the american republic-第30部分

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ereign　States　united；　but；　　disunited；　are　no　States　at　all。　　The　rights　and　powers　of　the　　States　are　not　derived　from　the　United　States；　nor　the　rights　and　　powers　of　the　United　States　derived　from　the　States。

The　simple　fact　is；　that　the　political　or　sovereign　people　of　the　　United　States　exists　as　united　States；　and　only　as　united　States。　　　The　Union　and　the　States　are　coeval；　born　together；　and　can　exist　　only　together。　　Separation　is　dissolutionthe　death　of　both。　　　The　United　States　are　a　state；　a　single　sovereign　state；　but　this　　single　sovereign　state　consists　in　the　union　and　solidarity　of　　States　instead　of　individuals。　　The　220　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Union　is　in　each　of　the　　States；　and　each　of　the　States　is　in　the　Union。

It　is　necessary　to　distinguish　in　the　outset　between　the　United　　States　and　the　government　of　the　United　States；　or　the　so…called　　Federal　government；　which　the　convention　refused；　contrary　to　its　　first　intention　to　call　the　national　government。　　That　government　　is　not　a　supreme　national　government；　representing　all　the　powers　　of　the　United　States；　but　a　limited　government；　restricted　by　its　　constitution　to　certain　specific　relations　and　interests。　　The　　United　States　are　anterior　to　that　government；　and　the　first　　question　to　be　settled　relates　to　their　internal　and　inherent　　Providential　constitution　as　one　political　people　or　sovereign　　state。　　The　written　constitution；　in　its　preamble；　professes　to　　be　ordained　by　〃We；　the　people　of　the　United　States。〃　　Who　are　　this　people？　　How　are　they　constituted；　or　what　the　mode　and　　conditions　of　their　political　existence？　　Are　they　the　people　of　　the　States　severally？　　No；　for　they　call　themselves　the　people　of　　the　United　States。　　Are　they　a　national　people；　really　existing　　outside　and　independently　of　their　organization　into　distinct　and　　mutually　independent　States？　　No；　for　they　define　themselves　to　　be　the　people　of　the　United　States。　　If　they　had　considered　221　themselves　existing　as　States　only；　they　would　have　said　〃We；　the　　States；〃　and　if　independently　of　State　organization；　they　would　　have　said　〃We；　the　people；〃　do　ordain；　&c。

The　key　to　the　mystery　is　precisely　in　this　appellation　United　　States；　which　is　not　the　name　of　the　country；　for　its　distinctive　　name　is　America；　but　a　name　expressive　of　its　political　　organization。　　In　it　there　are　no　sovereign　people　without　　States；　and　no　States　without　union；　or　that　are　not　united　　States。　　The　term　united　is　not　part　of　a　proper　name；　but　is　　simply　an　adjective　qualifying　States；　and　has　its　full　and　　proper　sense。　　Hence　while　the　sovereignty　is　and　must　be　in　the　　States；　it　is　in　the　States　united；　not　in　the　States　severally；　　precisely　as　we　have　found　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　in　　the　people　collectively　or　as　society；　not　in　the　people　　individually。　　The　life　is　in　the　body；　not　in　the　members；　　though　the　body　could　not　exist　if　it　had　no　members；　so　the　　sovereignty　is　in　the　Union；　not　in　the　States　severally；　but　　there　could　be　no　sovereign　union　without　the　States；　for　there　　is　no　union　where　there　is　nothing　united。

This　is　not　a　theory　of　the　constitution；　but　the　constitutional　　fact　itself。　　It　is　the　simple　historical　fact　that　precedes　the　　law　and　con…　222　　　　　　　　　　　　stitutes　the　law…making　power。　　The　people　of　the　　United　States　are　one　people；　as　has　already　been　proved：　they　　were　one　people；　as　far　as　a　people　at　all；　prior　to　　independence；　because　under　the　same　Common　Law　and　subject　to　　the　same　sovereign；　and　have　been　so　since；　for　as　united　States　　they　gained　their　independence　and　took　their　place　among　　sovereign　nations；　and　as　united　States　they　have　possessed　and　　still　possess　the　government。　　As　their　existence　before　　independence　in　distinct　colonies　did　not　prevent　their　unity；　　so　their　existence　since　in　distinct　States　does　not　hinder　them　　from　being　one　people。　　The　States　severally　simply　continue　the　　colonial　organizations；　and　united　they　hold　the　sovereignty　that　　was　originally　in　the　mother　country。　　But　if　one　people；　they　　are　one　people　existing　in　distinct　State　organizations；　as　　before　independence　they　were　one　people　existing　in　distinct　　colonial　organizations。　　This　is　the　original；　the　unwritten；　and　　Providential　constitution　of　the　people　of　the　United　States。

This　constitution　is　not　conventional；　for　it　existed　before　the　　people　met　or　could　meet　in　convention。　　They　have　not；　as　an　　independent　sovereign　people；　either　established　their　union；　or　　distributed　themselves　into　distinct　and　mu…　223　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　tually　independent　　States。　　The　union　and　the　distribution；　the　unity　and　the　　distinction；　are　both　original　in　their　constitution；　and　they　　were　born　United　States；　as　much　and　as　truly　so　as　the　son　of　a　　citizen　is　born　a　citizen；　or　as　every　one　born　at　all　is　born　a　　member　of　society；　the　family；　the　tribe；　or　the　nation。　　The　　Union　and　the　States　were　born　together；　are　inseparable　in　their　　constitution；　have　lived　and　grown　up　together；　no　serious　　attempt　till　the　late　secession　movement　has　been　made　to　　separate　them；　and　the　secession　movement；　to　all　persons　who　　knew　not　the　real　constitution　of　the　United　States；　appeared　　sure　to　succeed；　and　in　fact　would　have　succeeded　if；　as　the　　secessionists　pretended；　the　Union　had　been　only　a　confederacy；　　and　the　States　had　been　held　together　only　by　a　conventional　　compact；　and　not　by　a　real　and　living　bond　of　unity。　　The　popular　　instinct　of　national　unity；　which　seemed　so　weak；　proved　to　be　　strong　enough　to　defeat　the　secession　forces；　to　trample　out　the　　confederacy；　and　maintain　the　unity　of　the　nation　and　the　　integrity　of　its　domain。

The　people　can　act　only　as　they　exist；　as　they　are；　not　as　they　　are　not。　　Existing　originally　only　as　distributed　in　distinct　and　　mutually　independent　colonies；　they　could　at　first　act　only　224　through　their　colonial　organizations；　and　afterward　only　through　　their　State　organizations。　　The　colonial　people　met　in　　convention；　in　the　person　of　representatives　chosen　by　colonies；　　and　after　independence　in　the　person　of　representatives　chosen　by　　States。　　Not　existing　outside　of　the　colonial　or　State　　organizations；　they　could　not　act　outside　or　independently　of　　them。　　They　chose　their　representatives　or　delegates　by　colonies　　or　States；　and　called　at　first　their　convention　a　Congress；　but　　by　an　instinct　surer　than　their　deliberate　wisdom；　they　called　it　　not　the　Congress　of　the　confederate；　but　of　the　United　States；　　asserting　constitutional　unity　as　well　as　constitutional　　multiplicity。　　It　is　true；　in　their　first　attempt　to　organize　a　　general　government；　they　called　the　constitution　they　devised　　Articles　of　Confederation；　but　only　because　they　had　not　attained　　to　full　consciousness　of　themselves；　and　that　they　really　meant　　union；　not　confederation；　is　evident　from　their　adopting；　as　the　　official　style　of　the　nation　or　new　power；　united；　not　　confederate　States。

That　the　sovereignty　vested　in　the　States　united；　and　was　　represented　in　some　sort　by　the　Congress；　is　evident　from　the　　fact　that　the　several　States；　when　they　wished　to　adopt　State　　constitutions　in　place　of　colonial　charters；　felt　not　225　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　at　liberty　　to　do　so　without　asking　and　obtaining　the　permission　of　Congress；　　as　the　elder　Adams　informs　us　in　his　Diary；　kept　at　the　time；　　that　is；　they　asked　and　obtained　the　equivalent　of　what　has　　since；　in　the　case　of　organizing　new　States；　been　called　an　　〃enabling　act。〃　　This　proves　that　the　States　did　not　regard　　themselves　as　sovereign　States　out　of　the　Union；　but　as　　completely　sovereign　only　in　it。　　And　this　again　proves　that　the　　Articles　of　Confederation　did　not　correspond　to　the　real；　living　　constitution　of　the　people。　　Even　then　it　was　felt　that　the　　organization　and　constitution　of　a　State　in　the　Union　could　be　　regularly　effected　only　by　the　permission　of　Congress；　and　no　　Territory　can；　it　is　well　known；　regularly　organize　itself　as　a　　State；　and　adopt　a　State　constitution；　without　an　enabling　act　by　　Congress；　or　its　equivalent。

New　States；　indeed；　have　been　organized　and　been　admitted　into　　the　Union　without　an　enabling　act　of　Congress；　but　the　case　of　　Kansas；　if　nothing　else；　proves　that　the　proceeding　is　irregular；　　illicit；　invalid；　and　dangerous。　　Congress；　of　course；　can　　condone　the　wrong　and　validate　the　act；　but　it　were　better　that　　the　act　should　be　validly　done；　and　that　there　should　be　no　wrong　　to　condone。　　Territories　have　organized　226　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　as　States；　adopted　State　　constitutions；　and　instituted　State　governments　under　what　has　　been　called　〃squatter　sovereignty；〃　but　such　sovereignty　has　no　　existence；　because　sovereignty　is　attached　to　the　domain；　and　the　　domain　is　in　the　United　States。　　It　is　the　offspring　of　that　　false　view　of　popular　sovereignty　which　places　it　in　the　people　　personally　or　generically；　irrespective　of　the　domain；　which　　makes　sovereignty　a　purely　personal　right；　not　a　right　fixed　to　　the　soil；　and　is　simply　a　return　to　the　barbaric　constitution　of　　power。　　In　all　civilized　nations；　sovereignty　is　inseparable　from　　the　state；　and　the　state　is　inseparable　from　the　domain。　　The　　will　of　the　people；　unless　they　are　a　state；　is　no　law；　has　no　　force；　binds　nobody；　and　justifies　no　act。

The　regular　process　of　forming　and　admitting　new　States　explains　　admirably　the　mutual　relation　of　the　Union　and　the　several　　States。　　The　people　of　a　Territory　belonging　to　the　United　States　　or　included　in　the　public　domain　not　yet　erected　into　a　State　and　　admitted　into　the　Union；　are　subjects　of　the　United　States；　　without　any　political　rights　whatever；　and；　though　a　part　of　the　　population；　are　no　part　of　the　sovereign　people　of　the　United　　States。　　They　become　a　part　of　that　people；　with　political　rights　227　and　franchises；　only　when　they　are　erected　into　a　State；　and　　admitted　into　the　Union　as　one　of　the　United　States。　　They　may　　meet　in　convention；　draw　up　and　adopt　a　constitution　declaring　or　　assuming　them　to　be　a　State；　elect　State　officers；　senators；　and　　representatives　in　the　State　legislature；　and　represen