the american republic-第50部分

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ect　in　　which　they　take　a　passionate　interest。　　The　worst　of　all　policies　　is　that　of　hanging；　exiling；　or　disfranchising　the　wealthy　　landholders　of　the　South；　in　order　to　bring　up　the　poor　and　　depressed　whites；　shadowed　forth　in　the　Executive　proclamation　of　　the　29th　of　May；　1865。　　Of　course　that　policy　will　not　be　carried　　out；　and　if　the　negroes　are　enfranchised；　they　will　always　vote　　with　the　wealthy　landholding　class；　and　aid　them　in　resisting　all　　socialistic　tendencies。　　The　humanitarians　will　fail　for　the　want　　of　a　good　social　grievance　against　which　they　can　declaim。

In　the　New　England　States　the　humanitarian　tendency　is　strong　as　　a　speculation；　but　only　in　relation　to　objects　at　a　distance。　　It　　is　aided　much　by　the　congregational　constitution　of　their　　religion；　yet　it　is　weak　at　home；　and　is　resisted　practically　by　　the　territorial　division　of　power。　　New　England　means　　Massachusetts；　and　nowhere　is　the　subdivision　of　the　powers　of　　government　carried　further；　or　the　constitution　of　the　　territorial　democracy　more　complete；　than　in　that　State。　　　Philanthropy　sel…　377　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　dom　works　in　private　against　private　vices　and　　evils：　it　is　effective　only　against　public　grievances；　and　the　　farther　they　are　from　home　and　the　less　its　right　to　interfere　　with　them；　the　more　in　earnest　and　the　more　effective　for　evil　　does　it　become。　　Its　nature　is　to　mind　every　one's　business　but　　its　own。　　But　now　that　slavery　is　abolished；　there　is　nowhere　in　　the　United　States　a　social　grievance　of　magnitude　enough　to　　enlist　any　considerable　number　of　the　people；　even　of　　Massachusetts；　in　a　movement　to　redress　it。　　Negro　　enfranchisement　is　a　question　of　which　the　humanitarians　can　make　　something　and　they　will　make　the　most　of　it；　but　as　it　is　a　　question　that　each　State　will　soon　settle　for　itself；　it　will　not　　serve　their　purpose　of　prolonged　agitation。　　They　could　not　and　　never　did　carry　away　the　nation；　even　on　the　question　of　slavery　　itself；　and　abolitionism　had　comparatively　little　direct　　influence　in　abolishing　slavery；　and　the　exclusion　of　negro　　suffrage　can　never　be　made　to　appear　to　the　American　people　as　　any　thing　like　so　great　a　grievance　as　was　slavery。

Besides；　in　all　the　States　that　did　not　secede；　Catholics　are　a　　numerous　and　an　important　portion　of　the　population。　　Their　　increasing　numbers；　wealth；　and　education　secure　them；　as　much　378　as　the　majority　may　dislike　their　religion；　a　constantly　　increasing　influence；　and　it　is　idle　to　leave　them　out　in　　counting　the　future　of　the　country。　　They　will；　in　a　very　few　　years；　be　the　best　and　most　thoroughly　educated　class　of　the　　American　people；　and；　aside　from　their　religion；　or；　rather；　in　　consequence　of　their　religion；　the　most　learned；　enlightened；　and　　intelligent　portion　of　the　American　population；　and　as　much　as　　they　have　disliked　the　abolitionists；　they　have；　in　the　army　and　　elsewhere；　contributed　their　full　share　to　the　victory　the　nation　　has　won。　　The　best　things　written　on　the　controversy　have　been　　written　by　Catholics；　and　Catholics　are　better　fitted　by　their　　religion　to　comprehend　the　real　character　of　the　American　　constitution　than　any　other　class　of　Americans；　the　moment　they　　study　it　in　the　light　of　their　own　theology。　　The　American　　constitution　is　based　on　that　of　natural　society；　on　the　　solidarity　of　the　race；　and　the　difference　between　natural　　society　and　the　church　or　Christian　society　is；　that　the　one　is　　initial　and　the　other　teleological。　　The　law　of　both　is　the　same；　　Catholics；　as　such；　must　resist　both　extremes；　because　each　is　　exclusive；　and　whatever　is　exclusive　or　one…sided　is　uncatholic。　　　If　they　have　been　backward　in　their　sympathy　with　379　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　government；　　it　has　been　through　their　dislike　of　the　puritanic　spirit　and　the　　humanitarian　or　socialistic　elements　they　detected　in　the　　Republican　party；　joined　with　a　prejudice　against　political　and　　social　negro　equality。　　But　their　church　everywhere　opposes　the　　socialistic　movements　of　the　age；　all　movements　in　behalf　of　　barbarism；　and　they　may　always　be　counted　on　to　resist　the　　advance　of　the　socialistic　democracy。　　If　the　country　has　had　　reason　to　complain　of　some　of　them　in　the　late　war；　it　will　have；　　in　the　future；　far　stronger　reason　to　be　grateful；　not　to　them；　　indeed；　for　the　citizen　owes　his　life　to　his　country；　but　to　　their　religion；　which　has　been　and　is　the　grand　protectress　of　　modern　society　and　civilization。

》From　the　origin　of　the　government　there　has　been　a　tendency　to　　the　extension　of　suffrage；　and　to　exclude　both　birth　and　private　　property　as　bases　of　political　rights　or　franchises。　　This　　tendency　has　often　been　justified　on　the　ground　that　the　elective　　franchise　is　a　natural　right；　which　is　not　true；　because　the　　elective　franchise　is　political　power；　and　political　power　is　　always　a　civil　trust；　never　a　natural　right；　and　the　state　judges　　for　itself　to　whom　it　will　or　will　not　confide　the　trust；　but　　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　it　is　a　normal　tendency；　and　in　strict　380　accordance　with　the　constitution　of　American　civil　society；　which　　rests　on　the　unity　of　the　race；　and　public　instead　of　private　　property。　　All　political　distinctions　founded　on　birth；　race；　or　　private　wealth　are　anomalies　in　the　American　system；　and　are　　necessarily　eliminated　by　its　normal　developments。　　To　contend　　that　none　but　property…holders　may　vote；　or　none　but　persons　of　a　　particular　race　may　be　enfranchised；　is　unamerican　and　contrary；　　to　the　order　of　civilization　the　New　World　is　developing。　　The　　only　qualification　for　the　elective　franchise　the　American　system　　can　logically　insist　on　is　that　the　elector　belong　to　the　　territorial　peoplethat　is；　be　a　natural…born　or　a　naturalized　　citizen；　be　a　major　in　full　possession　of　his　natural　faculties；　　and　unconvicted　of　any　infamous　offence。　　The　State　is　free　to　　naturalize　foreigners　or　not；　and　under　such　restrictions　as　it　　judges　proper；　but；　having　naturalized　them；　it　must　treat　them　　as　standing　on　the　same　footing　with　natural…born　citizens。

The　naturalization　question　is　one　of　great　national　importance。　　　The　migration　of　foreigners　hither　has　added　largely　to　the　　national　population；　and　to　the　national　wealth　and　resources；　　but　less；　perhaps；　to　the　development　of　patriotism；　the　purity　　of　elections；　or　the　381　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　wisdom　and　integrity　of　the　government。　　It　　is　impossible　that　there　should　be　perfect　harmony　between　the　　national　territorial　democracy　and　individuals　born；　brought　up；　　and　formed　under　a　political　order　in　many　respects　widely　　different　from　it；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　democracy；　in　　its　objectionable　sense；　has　been　greatly　strengthened　by　the　　large　infusion　of　naturalized　citizens。　　There　can　be　no　question　　that；　if　the　laboring　classes；　in　whom　the　national　sentiment　is　　usually　the　strongest；　had　been　composed　almost　wholly　of　native　　Americans；　instead　of　being；　as　they　were；　at　least　in　the　　cities；　large　towns；　and　villages；　composed　almost　exclusively　of　　persons　foreign　born；　the　Government　would　have　found　far　less　　difficulty　in　filling　up　the　depleted　ranks　of　its　armies。　　But　　to　leave　so　large　a　portion　of　the　actual　population　as　the　　foreign　born　residing　in　the　country　without　the　rights　of　　citizens；　would　have　been　a　far　graver　evil；　and　would；　in　the　　late　struggle；　have　given　the　victory　to　secession。　　There　are　　great　national　advantages　derived　from　the　migration　hither　of　　foreign　labor；　and　if　the　migration　be　encouraged　or　permitted；　　naturalization　on　easy　and　liberal　terms　is　the　wisest；　the　best；　　and　only　safe　policy。　　The　children　of　foreign…born　parents　are　　real　Americans。

382　Emigration　has；　also；　a　singular　effect　in　developing　the　latent　　powers　of　the　emigrant；　and　the　children　of　emigrants　are　usually　　more　active；　more　energetic　than　the　children　of　the　older　　inhabitants　of　the　country　among　whom　they　settle。　　Some　of　our　　first　men　in　civil　life　have　been　sons　of　foreign…born　parents；　　and　so　are　not　a　few　of　our　greatest　and　most　successful　　generals。　　The　most　successful　of　our　merchants　have　been　　foreign…born。　　The　same　thing　has　been　noticed　elsewhere；　　especially　in　the　emigration　of　the　French　Huguenots　to　Holland；　　Germany；　England；　and　Ireland。　　The　immigration　of　so　many　　millions　from　the　Old　World　has；　no　doubt；　given　to　the　American　　people　much　of　their　bold；　energetic；　and　adventurous　character；　　and　made　them　a　superior　people　on　the　whole　to　what　they　would　　otherwise　have　been。　　This　has　nothing　to　do　with　superiority　or　　inferiority　of　race　or　blood；　but　is　a　natural　effect　of　breaking　　men　away　from　routine；　and　throwing　them　back　on　their　own　　individual　energies　and　personal　resources。

Resistance　is　offered　to　negro　suffrage；　and　justly　too；　till　the　　recently　emancipated　slaves　have　served　an　apprenticeship　to　　freedom；　but　that　resistance　cannot　long　stand　before　the　onward　　progress　of　American　democracy；　which　383　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　asserts　equal　rights　for　　all；　and　not　for　a　race　or　class　only。　　Some　would　confine　　suffrage　to　landholders；　or；　at　least；　to　property…holders；　but　　that　is　inconsistent　with　the　American　idea；　and　is　a　relic　of　　the　barbaric　constitution　which　founds　power　on　private　instead　　of　public　wealth。　　Nor　are　property…owners　a　whit　more　likely　to　　vote　for　the　public　good　than　are　those　who　own　no　property　but　　their　own　labor。　　The　men　of　wealth；　the　business　men；　　manufacturers　and　merchants；　bankers　and　brokers；　are　the　men　who　　exert　the　worst　influence　on　government　in　every　country；　for　　they　always　strive　to　use　it　as　an　instrument　of　advancing　their　　own　private　interests。　　They　act　on　the　beautiful　maxim；　〃Let　　government　take　care　of　the　rich；　and　the　rich　will　take　care　of　　the　poor；〃　instead　of　the　far　safer　maxim；　〃Let　government　take　　care　of　the　weak；　the　strong　can　take　care　of　themselves。〃　　Universal　suffrage　is　better　than　restricted　suffrage；　but　even　　universal　suffrage　is　too　weak　to　prevent　private　property　from　　having　an　undue　political　influence。

The　evils　attributed　to　universal　suffrage　are　not　inseparable　　from　it；　and；　after　all；　it　is　doubtful　if　it　e