第97章

Ireceived，mydearfriend，yourlettercoveringtheconstitutionforyourEquinoctialrepublsettingoutforthisplace。

Ibroughtitwithme，andhavereaditwithgreatsatisfaction。I

supposeitwellformedforthoseforwhomitwasintended，andtheexcellenceofeverygovernmentisitsadaptationtothestateofthosetobegovernedbyit。Forusitwouldnotdo。Distinguishingbetweenthestructureofthegovernmentandthemoralprinciplesonwhichyouprescribeitsadministration，withthelatterweconcurcordially，withtheformerweshouldnot。WeoftheUnitedStates，youknow，areconstitutionallyandconscientiouslydemocrats。Weconsidersocietyasoneofthenaturalwantswithwhichmanhasbeencreated；thathehasbeenendowedwithfacultiesandqualitiestoeffectitssatisfactionbyconcurrenceofothershavingthesamewant；thatwhen，bytheexerciseofthesefaculties，hehasprocuredastateofsociety，itisoneofhisacquisitionswhichhehasarighttoregulateandcontrol，jointlyindeedwithallthosewhohaveconcurredintheprocurement，whomhecannotexcludefromitsuseordirectionmorethantheyhim。Wethinkexperiencehasproveditsafer，forthemassofindividualscomposingthesociety，toreservetothemselvespersonallytheexerciseofallrightfulpowerstowhichtheyarecompetent，andtodelegatethosetowhichtheyarenotcompetenttodeputiesnamed，andremovableforunfaithfulconduct，bythemselvesimmediately。Hence，withus，thepeople(bywhichismeantthemassofindividualscomposingthesociety)beingcompetenttojudgeofthefactsoccurringinordinarylife，theyhaveretainedthefunctionsofjudgesoffacts，underthenameofjurors；butbeingunqualifiedforthemanagementofaffairsrequiringintelligenceabovethecommonlevel，yetcompetentjudgesofhumancharacter，theychose，fortheirmanagement，representatives，somebythemselvesimmediately，othersbyelectorschosenbythemselves。ThusourPresidentischosenbyourselves，directlyin_practice_，forwevoteforAaselectoronlyontheconditionhewillvoteforB，ourrepresentativesbyourselvesimmediately，ourSenateandjudgesoflawthroughelectorschosenbyourselves。Andwebelievethatthisproximatechoiceandpowerofremovalisthebestsecuritywhichexperiencehassanctionedforensuringanhonestconductinthefunctionariesofsociety。Yourthreeorfouralembicationshaveindeedaseducingappearance。Weshouldconceive_primafacie_，thatthelastextractwouldbethepurealcoholofthesubstance，threeorfourtimesrectified。Butinproportionastheyaremoreandmoresublimated，theyarealsofartherandfartherremovedfromthecontrolofthesociety；andthehumancharacter，webelieve，requiresingeneralconstantandimmediatecontrol，topreventitsbeingbiasedfromrightbytheseductionsofself-love。Yourprocessproducesthereforeastructureofgovernmentfromwhichthefundamentalprincipleofoursisexcluded。Youfirstsetdownaszerosallindividualsnothavinglands，whicharethegreaternumberineverysocietyoflongstanding。Thoseholdinglandsarepermittedtomanageinpersonthesmallaffairsoftheircommuneorcorporation，andtoelectadeputyforthecanton；inwhichelection，too，everyone’svoteistobeanunit，aplurality，orafraction，inproportiontohislandedpossessions。Theassembliesofcantons，then，electforthedistricts；thoseofdistrictsforcircles；andthoseofcirclesforthenationalassemblies。Someofthesehighestcouncils，too，areinaconsiderabledegreeself-elected，theregencypartially，thejudiciaryentirely，andsomeareforlife。Whenever，therefore，an_espritdecorps_，orofparty，getspossessionofthem，whichexperienceshowstobeinevitable，therearenomeansofbreakingitup，fortheywillneverelectbutthoseoftheirownspirit。Juriesareallowedincriminalcasesonly。Iacknowledgemyselfstronginaffectiontoourownform，yetbothofusactandthinkfromthesamemotive，webothconsiderthepeopleasourchildren，andlovethemwithparentalaffection。Butyoulovethemasinfantswhomyouareafraidtotrustwithoutnurses；andIasadultswhomIfreelyleavetoself-government。Andyouarerightinthecasereferredtoyou；mycriticismbeingbuiltonastateofsocietynotunderyourcontemplation。Itis，infact，likeacriticonHomerbythelawsoftheDrama。

Butwhenwecometothemoralprinciplesonwhichthegovernmentistobeadministered，wecometowhatisproperforallconditionsofsociety。Imeetyouthereinallthebenevolenceandrectitudeofyournativecharacter；andIlovemyselfalwaysmostwhereIconcurmostwithyou。Liberty，truth，probity，honor，aredeclaredtobethefourcardinalprinciplesofyoursociety。I

believewithyouthatmorality，compassion，generosity，areinnateelementsofthehumanconstitution；thatthereexistsarightindependentofforce；thatarighttopropertyisfoundedinournaturalwants，inthemeanswithwhichweareendowedtosatisfythesewants，andtherighttowhatweacquirebythosemeanswithoutviolatingthesimilarrightsofothersensiblebeings；thatnoonehasarighttoobstructanother，exercisinghisfacultiesinnocentlyforthereliefofsensibilitiesmadeapartofhisnature；thatjusticeisthefundamentallawofsociety；thatthemajority，oppressinganindividual，isguiltyofacrime，abusesitsstrength，andbyactingonthelawofthestrongestbreaksupthefoundationsofsociety；thatactionbythecitizensinperson，inaffairswithintheirreachandcompetence，andinallothersbyrepresentatives，chosenimmediately，andremovablebythemselves，constitutestheessenceofarepublic；thatallgovernmentsaremoreorlessrepublicaninproportionasthisprincipleentersmoreorlessintotheircomposition；andthatagovernmentbyrepresentatio