the american republic-第52部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Of　all　the　states　or　colonies　on　this　continent；　the　American　　Republic　alone　has　a　destiny；　or　the　ability　to　add　any　thing　to　　the　civilization　of　the　race。　　Canada　and　the　other　British　　Provinces；　Mexico　and　Central　America；　Columbia　and　Brazil；　and　　the　rest　of　the　South　American　States；　might　be　absorbed　in　the　　United　States　without　being　missed　by　the　civilized　world。　　They　　represent　no　idea；　and　the　work　of　civilization　could　go　on　　without　them　as　well　as　with　them。　　If　they　keep　up　with　the　　progress　of　civilization；　it　is　all　that　can　be　expected　of　them。　　　France；　England；　Germany；　and　Italy　might　absorb　the　rest　of　　Europe；　and　393　　　　　　　　　　　　　all　Asia　and　Africa；　without　withdrawing　a　single　　laborer　from　the　work　of　advancing　the　civilization　of　the　race；　　and　it　is　doubtful　if　these　nations　themselves　can　severally　or　　jointly　advance　it　much　beyond　the　point　reached　by　the　Roman　　Empire；　except　in　abolishing　slavery　and　including　in　the　　political　people　the　whole　territorial　people。　　They　can　only　　develop　and　give　a　general　application　to　the　fundamental　　principles　of　the　Roman　constitution。　　That　indeed　is　much；　but　　it　adds　no　new　element　nor　new　combination　of　preexisting　　elements。　　But　nothing　of　this　can　be　said　of　the　United　States。

In　the　Graeco…Roman　civilization　is　found　the　state　proper；　and　　the　great　principle　of　the　territorial　constitution　of　power；　　instead　of　the　personal　or　the　genealogical；　the　patriarchal　or　　the　monarchical；　and　yet　with　true　civil　or　political　principles　　it　mixed　up　nearly　all　the　elements　of　the　barbaric　constitution。　　　The　gentile　system　of　Rome　recalls　the　patriarchal；　and　the　　relation　that　subsisted　between　the　patron　and　his　clients　has　a　　striking　resemblance　to　that　which　subsists　between　the　feudal　　lord　and　his　retainers；　and　may　have　had　the　same　origin。　　The　　three　tribes；　Ramnes；　Quirites；　and　Luceres；　into　which　the　Roman　394　people　were　divided　before　the　rise　of　the　plebs；　may　have　been；　　as　Niebuhr　contends；　local；　not　genealogical；　in　their　origin；　　but　they　were　not　strictly　territorial　distinctions；　and　the　　division　of　each　tribe　into　a　hundred　houses　or　gentes　was　not　　local；　but　personal；　if　not；　as　the　name　implies；　genealogical。　　　No　doubt　the　individuals　or　families　composing　the　house　or　gens　　were　not　all　of　kindred　blood；　for　the　Oriental　custom　of　　adoption；　so　frequent　with　our　North　American　Indians；　and　with　　all　people　distributed　into　tribes；　septs；　or　clans；　obtained　　with　the　Romans。　　The　adopted　member　was　considered　a　child　of　　the　house；　and　took　its　name　and　inherited　its　goods。　　Whether；　　as　Niebuhr　maintains；　all　the　free　gentiles　of　the　three　tribes　　were　called　patres　or　patricians　or　whether　the　term　was　　restricted　to　the　heads　of　houses；　it　is　certain　that　the　head　of　　the　house　represented　it　in　the　senate；　and　the　vote　in　the　　curies　was　by　houses；　not　by　individuals　en　masse。　　After　all；　　practically　the　Roman　senate　was　hardly　less　an　estate　than　the　　English　house　of　lords；　for　no　one　could　sit　in　it　unless　a　　landed　proprietor　and　of　noble　blood。　　The　plebs；　though　outside　　of　the　political　people　proper；　as　not　being　included　in　the　　three　tribes；　when　they　came　to　be　a　395　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　power　in　the　republic　under　　the　emperors；　and　the　old　distinction　of　plebs　and　patricians　was　　forgotten；　were　an　estate；　and　not　a　local　or　territorial　people。

The　republican　element　was　in　the　fact　that　the　land；　which　gave　　the　right　to　participate　in　political　power；　was　the　domain　of　　the　state；　and　the　tenant　held　it　from　the　state。　　The　domain　was　　vested　in　the　state；　not　in　the　senator　nor　the　prince；　and　was　　therefore　respublica；　not　private　propertythe　first　grand　leap　　of　the　human　race　from　barbarism。　　In　all　other　respects　the　　Roman　constitution　was　no　more　republican　than　the　feudal。　　　Athens　went　farther　than　Rome；　and　introduced　the　principle　of　　territorial　democracy。　　The　division　into　demes　or　wards；　whence　　comes　the　word　democracy；　was　a　real　territorial　division；　not　　personal　nor　genealogical。　　And　if　the　equality　of　all　men　was　　not　recognized；　all　who　were　included　in　the　political　class　　stood　on　the　same　footing。　　Athens　and　other　Greek　cities；　though　　conquered　by　Rome；　exerted　after　their　conquest　a　powerful　　influence　on　Roman　civilization；　which　became　far　more　democratic　　under　the　emperors　than　it　had　been　under　the　patrician　senate；　　which　the　assassins　of　Julius　Caesar；　and　the　superannuated　　conservative　party　they　396　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　represented；　tried　so　hard　to　preserve。　　　The　senate　and　the　consulship　were　opened　to　the　representatives　　of　the　great　plebeian　houses；　and　the　provincials　were　clothed　　with　the　rights　of　Roman　citizens；　and　uniform　laws　were　　established　throughout　the　empire。

The　grand　error；　as　has　already　been　said；　of　the　Graeco…Roman　or　　gentile　civilization；　was　in　its　denial　or　ignorance　of　the　unity　　of　the　human　race；　as　well　as　the　Unity　of　God；　and　in　its　　including　in　the　state　only　a　particular　class　of　the　territorial　　people；　while　it　held　all　the　rest　as　slaves；　though　in　different　　degrees　of　servitude。　　It　recognized　and　sustained　a　privileged　　class；　a　ruling　order；　and　if；　as　subsequently　did　the　Venetian　　aristocracy；　it　recognized　democratic　equality　within　that　order；　　it　held　all　outside　of　it　to　be　less　than　men　and　without　　political　rights。　　Practically；　power　was　an　attribute　of　birth　　and　of　private　wealth。　　Suffrage　was　almost　universal　among　　freemen；　but　down　almost　to　the　Empire；　the　people　voted　by　　orders；　and　were　counted；　not　numerically；　but　by　the　rank　of　the　　order；　and　the　comitia　curiata　could　always　carry　the　election　　over　the　comitia　centuriata；　and　thus　power　remained　always　in　　the　hands　of　the　rich　and　noble　few。

The　Roman　Law；　as　digested　by　jurists　under　397　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Justinian　in　the　　sixth　Century；　indeed；　recognizes　the　unity　of　the　race；　asserts　　the　equality　of　all　men　by　the　natural　law；　and　undertakes　to　　defend　slavery　on　principles　not　incompatible　with　that　equality。　　　It　represents　it　as　a　commutation　of　the　punishment　of　death；　　which　the　emperor　has　the　right　to　inflict　on　captives　taken　in　　war；　to　perpetual　servitude；　and　as　servitude　is　less　severe　than　　death；　slavery　was　really　a　proof　of　imperial　clemency。　　But　it　　has　never　yet　been　proved　that　the　emperor　has　the　right　under　　the　natural　law　to　put　captives　taken　even　in　a　just　war　to　　death；　and　the　Roman　poet　himself　bids　us　〃humble　the　proud；　but　　spare　the　submissive。〃　　In　a　just　war　the　emperor　may　kill　on　the　　battle…field　those　in　arms　against　him；　but　the　jus　gentium；　as　　now　interpreted　by　the　jurisprudence　of　every　civilized　nation；　　does　not　allow　him　to　put　them　to　death　after　they　have　ceased　　resistance；　have　thrown　down　their　arms；　and　surrendered。　　But　　even　if　it　did；　it　gives　him　a　right　only　over　the　persons　　captured；　not　over　their　innocent　children；　and　therefore　no　　right　to　establish　hereditary　slavery；　for　the　child　is　not　　punishable　for　the　offences　of　the　parent。　　The　law；　indeed；　　assumed　that　the　captive　ceased　to　exist　as　a　person　and　treated　　him　as　a　thing；　or　mere　property　398　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　of　the　conqueror；　and　being　　property；　he　could　beget　only　property；　which　would　accrue　only　　to　his　owner。　　But　there　is　no　power　in　heaven　or　earth　that　can　　make　a　person　a　thing；　a　mere　piece　of　merchandise；　and　it　is　　only　by　a　clumsy　fiction；　or　rather　by　a　bare…faced　lie；　that　the　　law　denies　the　slave　his　personality　and　treats　him　as　a　thing。　　　I　the　unity　of　all　men　had　been　clearly　seen　and　vividly　felt；　　the　law　would　never　have　attempted　to　justify　perpetual　slavery　　on　the　ground　of　its　penal　character；　or　indeed　on　any　ground　　whatever。　　All　men　are　born　under　the　law　of　nature　with　equal　　rights；　and　the　civil　law　can　justly　deprive　no　man　of　his　　liberty；　but　for　a　crime；　committed　by　him　personally；　that　　justly　forfeits　his　liberty　to　society。

These　defects　of　the　Graeco…Roman　civilization　the　European　　nations　have　in　part　remedied；　and　may　completely　remedy。　　They　　can　carry　out　practically　the　Christian　dogma　of　the　unity　of　the　　human　race；　abolish　slavery　in　every　form；　make　all　men　equal　　before　the　law；　and　the　political　people　commensurate　with　the　　territorial　people。　　Indeed；　France　has　already　done　it。　　She　has　　abolished　slavery；　villenage；　serfage；　political　aristocracy；　　asserted　the　equality　of　all　men　before　the　law；　vindicated　the　399　sovereignty　of　the　people；　and　established　universal　suffrage；　　complete　social　and　territorial　democracy。　　The　other　nations　may　　do　as　much；　but　hardly　can　any　of　them　do　more　or　advance　　farther。　　Yet　in　France；　territorial　democracy　the　most　complete　　results　only　in　establishing　the　most　complete　imperial　　centralism；　usually　called　Caesarism。

The　imperial　constitution　of　France　recognizes　that　the　emperor　　reigns　〃by　the　grace　of　God　and　the　will　of　the　nation；〃　and　　therefore；　that　by　the　grace　of　God　and　the　will　of　the　nation　he　　may　cease　to　reign；　but　while　he　reigns　he　is　supreme；　and　his　　will　is　law。　　The　constitution　imposes　no　real　or　effective　　restraint　on　his　power：　while　he　sits　upon　the　throne　he　is　　practically　France；　and　the　ministers　are　his　clerks；　the　council　　of　state；　the　senate；　and　the　legislative　body　are　merely　his　　agents　in　governing　the　nation。　　This　may；　indeed；　be　changed；　　but　only　to　substitute　for　imperial　centralism　democratic　　centralism；　which　were　no　improvement；　or　to　go　back　to　the　　system　of　antagonisms；　checks　and　balances；　called　　constitutionalism；　or　parliamentary　government；　of　which　Great　　Britain　is　the　model；　and　which　were　a　return　toward　barbarism；　　or　mediaeval　feudalism。

400　The　human　race　has　its　life　in　God；　and　tends　to　realize　in　all　　orders　the　Divine　Word　or　Logos；　which　is　Ionic　itself；　and　the　　principle　of　all　conciliation；　of　the　dialectic　union　of　all　　opposites　or　extremes。　　Mankind　will　be　logical；　and　the　worst　of　　all　tyrannies　is　that　which　forbids　them　to　draw　from　their　　principles　their　last　logical　consequences；　or　that　prohibits　　them　the　free　explication　and　application　of　the　Divine　Idea；　in　　whi