人,田野正是北方烛九阴的继承者田家的后人,只不过他的传承方式有些奇怪——托梦。一直立志当个私家侦探的田野在获得了神通后,破案有如神助,办案过程中奇人异事层出不穷,阴谋诡计让人神经紧绷。当然,也少不了美女福利,田野走上了一条另类的探案道路,追凶捉鬼,装B泡妞,顺便拯救世界,人生如此岂不美哉?—————————————————————书友群:541603656欢迎大家加入,一起交流!
  • 骑士大领主

    骑士大领主

    一觉醒来,穿越回归游戏世界!此时,期待魔神复苏的魔族军团,已经盯住凯特这片即将失去女神庇佑的辽阔土地!此刻,北方战火不断,南部贵族之间的权利相争从未消停,身为王国利剑的骑士团日愈腐朽,供奉女神的神庭即将崩坏……黑暗的时代即将拉开序幕!可是,我们为什么要等待黑暗的来临?现在!历史将被改写,黑暗将被驱逐!干预神庭,掌控王城,一切尽在掌握!开始塑造属于自己的骑士荣光!今天开始,成为骑士!——新书上传,求点击,收藏,推荐——
  • 梦归处

    梦归处

    我总是在想,很多年后,当我翻开钱包,看到里面那张残旧的一元和厚厚的一叠随手贴时。是不是还能记得,那天所发生的一切?又是不是还能想起,那七年的长梦,最终归于何处?作者微信号:ReadInCloud微信名:云中书欢迎关注查阅更多小说,谢谢支持!
  • 道术奇决

    道术奇决

    奇术隐于情,道决取于心。每一件奇异之事必有一段奇趣曲折的故事.“半边岩壁半边天,一轮明月位中间。星陨之石且探路,墓塔迷雾云中仙”这首诗中究竟隐藏着什么不可告人的秘密.............