democracy in america-1-第57章

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　States　controls　every　individual　citizen　at　every　hour　and　in　all　circumstances；　it　protects　his　property；　his　freedom；　and　his　life；　and　when　we　recollect　the　traditions；　the　customs；　the　prejudices　of　local　and　familiar　attachment　with　which　it　is　connected；　we　cannot　doubt　of　the　superiority　of　a　power　which　is　interwoven　with　every　circumstance　that　renders　the　love　of　one's　native　country　instinctive　in　the　human　heart。

Since　legislators　are　unable　to　obviate　such　dangerous　collisions　as　occur　between　the　two　sovereignties　which　coexist　in　the　federal　system；　their　first　object　must　be；　not　only　to　dissuade　the　confederate　States　from　warfare；　but　to　encourage　such　institutions　as　may　promote　the　maintenance　of　peace。　　Hence　it　results　that　the　Federal　compact　cannot　be　lasting　unless　there　exists　in　the　communities　which　are　leagued　together　a　certain　number　of　inducements　to　union　which　render　their　common　dependence　agreeable；　and　the　task　of　the　Government　light；　and　that　system　cannot　succeed　without　the　presence　of　favorable　circumstances　added　to　the　influence　of　good　laws。　　All　the　peoples　which　have　ever　formed　a　confederation　have　been　held　together　by　a　certain　number　of　common　interests；　which　served　as　the　intellectual　ties　of　association。

But　the　sentiments　and　the　principles　of　man　must　be　taken　into　consideration　as　well　as　his　immediate　interests。　　A　certain　uniformity　of　civilization　is　not　less　necessary　to　the　durability　of　a　confederation　than　a　uniformity　of　interests　in　the　States　which　compose　it。　　In　Switzerland　the　difference　which　exists　between　the　Canton　of　Uri　and　the　Canton　of　Vaud　is　equal　to　that　between　the　fifteenth　and　the　nineteenth　centuries；　and；　properly　speaking；　Switzerland　has　never　possessed　a　federal　government。　　The　union　between　these　two　cantons　only　subsists　upon　the　map；　and　their　discrepancies　would　soon　be　perceived　if　an　attempt　were　made　by　a　central　authority　to　prescribe　the　same　laws　to　the　whole　territory。

One　of　the　circumstances　which　most　powerfully　contribute　to　support　the　Federal　Government　in　America　is　that　the　States　have　not　only　similar　interests；　a　common　origin；　and　a　common　tongue；　but　that　they　are　also　arrived　at　the　same　stage　of　civilization；　which　almost　always　renders　a　union　feasible。　　I　do　not　know　of　any　European　nation；　how　small　soever　it　may　be；　which　does　not　present　less　uniformity　in　its　different　provinces　than　the　American　people；　which　occupies　a　territory　as　extensive　as　one…half　of　Europe。　　The　distance　from　the　State　of　Maine　to　that　of　Georgia　is　reckoned　at　about　one　thousand　miles；　but　the　difference　between　the　civilization　of　Maine　and　that　of　Georgia　is　slighter　than　the　difference　between　the　habits　of　Normandy　and　those　of　Brittany。　　Maine　and　Georgia；　which　are　placed　at　the　opposite　extremities　of　a　great　empire；　are　consequently　in　the　natural　possession　of　more　real　inducements　to　form　a　confederation　than　Normandy　and　Brittany；　which　are　only　separated　by　a　bridge。

The　geographical　position　of　the　country　contributed　to　increase　the　facilities　which　the　American　legislators　derived　from　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　inhabitants；　and　it　is　to　this　circumstance　that　the　adoption　and　the　maintenance　of　the　Federal　system　are　mainly　attributable。

The　most　important　occurrence　which　can　mark　the　annals　of　a　people　is　the　breaking　out　of　a　war。　　In　war　a　people　struggles　with　the　energy　of　a　single　man　against　foreign　nations　in　the　defence　of　its　very　existence。　　The　skill　of　a　government；　the　good　sense　of　the　community；　and　the　natural　fondness　which　men　entertain　for　their　country；　may　suffice　to　maintain　peace　in　the　interior　of　a　district；　and　to　favor　its　internal　prosperity；　but　a　nation　can　only　carry　on　a　great　war　at　the　cost　of　more　numerous　and　more　painful　sacrifices；　and　to　suppose　that　a　great　number　of　men　will　of　their　own　accord　comply　with　these　exigencies　of　the　State　is　to　betray　an　ignorance　of　mankind。　　All　the　peoples　which　have　been　obliged　to　sustain　a　long　and　serious　warfare　have　consequently　been　led　to　augment　the　power　of　their　government。　　Those　which　have　not　succeeded　in　this　attempt　have　been　subjugated。　　A　long　war　almost　always　places　nations　in　the　wretched　alternative　of　being　abandoned　to　ruin　by　defeat　or　to　despotism　by　success。　War　therefore　renders　the　symptoms　of　the　weakness　of　a　government　most　palpable　and　most　alarming；　and　I　have　shown　that　the　inherent　defeat　of　federal　governments　is　that　of　being　weak。

The　Federal　system　is　not　only　deficient　in　every　kind　of　centralized　administration；　but　the　central　government　itself　is　imperfectly　organized；　which　is　invariably　an　influential　cause　of　inferiority　when　the　nation　is　opposed　to　other　countries　which　are　themselves　governed　by　a　single　authority。　　In　the　Federal　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　by　which　the　central　government　possesses　more　real　force；　this　evil　is　still　extremely　sensible。　　An　example　will　illustrate　the　case　to　the　reader。

The　Constitution　confers　upon　Congress　the　right　of　calling　forth　militia　to　execute　the　laws　of　the　Union；　suppress　insurrections；　and　repel　invasions；　and　another　article　declares　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　is　the　commander…in…chief　of　the　militia。　　In　the　war　of　1812　the　President　ordered　the　militia　of　the　Northern　States　to　march　to　the　frontiers；　but　Connecticut　and　Massachusetts；　whose　interests　were　impaired　by　the　war；　refused　to　obey　the　command。　　They　argued　that　the　Constitution　authorizes　the　Federal　Government　to　call　forth　the　militia　in　case　of　insurrection　or　invasion；　but　that　in　the　present　instance　there　was　neither　invasion　nor　insurrection。　They　added；　that　the　same　Constitution　which　conferred　upon　the　Union　the　right　of　calling　forth　the　militia　reserved　to　the　States　that　of　naming　the　officers；　and　that　consequently　（as　they　understood　the　clause）　no　officer　of　the　Union　had　any　right　to　command　the　militia；　even　during　war；　except　the　President　in　person；　and　in　this　case　they　were　ordered　to　join　an　army　commanded　by　another　individual。　　These　absurd　and　pernicious　doctrines　received　the　sanction　not　only　of　the　governors　and　the　legislative　bodies；　but　also　of　the　courts　of　justice　in　both　States；　and　the　Federal　Government　was　constrained　to　raise　elsewhere　the　troops　which　it　required。　*v

＇Footnote　v：　Kent's　〃Commentaries；〃　vol。　i。　p。　244。　　I　have　selected　an　example　which　relates　to　a　time　posterior　to　the　promulgation　of　the　present　Constitution。　　If　I　had　gone　back　to　the　days　of　the　Confederation；　I　might　have　given　still　more　striking　instances。　　The　whole　nation　was　at　that　time　in　a　state　of　enthusiastic　excitement；　the　Revolution　was　represented　by　a　man　who　was　the　idol　of　the　people；　but　at　that　very　period　Congress　had；　to　say　the　truth；　no　resources　at　all　at　its　disposal。　　Troops　and　supplies　were　perpetually　wanting。　　The　best…devised　projects　failed　in　the　execution；　and　the　Union；　which　was　constantly　on　the　verge　of　destruction；　was　saved　by　the　weakness　of　its　enemies　far　more　than　by　its　own　strength。　　＇All　doubt　as　to　the　powers　of　the　Federal　Executive　was；　however；　removed　by　its　efforts　in　the　Civil　War；　and　those　powers　were　largely　extended。＇＇

The　only　safeguard　which　the　American　Union；　with　all　the　relative　perfection　of　its　laws；　possesses　against　the　dissolution　which　would　be　produced　by　a　great　war；　lies　in　its　probable　exemption　from　that　calamity。　Placed　in　the　centre　of　an　immense　continent；　which　offers　a　boundless　field　for　human　industry；　the　Union　is　almost　as　much　insulated　from　the　world　as　if　its　frontiers　were　girt　by　the　ocean。　　Canada　contains　only　a　million　of　inhabitants；　and　its　population　is　divided　into　two　inimical　nations。　　The　rigor　of　the　climate　limits　the　extension　of　its　territory；　and　shuts　up　its　ports　during　the　six　months　of　winter。　　From　Canada　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　a　few　savage　tribes　are　to　be　met　with；　which　retire；　perishing　in　their　retreat；　before　six　thousand　soldiers。　　To　the　South；　the　Union　has　a　point　of　contact　with　the　empire　of　Mexico；　and　it　is　thence　that　serious　hostilities　may　one　day　be　expected　to　arise。　　But　for　a　long　while　to　come　the