the fathers of the constitution-第22节

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　North　Carolina。　This　was　sufficient　for　North　Carolina；　and　on　November　21；　1789；　the　convention　ratified　the　Constitution。　But　Rhode　Island　still　held　out。　A　convention　of　that　State　was　finally　called　to　meet　in　March；　1790；　but　accomplished　nothing　and　avoided　a　decision　by　adjourning　until　May。　The　Federal　Government　then　proceeded　to　threaten　drastic　measures　by　taking　up　a　bill　which　authorized　the　President　to　suspend　all　commercial　intercourse　with　Rhode　Island　and　to　demand　of　that　State　the　payment　of　its　share　of　the　Federal　debt。　The　bill　passed　the　Senate　but　stopped　there；　for　the　State　gave　in　and　ratified　the　Constitution　on　the　29th　of　May。　Two　weeks　later　Ellsworth；　who　was　now　United　States　Senator　from　Connecticut；　wrote　that　Rhode　Island　had　been　〃brought　into　the　Union；　and　by　a　pretty　cold　measure　in　Congress；　which　would　have　exposed　me　to　some　censure；　had　it　not　produced　the　effect　which　I　expected　it　would　and　which　in　fact　it　has　done。　But　'all　is　well　that　ends　well。'　The　Constitution　is　now　adopted　by　all　the　States　and　I　have　much　satisfaction；　and　perhaps　some　vanity；　in　seeing；　at　length；　a　great　work　finished；　for　which　I　have　long　labored　incessantly。〃*　*　〃Connecticut's　Ratification　of　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　by　B。　C。　Steiner；　in　〃Proceedings　of　the　American　Antiquarian　Society；〃　April　1915；　pp。　88…89。　Perhaps　the　most　striking　feature　of　these　conventions　is　the　trivial　character　of　the　objections　that　were　raised。　Some　of　the　arguments　it　is；　true；　went　to　the　very　heart　of　the　matter　and　considered　the　fundamental　principles　of　government。　It　is　possible　to　tolerate　and　even　to　sympathize　with　a　man　who　declared：　〃Among　other　deformities　the　Constitution　has　an　awful　squinting。　It　squints　toward　monarchy；　。　。　。　。　your　president　may　easily　become　a　king　。　。　。　。　If　your　American　chief　be　a　man　of　ambition　and　ability　how　easy　it　is　for　him　to　render　himself　absolute。　We　shall　have　a　king。　The　army　will　salute　him　monarch。*　*　〃Connecticut's　Ratification　of　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　by　B。　C。　Steiner；　in　〃Proceedings　of　the　American　Antiquarian　Society；〃　April　1915　pp。　88…89。

But　it　is　hard　to　take　seriously　a　delegate　who　asked　permission　〃to　make　a　short　apostrophe　to　liberty；〃　and　then　delivered　himself　of　this　bathos：　〃O　liberty！thou　greatest　goodthou　fairest　propertywith　thee　I　wish　to　livewith　thee　I　wish　to　die！Pardon　me　if　I　drop　a　tear　on　the　peril　to　which　she　is　exposed；　I　cannot；　sir；　see　this　brightest　of　jewels　tarnished！　a　jewel　worth　ten　thousand　worlds！　and　shall　we　part　with　it　so　soon？　O　no！〃*　*　Elliot's　〃Debates　on　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　vol。　III。　p。　144。

There　might　be　some　reason　in　objecting　to　the　excessive　power　vested　in　Congress；　but　what　is　one　to　think　of　the　fear　that　imagined　the　greatest　point　of　danger　to　lie　in　the　ten　miles　square　which　later　became　the　District　of　Columbia；　because　the　Government　might　erect　a　fortified　stronghold　which　would　be　invincible？　Again；　in　the　light　of　subsequent　events　it　is　laughable　to　find　many　protesting　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　Ameri