democracy in america-1-第92章

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　When　a　number　of　confederate　states　unite　to　form　a　single　nation；　the　same　causes　operate　in　an　opposite　direction。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　if　France　were　to　become　a　confederate　republic　like　that　of　the　United　States；　the　government　would　at　first　display　more　energy　than　that　of　the　Union；　and　if　the　Union　were　to　alter　its　constitution　to　a　monarchy　like　that　of　France；　I　think　that　the　American　Government　would　be　a　long　time　in　acquiring　the　force　which　now　rules　the　latter　nation。　　When　the　national　existence　of　the　Anglo…Americans　began；　their　provincial　existence　was　already　of　long　standing；　necessary　relations　were　established　between　the　townships　and　the　individual　citizens　of　the　same　States；　and　they　were　accustomed　to　consider　some　objects　as　common　to　them　all；　and　to　conduct　other　affairs　as　exclusively　relating　to　their　own　special　interests。

The　Union　is　a　vast　body　which　presents　no　definite　object　to　patriotic　feeling。　　The　forms　and　limits　of　the　State　are　distinct　and　circumscribed；　since　it　represents　a　certain　number　of　objects　which　are　familiar　to　the　citizens　and　beloved　by　all。　　It　is　identified　with　the　very　soil；　with　the　right　of　property　and　the　domestic　affections；　with　the　recollections　of　the　past；　the　labors　of　the　present；　and　the　hopes　of　the　future。　　Patriotism；　then；　which　is　frequently　a　mere　extension　of　individual　egotism；　is　still　directed　to　the　State；　and　is　not　excited　by　the　Union。　　Thus　the　tendency　of　the　interests；　the　habits；　and　the　feelings　of　the　people　is　to　centre　political　activity　in　the　States；　in　preference　to　the　Union。

It　is　easy　to　estimate　the　different　forces　of　the　two　governments；　by　remarking　the　manner　in　which　they　fulfil　their　respective　functions。　Whenever　the　government　of　a　State　has　occasion　to　address　an　individual　or　an　assembly　of　individuals；　its　language　is　clear　and　imperative；　and　such　is　also　the　tone　of　the　Federal　Government　in　its　intercourse　with　individuals；　but　no　sooner　has　it　anything　to　do　with　a　State　than　it　begins　to　parley；　to　explain　its　motives　and　to　justify　its　conduct；　to　argue；　to　advise；　and；　in　short；　anything　but　to　command。　　If　doubts　are　raised　as　to　the　limits　of　the　constitutional　powers　of　each　government；　the　provincial　government　prefers　its　claim　with　boldness；　and　takes　prompt　and　energetic　steps　to　support　it。　In　the　mean　while　the　Government　of　the　Union　reasons；　it　appeals　to　the　interests；　to　the　good　sense；　to　the　glory　of　the　nation；　it　temporizes；　it　negotiates；　and　does　not　consent　to　act　until　it　is　reduced　to　the　last　extremity。　　At　first　sight　it　might　readily　be　imagined　that　it　is　the　provincial　government　which　is　armed　with　the　authority　of　the　nation；　and　that　Congress　represents　a　single　State。

The　Federal　Government　is；　therefore；　notwithstanding　the　precautions　of　those　who　founded　it；　naturally　so　weak　that　it　more　peculiarly　requires　the　free　consent　of　the　governed　to　enable　it　to　subsist。　　It　is　easy　to　perceive　that　its　object　is　to　enable　the　States　to　realize　with　facility　their　determination　of　remaining　united；　and；　as　long　as　this　preliminary　condition　exists；　its　authority　is　great；　temperate；　and　effective。　　The　Constitution　fits　the　Government　to　control　individuals；　and　easily　to　surmount　such　obstacles　as　they　may　be　inclined　to　offer；　but　it　was　by　no　means　established　with　a　view　to　the　possible　separation　of　one　or　more　of　the　States　from　the　Union。

If　the　sovereignty　of　the　Union　were　to　engage　in　a　struggle　with　that　of　the　States　at　the　present　day；　its　defeat　may　be　confidently　predicted；　and　it　is　not　probable　that　such　a　struggle　would　be　seriously　undertaken。　As　often　as　a　steady　resistance　is　offered　to　the　Federal　Government　it　will　be　found　to　yield。　　Experience　has　hitherto　shown　that　whenever　a　State　has　demanded　anything　with　perseverance　and　resolution；　it　has　invariably　succeeded；　and　that　if　a　separate　government　has　distinctly　refused　to　act；　it　was　left　to　do　as　it　thought　fit。　*z

＇Footnote　z：　See　the　conduct　of　the　Northern　States　in　the　war　of　1812。　〃During　that　war；〃　says　Jefferson　in　a　letter　to　General　Lafayette；　〃four　of　the　Eastern　States　were　only　attached　to　the　Union；　like　so　many　inanimate　bodies　to　living　men。〃＇

But　even　if　the　Government　of　the　Union　had　any　strength　inherent　in　itself；　the　physical　situation　of　the　country　would　render　the　exercise　of　that　strength　very　difficult。　*a　The　United　States　cover　an　immense　territory；　they　are　separated　from　each　other　by　great　distances；　and　the　population　is　disseminated　over　the　surface　of　a　country　which　is　still　half　a　wilderness。　If　the　Union　were　to　undertake　to　enforce　the　allegiance　of　the　confederate　States　by　military　means；　it　would　be　in　a　position　very　analogous　to　that　of　England　at　the　time　of　the　War　of　Independence。

＇Footnote　a：　The　profound　peace　of　the　Union　affords　no　pretext　for　a　standing　army；　and　without　a　standing　army　a　government　is　not　prepared　to　profit　by　a　favorable　opportunity　to　conquer　resistance；　and　take　the　sovereign　power　by　surprise。　　＇This　note；　and　the　paragraph　in　the　text　which　precedes；　have　been　shown　by　the　results　of　the　Civil　War　to　be　a　misconception　of　the　writer。＇＇　

However　strong　a　government　may　be；　it　cannot　easily　escape　from　the　consequences　of　a　principle　which　it　has　once　admitted　as　the　foundation　of　its　constitution。　　The　Union　was　formed　by　the　voluntary　agreement　of　the　States；　and；　in　uniting　together；　they　have　not　forfeited　their　nationality；　nor　have　they　been　reduced　to　the　condition　of　one　and　the　same　people。　　If　one　of　the　States　chose　to　withdraw　its　name　from　the　contract；　it　would　be　difficult　to　disprove　its　right　of　doing　so；　and　the　Federal　Government　would　have　no　means　of　maintaining　its　claims　directly；　either　by　force　or　by　right。　In　order　to　enable　the　Federal　Government　easily　to　conquer　the　resistance　which　may　be　offered　to　it　by　any　one　of　its　subjects；　it　would　be　necessary　that　one　or　more　of　them　should　be　specially　interested　in　the　existence　of　the　Union；　as　has　frequently　been　the　case　in　the　history　of　confederations。　

If　it　be　supposed　that　amongst　the　States　which　are　united　by　the　federal　tie　there　are　some　which　exclusively　enjoy　the　principal　advantages　of　union；　or　whose　prosperity　depends　on　the　duration　of　that　union；　it　is　unquestionable　that　they　will　always　be　ready　to　support　the　central　Government　in　enforcing　the　obedience　of　the　others。　　But　the　Government　would　then　be　exerting　a　force　not　derived　from　itself；　but　from　a　principle　contrary　to　its　nature。　　States　form　confederations　in　order　to　derive　equal　advantages　from　their　union；　and　in　the　case　just　alluded　to；　the　Federal　Government　would　derive　its　power　from　the　unequal　distribution　of　those　benefits　amongst　the　States。

If　one　of　the　confederate　States　have　acquired　a　preponderance　sufficiently　great　to　enable　it　to　take　exclusive　possession　of　the　central　authority；　it　will　consider　the　other　States　as　subject　provinces；　and　it　will　cause　its　own　supremacy　to　be　respected　under　the　borrowed　name　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　Union。　　Great　things　may　then　be　done　in　the　name　of　the　Federal　Government；　but　in　reality　that　Government　will　have　ceased　to　exist。　*b　In　both　these　cases；　the　power　which　acts　in　the　name　of　the　confederation　becomes　stronger　the　more　it　abandons　the　natural　state　and　the　acknowledged　principles　of　confederations。

＇Footnote　b：　Thus　the　province　of　Holland　in　the　republic　of　the　Low　Countries；　and　the　Emperor　in　the　Germanic　Confederation；　have　sometimes　put　themselves　in　the　place　of　the　union；　and　have　employed　the　federal　authority　to　their　own　advantage。＇

In　America　the　existing　Union　is　advantageous　to　all　the　States；　but　it　is　not　indispensable　to　any　one　of　them。　　Several　of　them　might　break　the　federal　tie　without　compromising　the　welfare　of　the　others；　although　their　own　prosperity　would　be　lessened。　　As　the　existence　and　the　happiness　of　none　of　the　States　are　wholly　dependent　on　the　present　Constitution；　they　would　none　of　them　be　disposed　to　make　great　personal　sacrifices　to　maintain　it。　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　no　State　which　seems　hitherto　to　have　its　ambition　much　interested　in　the　maintenance　of　the　existing　Union。　　They　certainly　do　not　all　exercise　the　same　influence　in　the　federal　councils；　but　no　one　of　them　can　hope　to　domineer　over　the　rest；　or　to　treat　them　as　its　inferiors　or　as　its　subjects。　

It　appears　to　me　unquestionable　that　if　any　portion　of　the　Union　seriously　desired　to　separate　itself　from　the　other　States；　they　would　not　be　able；　nor　indeed　would　they　attempt；　to　prevent　it；　and　that　the　present　Union　will　only　last　as　long　as　the　States　which　compose　it　choose　to　continue　members　of　the　confederation。　　If　this　point　be　admitted；　the　question　becomes　less　difficult；　and　our　object　is；　not　to　inquire　whether　the　States　of　the　existing　Union　are　capable　of　separating；　but　whether　they　will　choose　to　remain　united。

Amongst　the　various　reasons　which　tend　to　render　the　existing　Union　useful　to　the　Americans；　two　principal　causes　are　peculiarly　evident　to　the　observer。　　Although　the　Americans　are；　as　it　were；　alone　upon　their　continent；　their　commerce　makes　them　the　neighbors　of　all　the　nations　with　which　they　trade。　　Notwithstanding　their　apparent　isolation；　the　Americans　require　a　certain　degree　of　strength；　which　they　cannot　retain　otherwise　than　by　remaining　united　to　each　other。　　If　the　States　were　to　split；　they　would　not　only　diminish　the　strength　which　they　are　now　able　to　display　towards　foreign　nations；　but　they　would　soon　create　foreign　powers　upon　their　own　territory。　A　system　of　inland　custom…houses　would　then　be　established；　the　valleys　would　be　divided　by　imaginary　boundary　lines；　the　courses　of　the　rivers　would　be　confined　by　territorial　distinctions；　and　a　multitude　of　hindrances　would　prevent　the　Americans　from　exploring　the　whole　of　that　vast　continent　which　Providence　has　allotted　to　them　for　a　dominion。　　At　present　they　have　no　invasion　to　fear；　and　consequently　no　standing　armies　to　maintain；　no　taxes　to　levy。　　If　the　Union　were　dissolved；　all　these　burdensome　measures　might　ere　long　be　required。　　The　Americans　are　then　very　powerfully　interested　in　the　maintenance　of　their　Union。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　discover　any　sort　of　material　interest　which　might　at　present　tempt　a　portion　of　the　Union　to　separate　from　the　other　States。

When　we　cast　our　eyes　upon　the　map　of　the　United　States；　we　perceive　the　chain　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains；　running　from　the　northeast　to　the　southwest；　and　crossing　nearly　one　thousand　miles　of　country；　and　we　are　led　to　imagine　that　the　design　of　Providence　was　to　raise　between　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　and　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean　one　of　those　natural　barriers　which　break　the　mutual　intercourse　of　men；　and　form　the　necessary　limits　of　different　States。　　But　the　average　height　of　the　Alleghanies　does　not　exceed　2；500　feet；　their　greatest　elevation　is　not　above　4；000　feet；　their　rounded　summits；　and　the　spacious　valleys　which　they　conceal　within　their　passes；　are　of　easy　access　from　several　sides。　　Besides　which；　the　principal　rivers　which　fall　into　the　Atlantic　Ocean　…　the　Hudson