north america-2-第61章

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ay　for　public　actions。　　A　leading　statesman　has　but　slight　dread　of　the　axe；　but　is　in　hourly　fear　of　his　opponent's　questions。　　The　President　of　the　United　States　is　subject　to　no　such　questionings；　and　as　he　does　not　even　require　a　majority　in　either　House　for　the　maintenance　of　his　authority；　his　responsibility　sets　upon　him　very　slightly。　　Seeing　that　Mr。　Buchanan　has　escaped　any　punishment　for　maladministration；　no　President　need　fear　the　anger　of　the　people。　The　President　is　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　and　of　the　navy。　　He　can　grant　pardonsas　regards　all　offenses　committed　against　the　United　States。　　He　has　no　power　to　pardon　an　offense　committed　against　the　laws　of　any　State；　and　as　to　which　the　culprit　has　been　tried　before　the　tribunals　of　that　State。　　He　can　make　treaties；　but　such　treaties　are　not　valid　till　they　have　been　confirmed　by　two…　thirds　of　the　Senators　present　in　executive　session。　　He　appoints　all　ambassadors　and　other　public　officersbut　subject　to　the　confirmation　of　the　Senate。　　He　can　convene　either　or　both　Houses　of　Congress　at　irregular　times；　and　under　certain　circumstances　can　adjourn　them；　his　executive　power　is；　in　fact；　almost　unlimited；　and　this　power　is　solely　in　his　own　hands；　as　the　Constitution　knows　nothing　of　the　President's　ministers。　　According　to　the　Constitution　these　officers　are　merely　the　heads　of　his　bureaus。　　An　Englishman；　however；　in　considering　the　executive　power　of　the　President；　and　in　making　any　comparison　between　that　and　the　executive　power　of　any　officer　or　officers　attached　to　the　Crown　in　England；　should　always　bear　in　mind　that　the　President's　power；　and　even　authority；　is　confined　to　the　Federal　government；　and　that　he　has　none　with　reference　to　the　individual　States；　religion；　education；　the　administration　of　the　general　laws　which　concern　every　man　and　woman；　and　the　real　de　facto　government　which　comes　home　to　every　house；these　things　are　not　in　any　way　subject　to　the　President　of　the　United　States。　His　legislative　power　is　also　great。　　He　has　a　veto　upon　all　acts　of　Congress；　This　veto　is　by　no　means　a　dead　letter；　as　is　the　veto　of　the　Crown　with　us；　but　it　is　not　absolute。　　The　President；　if　he　refuses　his　sanction　to　a　bill　sent　up　to　him　from　Congress；　returns　it　to　that　House　in　which　it　originated；　with　his　objections　in　writing。　　If；　after　that；　such　bill　shall　again　pass　through　both　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　receiving　in　each　House　the　approvals　of　two…thirds　of　those　present；　then　such　bill　becomes　law　without　the　President's　sanction。　　Unless　this　be　done；　the　President's　veto　stops　the　bill。　　This　veto　has　been　frequently　used；　but　no　bill　has　yet　been　passed　in　opposition　to　it。　The　third　article　of　the　Constitution　treats　of　the　judiciary　of　the　United　States；　but　as　I　purpose　to　write　a　chapter　devoted　to　the　law　courts　and　lawyers　of　the　States；　I　need　not　here　describe　at　length　the　enactments　of　the　Constitution　on　this　head。　　It　is　ordained　that　all　criminal　trials；　except　in　cases　of　impeachment；　shall　be　by　jury。　There　are　after　this　certain　miscellaneous　articles；　some　of　which　belong　to　the　Constitution　as　it　stood　at　first；　and　others　of　which　have　been　since　added　as　amendments。　　A　citizen　of　one　State　is　to　be　a　citizen　of　every　State。　　Criminals　from　one　State　shall　not　be　free　from　pursuit　in　other　States。　　Then　comes　a　very　material　enactment：　〃No　person　held　to　service　or　labor　in　one　State；　under　the　laws　thereof；　escaping　into　another；　shall；　in　consequence　of　any　law　or　regulation　therein；　be　discharged　from　such　service　or　labor；　but　shall　be　delivered　up　on　claim　of　the　party　to　whom　such　service　or　labor　may　be　due。〃　　In　speaking　of　a　person　held　to　labor　the　Constitution　intends　to　speak　of　a　slave；　and　the　article　amounts　to　a　fugitive　slave　law。　　If　a　slave　run　away　out　of　South　Carolina　and　find　his　way　into　Massachusetts；　Massachusetts　shall　deliver　him　up　when　called　upon　to　do　so　by　South　Carolina。　　The　words　certainly　are　clear　enough。　　But　Massachusetts　strongly　objects　to　the　delivery　of　such　men　when　so　desired。　　Such　men　she　has　delivered　up；　with　many　groanings　and　much　inward　perturbation　of　spirit。　　But　it　is　understood；　not　in　Massachusetts　only；　but　in　the　free…soil　States　generally；　that　fugitive　slaves　shall　not　be　delivered　up　by　the　ordinary　action　of　the　laws。　　There　is　a　feeling　strong　as　that　which　we　entertain　with　reference　to　the　rendition　of　slaves　from　Canada。　　With　such　a　clause　in　the　Constitution　as　that；　it　is　hardly　too　much　to　say　that　no　free…soil　Slate　will　consent　to　constitutional　action。　　Were　it　expunged　from　the　Constitution；　no　slave　State　would　consent　to　live　under　it。　　It　is　a　point　as　to　which　the　advocates　of　slavery　and　the　enemies　of　slavery　cannot　be　brought　to　act　in　union。　　But　on　this　head　I　have　already　said　what　little　I　have　to　say。　New　States　may　be　admitted　by　Congress；　but　the　bounds　of　no　old　State　shall　be　altered　without　the　consent　of　such　State。　　Congress　shall　have　power　to　rule　and　dispose　of　the　Territories　and　property　of　the　United　States。　　The　United　States　guarantee　every　State　a　republican　form　of　government；　but　the　Constitution　does　not　define　that　form　of　government。　　An　ordinary　citizen　of　the　United　States；　if　asked；　would　probably　say　that　it　included　that　description　of　franchise　which　I　have　called　universal　suffrage。　　Such；　however；　was　not　the　meaning　of　those　who　framed　the　Constitution。　　The　ordinary　citizen　would　probably　also　say　that　it　excluded　the　use　of　a　king；　though　he　would；　I　imagine；　be　able　to　give　no　good　reason　for　saying　so。　　I　take　a　republican　government　to　be　that　in　which　the　care　of　the　people　is　in　the　hands　of　the　people。　　They　may　use　an　elected　president；　a　hereditary　king；　or　a　chief　magistrate　called　by　any　other　name。　　But　the　magistrate；　whatever　be　his　name；　must　be　the　servant　of　the　people　and　not　their　lord。　　He　must　act　for　them　and　at　their　biddingnot　they　at　his。　　If　he　do　so；　he　is　the　chief　officer　of　a　republicas　is　our　Queen　with　us。　The　United　States　Constitution　also　guarantees　to　each　State　protection　against　invasion；　and；　if　necessary；　against　domestic　violencemeaning；　I　presume；　internal　violence。　　The　words　domestic　violence　might　seem　to　refer　solely　to　slave　insurrections；　but　such　is　not　the　meaning　of　the　words。　　The　free　State　of　New　York　would　be　entitled　to　the　assistance　of　the　Federal　government　in　putting　down　internal　violence；　if　unable　to　quell　such　violence　by　her　own　power。　This　Constitution；　and　the　laws　of　the　United　States　made　in　pursuance　of　it；　are　to　be　held　as　the　supreme　law　of　the　land。　　The　judges　of　every　State　are　to　be　bound　thereby；　let　the　laws　or　separate　constitution　of　such　State　say　what　they　will　to　the　contrary。　　Senators　and　others　are　to　be　bound　by　oath　to　support　the　Constitution；　but　no　religious　test　shall　be　required　as　a　qualification　to　any　office。　In　the　amendments　to　the　Constitution；　it　is　enacted　that　Congress　shall　make　no　law　as　to　the　establishment　of　any　religion；　or　prohibiting　the　free　exercise　thereof；　and　also　that　it　shall　not　abridge　the　freedom　of　speech；　or　of　the　press；　or　of　petition。　　The　government；　however；　as　is　well　known；　has　taken　upon　itself　to　abridge　the　freedom　of　the　press。　　The　right　of　the　people　to　bear　arms　shall　not　be　infringed。　　Then　follow　various　clauses　intended　for　the　security　of　the　people　in　reference　to　the　administration　of　the　laws。　　They　shall　not　be　troubled　by　unreasonable　searches。　They　shall　not　be　made　to　answer　for　great　offenses　except　by　indictment　of　a　grand　jury。　　They　shall　not　be　put　twice　in　jeopardy　for　the　same　offense。　　They　shall　not　be　compelled　to　give　evidence　against　themselves。　　Private　property　shall　not　be　taken　for　public　use　without　compensation。　　Accused　persons　in　criminal　proceedings　shall　be　entitled　to　speedy　and　public　trial。　　They　shall　be　confronted　with　the　witnesses　against　them；　and　shall　have　assistance　of　counsel。　　Suits　in　which　the　value　controverted　is　above　twenty　dollars　（4l。）　shall　be　tried　before　juries。　　Excessive　bail　shall　not　be　required；　nor　cruel　and　unusual　punishments　inflicted。　　In　all　which　enactments　we　see；　I　think；　a　close　resemblanc