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第9章

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interesting to him; will attach him by his strongest feelings to the

independence of his country; and its republican constitution。  The

justices thus chosen by every ward; would constitute the county

court; would do its judiciary business; direct roads and bridges;

levy county and poor rates; and administer all the matters of common

interest to the whole country。  These wards; called townships in New

England; are the vital principle of their governments; and have

proved themselves the wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man

for the perfect exercise of self…government; and for its

preservation。  We should thus marshal our government into; 1; the

general federal republic; for all concerns foreign and federal; 2;

that of the State; for what relates to our own citizens exclusively;

3; the county republics; for the duties and concerns of the county;

and 4; the ward republics; for the small; and yet numerous and

interesting concerns of the neighborhood; and in government; as well

as in every other business of life; it is by division and subdivision

of duties alone; that all matters; great and small; can be managed to

perfection。  And the whole is cemented by giving to every citizen;

personally; a part in the administration of the public affairs。




        The sum of these amendments is; 1。 General Suffrage。  2。 Equal

representation in the legislature。  3。 An executive chosen by the

people。  4。 Judges elective or amovable。  5。 Justices; jurors; and

sheriffs elective。  6。 Ward divisions。  And 7。 Periodical amendments

of the constitution。




        I have thrown out these as loose heads of amendment; for

consideration and correction; and their object is to secure

self…government by the republicanism of our constitution; as well as

by the spirit of the people; and to nourish and perpetuate that

spirit。  I am not among those who fear the people。  They; and not the

rich; are our dependence for continued freedom。  And to preserve

their independence; we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual

debt。  We must make our election between _economy and liberty_; or

_profusion and servitude_。  If we run into such debts; as that we

must be taxed in our meat and in our drink; in our necessaries and

our comforts; in our labors and our amusements; for our callings and

our creeds; as the people of England are; our people; like them; must

come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty…four; give the earnings of

fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily

expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread; we

must live; as they now do; on oatmeal and potatoes; have no time to

think; no means of calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to

obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the

necks of our fellow…sufferers。  Our landholders; too; like theirs;

retaining indeed the title and stewardship of estates called theirs;

but held really in trust for the treasury; must wander; like theirs;

in foreign countries; and be contented with penury; obscurity; exile;

and the glory of the nation。  This example reads to us the salutary

lesson; that private fortunes are destroyed by public as well as by

private extravagance。  And this is the tendency of all human

governments。  A departure from principle in one instance becomes a

precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on; till the

bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery; and

to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering。  Then

begins; indeed; the _bellum omnium in omnia_; which some philosophers

observing to be so general in this world; have mistaken it for the

natural; instead of the abusive state of man。  And the fore horse of

this frightful team is public debt。  Taxation follows that; and in

its train wretchedness and oppression。




        Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence;

and deem them like the arc of the covenant; too sacred to be touched。

They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than

human; and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment。  I knew that

age well; I belonged to it; and labored with it。  It deserved well of

its country。  It was very like the present; but without the

experience of the present; and forty years of experience in

government is worth a century of book…reading; and this they would

say themselves; were they to rise from the dead。  I am certainly not

an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and

constitutions。  I think moderate imperfections had better be borne

with; because; when once known; we accommodate ourselves to them; and

find practical means of correcting their ill effects。  But I know

also; that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the

progress of the human mind。  As that becomes more developed; more

enlightened; as new discoveries are made; new truths disclosed; and

manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances;

institutions must advance also; and keep pace with the times。  We

might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him

when a boy; as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of

their barbarous ancestors。  It is this preposterous idea which has

lately deluged Europe in blood。  Their monarchs; instead of wisely

yielding to the gradual change of circumstances; of favoring

progressive accommodation to progressive improvement; have clung to

old abuses; entrenched themselves behind steady habits; and obliged

their subjects to seek through blood and violence rash and ruinous

innovations; which; had they been referred to the peaceful

deliberations and collected wisdom of the nation; would have been put

into acceptable and salutary forms。  Let us follow no such examples;

nor weakly believe that one generation is not as capable as another

of taking care of itself; and of ordering its own affairs。  Let us;

as our sister States have done; avail ourselves of our reason and

experience; to correct the crude essays of our first and

unexperienced; although wise; virtuous; and well…meaning councils。

And lastly; let us provide in our constitution for its revision at

stated periods。  What these periods should be; nature herself

indicates。  By the European tables of mortality; of the adults living

at any one moment of time; a majority will be dead in about nineteen

years。  At the end of that period; then; a new majority is come into

place; or; in other words; a new generation。  Each generation is as

independent as the one preceding; as that was of all which had gone

before。  It has then; like them; a right to choose for itself the

form of government it believes most promotive of its own happiness;

consequently; to accommodate to the circumstances in which it finds

itself; that received from its predecessors; and it is for the peace

and good of mankind; that a solemn opportunity of doing this every

nineteen or twenty years; should be provided by the constitution; so

that it may be handed on; with periodical repairs; from generation to

generation; to the end of time; if anything human can so long endure。

It is now forty years since the constitution of Virginia was formed。

The same tables inform us; that; within that period; two…thirds of

the adults then living are now dead。  Have then the remaining third;

even if they had the wish; the right to hold in obedience to their

will; and to laws heretofore made by them; the other two…thirds; who;

with themselves; compose the present mass of adults?  If they have

not; who has?  The dead?  But the dead have no rights。  They are

nothing; and nothing cannot own something。  Where there is no

substance; there can be no accident。  This corporeal globe; and

everything upon it; belong to its present corporeal inhabitants;

during their generation。  They alone have a right to direct what is

the concern of themselves alone; and to declare the law of that

direction; and this declaratio

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