第96章

Myletterofthe24thult。conveyedtoyouthegroundsofthetwoarticlesobjectedtotheCollegebill。Yourlastpresentsoneoftheminanewpointofview，thatofthecommencementofthewardschoolsaslikelytorenderthelawunpopulartothecountry。Itmustbeaveryinconsiderateandroughprocessofexecutionthatwoulddothis。Myideaofthemodeofcarryingitintoexecutionwouldbethis：Declarethecounty_ipsofacto_dividedintowardsforthepresent，bytheboundariesofthemilitiacaptaincies；somebodyattendtheordinarymusterofeachcompany，havingfirstdesiredthecaptaintocalltogetherafullone。Thereexplaintheobjectofthelawtothepeopleofthecompany，puttotheirvotewhethertheywillhaveaschoolestablished，andthemostcentralandconvenientplaceforit；getthemtomeetandbuildalogschool-house；havearolltakenofthechildrenwhowouldattendit，andofthoseofthemabletopay。Thesewouldprobablybesufficienttosupportacommonteacher，instructinggratisthefewunabletopay。Ifthereshouldbeadeficiency，itwouldrequiretootriflingacontributionfromthecountytobecomplainedof；andespeciallyasthewholecountywouldparticipate，wherenecessary，inthesameresource。Shouldthecompany，byitsvote，decidethatitwouldhavenoschool，letthemremainwithoutone。Theadvantagesofthisproceedingwouldbethatitwouldbecomethedutyofthealdermanelectedbythecounty，totakeanactivepartinpressingtheintroductionofschools，andtolookoutfortutors。If，however，itisintendedthattheStategovernmentshalltakethisbusinessintoitsownhands，andprovideschoolsforeverycounty，thenbyallmeansstrikeoutthisprovisionofourbill。IwouldneverwishthatitshouldbeplacedonaworsefootingthantherestoftheState。Butifitisbelievedthattheseelementaryschoolswillbebettermanagedbythegovernorandcouncil，thecommissionersoftheliteraryfund，oranyothergeneralauthorityofthegovernment，thanbytheparentswithineachward，itisabeliefagainstallexperience。Trytheprincipleonestepfurther，andamendthebillsoastocommittothegovernorandcouncilthemanagementofallourfarms，ourmills，andmerchants’

stores。No，myfriend，thewaytohavegoodandsafegovernment，isnottotrustitalltoone，buttodivideitamongthemany，distributingtoeveryoneexactlythefunctionsheiscompetentto。

Letthenationalgovernmentbeentrustedwiththedefenceofthenation，anditsforeignandfederalrelations；theStategovernmentswiththecivilrights，laws，police，andadministrationofwhatconcernstheStategenerally；thecountieswiththelocalconcernsofthecounties，andeachwarddirecttheinterestswithinitself。Itisbydividingandsubdividingtheserepublicsfromthegreatnationalonedownthroughallitssubordinations，untilitendsintheadministrationofeveryman’sfarmbyhimself；byplacingundereveryonewhathisowneyemaysuperintend，thatallwillbedoneforthebest。Whathasdestroyedlibertyandtherightsofmanineverygovernmentwhichhaseverexistedunderthesun?Thegeneralizingandconcentratingallcaresandpowersintoonebody，nomatterwhetheroftheautocratsofRussiaorFrance，orofthearistocratsofaVenetiansenate。AndIdobelievethatiftheAlmightyhasnotdecreedthatmanshallneverbefree，(anditisablasphemytobelieveit，)thatthesecretwillbefoundtobeinthemakinghimselfthedepositoryofthepowersrespectinghimself，sofarasheiscompetenttothem，anddelegatingonlywhatisbeyondhiscompetencebyasyntheticalprocess，tohigherandhigherordersoffunctionaries，soastotrustfewerandfewerpowersinproportionasthetrusteesbecomemoreandmoreoligarchical。Theelementaryrepublicsofthewards，thecountyrepublics，theStatesrepublics，andtherepublicoftheUnion，wouldformagradationofauthorities，standingeachonthebasisoflaw，holdingeveryoneitsdelegatedshareofpowers，andconstitutingtrulyasystemoffundamentalbalancesandchecksforthegovernment。Whereeverymanisasharerinthedirectionofhisward-republic，orofsomeofthehigherones，andfeelsthatheisaparticipatorinthegovernmentofaffairs，notmerelyatanelectiononedayintheyear，buteveryday；whenthereshallnotbeamanintheStatewhowillnotbeamembe