the fathers of the constitution-第25章

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ng　that；　although　each　house　was　required　to　keep　a　journal　of　proceedings；　it　was　only　required　〃FROM　TIME　TO　TIME　to　publish　the　same；　excepting　such　parts　as　may　in　their　judgment　require　secrecy。〃　All　sorts　of　personal　charges　were　made　against　those　who　were　responsible　for　the　framing　of　the　Constitution。　Hopkinson　wrote　to　Jefferson　in　April；　1788：　〃You　will　be　surprised　when　I　tell　you　that　our　public　News　Papers　have　anounced　General　Washington　to　be　a　Fool　influenced　&　lead　by　that　Knave　Dr。　Franklin；　who　is　a　public　Defaulter　for　Millions　of　Dollars；　that　Mr。　Morris　has　defrauded　the　Public　out　of　as　many　Millions　as　you　please　&　that　they　are　to　cover　their　frauds　by　this　new　Government。〃*　*　〃Documentary　History　of　the　Constitution；〃　vol。　IV；　p。　563。

All　things　considered；　it　is　difficult　to　avoid　the　conclusion　that　such　critics　and　detractors　were　trying　to　find　excuses　for　their　opposition。　The　majorities　in　the　various　conventions　can　hardly　be　said　really　to　represent　the　people　of　their　States；　for　only　a　small　percentage　of　the　people　had　voted　in　electing　them；　they　were　representative　rather　of　the　propertied　upper　class。　This　circumstance　has　given　rise　to　the　charge　that　the　Constitution　was　framed　and　adopted　by　men　who　were　interested　in　the　protection　of　property；　in　the　maintenance　of　the　value　of　government　securities；　and　in　the　payment　of　debts　which　had　been　incurred　by　the　individual　States　in　the　course　of　the　Revolution。　Property　holders　were　unquestionably　assisted　by　the　mere　establishment　of　a　strong　government。　The　creditor　class　seemed　to　require　some　special　provision　and；　when　the　powers　of　Congress　were　under　consideration　in　the　Federal　Convention；　several　of　the　members　argued　strongly　for　a　positive　injunction　on　Congress　to　assume　obligations　of　the　States。　The　chief　objection　to　this　procedure　seemed　to　be　based　upon　the　fear　of　benefiting　speculators　rather　than　the　legitimate　creditors；　and　the　matter　was　finally　compromised　by　providing　that　all　debts　should　be　〃as　valid　against　the　United　States　under　this　Constitution　asunder　the　Confederation。〃　The　charge　that　the　Constitution　was　framed　and　its　adoption　obtained　by　men　of　property　and　wealth　is　undoubtedly　true；　but　it　is　a　mistake　to　attribute　unworthy　motives　to　them。　The　upper　classes　in　the　United　States　were　generally　people　of　wealth　and　so　would　be　the　natural　holders　of　government　securities。　They　were　undoubtedly　acting　in　self…protection；　but　the　responsibility　rested　upon　them　to　take　the　lead。　They　were　acting　indeed　for　the　public　interest　in　the　largest　sense；　for　conditions　in　the　United　States　were　such　that　every　man　might　become　a　landowner　and　the　people　in　general　therefore　wished　to　have　property　rights　protected。　In　the　autumn　of　1788　the　Congress　of　the　old　Confederation　made　testamentary　provision　for　its　heir　by　voting　that　presidential　electors　should　be　chosen　on　the　first　Wednesday　in　January；　1789；　that　these　electors　should　meet　and　cast　their　votes　for　President　on　the　first　Wednesday　in　February；　and　that　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　should　assemble　on　the　first　Wednesday　in　March。　It　was　also　decided　that　the　seat　of　government　should　be　in　the　City　of　New　York　until　otherwise　ordered　by　Congress。　In　accordance　with　this　procedure；　the　requisite　elections　were　held；　and　the　new　government　was　duly　installed。　It　happened　in　1789　that　the　first　Wednesday　in　March　was　the　fourth　day　of　that　month；　which　thereby　became　the　date　for　the　beginning　of　each　subsequent　administration。　The　acid　test　of　efficiency　was　still　to　be　applied　to　the　new　machinery　of　government。　But　Americans　then；　as　now；　were　an　adaptable　people；　with　political　genius；　and　they　would　have　been　able　to　make　almost　any　form　of　government　succeed。　If　the　Federal　Convention　had　never　met；　there　is　good　reason　for　believing　that　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　with　some　amendments；　would　have　been　made　to　work。　The　success　of　the　new　government　was　therefore　in　a　large　measure　dependent　upon　the　favor　of　the　people。　If　they　wished　to　do　so；　they　could　make　it　win　out　in　spite　of　obstacles。　In　other　words；　the　new　government　would　succeed　exactly　to　the　extent　to　which　the　people　stood　back　of　it。　This　was　the　critical　moment　when　the　slowly　growing　prosperity；　described　at　length　and　emphasized　in　the　previous　chapters；　produced　one　of　its　most　important　effects。　In　June；　1788；　Washington　wrote　to　Lafayette：　〃I　expect；　that　many　blessings　will　be　attributed　to　our　new　government；　which　are　now　taking　their　rise　from　that　industry　and　frugality　into　the　practice　of　which　the　people　have　been　forced　from　necessity。　I　really　believe　that　there　never　was　so　much　labour　and　economy　to　be　found　before　in　the　country　as　at　the　present　moment。　If　they　persist　in　the　habits　they　are　acquiring；　the　good　effects　will　soon　be　distinguishable。　When　the　people　shall　find　themselves　secure　under　an　energetic　government；　when　foreign　Nations　shall　be　disposed　to　give　us　equal　advantages　in　commerce　from　dread　of　retaliation；　when　the　burdens　of　the　war　shall　be　in　a　manner　done　away　by　the　sale　of　western　lands；　when　the　seeds　of　happiness　which　are　sown　here　shall　begin　to　expand　themselves；　and　when　every　one　（under　his　own　vine　and　fig…tree）　shall　begin　to　taste　the　fruits　of　freedomthen　all　these　blessings　（for　all　these　blessings　will　come）　will　be　referred　to　the　fostering　influence　of　the　new　government。　Whereas　many　causes　will　have　conspired　to　produce　them。〃　A　few　months　later　a　similar　opinion　was　expressed　by　Crevecoeur　in　writing　to　Jefferson：　〃Never　was　so　great　a　change　in　the　opinion　of　the　best　people　as　has　happened　these　five　years；　almost　everybody　feels　the　necessity　of　coercive　laws；　government；　union；　industry；　and　labor　。　。　。　。　The　exports　of　this　country　have　singularly　increased　within　these　two　years；　and　the　imports　have　decreased　in　proportion。〃　The　new　Federal　Government　was　fortunate　in　beginning　its　career　at　the　moment　when　returning　prosperity　was　predisposing　the　people　to　think　well　of　it。　The　inauguration　of　Washington　marked　the　opening　of　a　new　era　for　the　people　of　the　United　States　of　America。

APPENDIX*　*The　documents　in　this　Appendix　follow　the　text　of　the　〃Revised　Statutes　of　the　United　States〃；　Second　Edition；　1878。　THE　DECLARATION　OF　INDEPENDENCE1776　IN　CONGRESS；　JULY　4；　1776　The　unanimous　Declaration　of　the　thirteen　united　States　of　America　When　in　the　Course　of　human　events；　it　becomes　necessary　for　one　people　to　dissolve　the　political　bands　which　have　connected　them　with　another；　and　to　assume　among　the　Powers　of　the　earth；　the　separate　and　equal　station　to　which　the　Laws　of　Nature　and　of　Nature's　God　entitle　them；　a　decent　respect　to　the　opinions　of　mankind　requires　that　they　should　declare　the　causes　which　impel　them　to　the　separation。　We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；　that　all　men　are　created　equal；　that　they　are　endowed　by　their　Creator　with　certain　unalienable　Rights；　that　among　these　are　Life；　Liberty　and　the　pursuit　of　Happiness。　That　to　secure　these　rights；　Governments　are　instituted　among　Men；　deriving　their　just　powers　from　the　consent　of　the　governed；　That　whenever　any　Form　of　Government　becomes　destructive　of　these　ends；　it　is　the　Right　of　the　People　to　alter　or　to　abolish　it；　and　to　institute　new　Government；　laying　its　foundation　on　such　principles　and　organizing　its　powers　in　such　form；　as　to　them　shall　seem　most　likely　to　effect　their　Safety　and　Happiness。　Prudence；　indeed；　will　dictate　that　Governments　long　established　should　not　be　changed　for　light　and　transient　causes；　and　accordingly　all　experience　hath　shown；　that　mankind　are　more　disposed　to　suffer；　while　evils　are　sufferable；　than　to　right　themselves　by　abolishing　the　forms　to　which　they　are　accustomed。　But　when　a　long　train　of　abuses　and　usurpations；　pursuing　invariably　the　same　Object　evinces　a　design　to　reduce　them　under　absolute　Despotism；　it　is　their　right；　it　is　their　duty；　to　throw　off　such　Government；　and　to　provide　new　Guards　for　their　future　security。Such　has　been　the　patient　sufferance　of　these　Colonies；　and　such　is　now　the　necessity　which　constrains　them　to　alter　their　former　Systems　of　Government