[Footnotec:Thisdecreewasprecededbyareportofthecommitteebywhichitwasframed，containingtheexplanationofthemotivesandobjectofthelaw。Thefollowingpassageoccursinit，p。34:—"WhentherightsreservedbytheConstitutiontothedifferentStatesaredeliberatelyviolated，itisthedutyandtherightofthoseStatestointerfere，inordertochecktheprogressoftheevil;toresistusurpation，andtomaintain，withintheirrespectivelimits，thosepowersandprivilegeswhichbelongtothemasindependentsovereignStates。Iftheyweredestituteofthisright，theywouldnotbesovereign。SouthCarolinadeclaresthatsheacknowledgesnotribunaluponearthaboveherauthority。ShehasindeedenteredintoasolemncompactofunionwiththeotherStates;butshedemands，andwillexercise，therightofputtingherownconstructionuponit;andwhenthiscompactisviolatedbyhersisterStates，andbytheGovernmentwhichtheyhavecreated，sheisdeterminedtoavailherselfoftheunquestionablerightofjudgingwhatistheextentoftheinfraction，andwhatarethemeasuresbestfittedtoobtainjustice。"]
ChapterXVIII:FutureConditionOfThreeRaces—PartIX
InthemeantimeSouthCarolinaarmedhermilitia，andpreparedforwar。ButCongress，whichhadslighteditssuppliantsubjects，listenedtotheircomplaintsassoonastheywerefoundtohavetakenuparms。*dAlawwaspassed，bywhichthetariffdutiesweretobeprogressivelyreducedfortenyears，untiltheywerebroughtsolowasnottoexceedtheamountofsuppliesnecessarytotheGovernment。*eThusCongresscompletelyabandonedtheprincipleofthetariff;andsubstitutedamerefiscalimposttoasystemofprotectiveduties。*fTheGovernmentoftheUnion，inordertoconcealitsdefeat，hadrecoursetoanexpedientwhichisverymuchinvoguewithfeeblegovernments。
Ityieldedthepointdefacto，butitremainedinflexibleupontheprinciplesinquestion;andwhilstCongresswasalteringthetarifflaw，itpassedanotherbill，bywhichthePresidentwasinvestedwithextraordinarypowers，enablinghimtoovercomebyforcearesistancewhichwasthennolongertobeapprehended。
[Footnoted:CongresswasfinallydecidedtotakethisstepbytheconductofthepowerfulStateofVirginia，whoselegislatureofferedtoserveasmediatorbetweentheUnionandSouthCarolina。HithertothelatterStatehadappearedtobeentirelyabandoned，evenbytheStateswhichhadjoinedinherremonstrances。]
[Footnotee:ThislawwaspassedonMarch2，1833。]
[Footnotef:ThisbillwasbroughtinbyMr。Clay，anditpassedinfourdaysthroughbothHousesofCongressbyanimmensemajority。]
ButSouthCarolinadidnotconsenttoleavetheUnionintheenjoymentofthesescantytrophiesofsuccess:thesamenationalConventionwhichhadannulledthetariffbill，metagain，andacceptedtheprofferedconcession;butatthesametimeitdeclareditunabatedperseveranceinthedoctrineofNullification:andtoprovewhatitsaid，itannulledthelawinvestingthePresidentwithextraordinarypowers，althoughitwasverycertainthattheclausesofthatlawwouldneverbecarriedintoeffect。
AlmostallthecontroversiesofwhichIhavebeenspeakinghavetakenplaceunderthePresidencyofGeneralJackson;anditcannotbedeniedthatinthequestionofthetariffhehassupportedtheclaimsoftheUnionwithvigorandwithskill。I
am，however，ofopinionthattheconductoftheindividualwhonowrepresentstheFederalGovernmentmaybereckonedasoneofthedangerswhichthreatenitscontinuance。
SomepersonsinEuropehaveformedanopinionofthepossibleinfluenceofGeneralJacksonupontheaffairsofhiscountry，whichappearshighlyextravaganttothosewhohaveseenmoreofthesubject。WehavebeentoldthatGeneralJacksonhaswonsundrybattles，thatheisanenergeticman，pronebynatureandbyhabittotheuseofforce，covetousofpower，andadespotbytaste。Allthismayperhapsbetrue;buttheinferenceswhichhavebeendrawnfromthesetruthsareexceedinglyerroneous。IthasbeenimaginedthatGeneralJacksonisbentonestablishingadictatorshipinAmerica，onintroducingamilitaryspirit，andongivingadegreeofinfluencetothecentralauthoritywhichcannotbutbedangeroustoprovincialliberties。ButinAmericathetimeforsimilarundertakings，andtheageformenofthiskind，isnotyetcome:ifGeneralJacksonhadentertainedahopeofexercisinghisauthorityinthismanner，hewouldinfalliblyhaveforfeitedhispoliticalstation，andcompromisedhislife;
accordinglyhehasnotbeensoimprudentastomakeanysuchattempt。
Farfromwishingtoextendthefederalpower，thePresidentbelongstothepartywhichisdesirousoflimitingthatpowertothebareandpreciseletteroftheConstitution，andwhichneverputsaconstructionuponthatactfavorabletotheGovernmentoftheUnion;farfromstandingforthasthechampionofcentralization，GeneralJacksonistheagentofallthejealousiesoftheStates;andhewasplacedintheloftystationheoccupiesbythepassionsofthepeoplewhicharemostopposedtothecentralGovernment。Itisbyperpetuallyflatteringthesepassionsthathemaintainshisstationandhispopularity。
GeneralJacksonistheslaveofthemajority:heyieldstoitswishes，itspropensities，anditsdemands;sayrather，thatheanticipatesandforestallsthem。
WheneverthegovernmentsoftheStatescomeintocollisionwiththatoftheUnion，thePresidentisgenerallythefirsttoquestionhisownrights:healmostalwaysoutstripsthelegislature;andwhentheextentofthefederalpoweriscontroverted，hetakespart，asitwere，againsthimself;heconcealshisofficialinterests，andextinguisheshisownnaturalinclinations。NotindeedthatheisnaturallyweakorhostiletotheUnion;forwhenthemajoritydecidedagainsttheclaimsofthepartisansofnullification，heputhimselfatitshead，assertedthedoctrineswhichthenationhelddistinctlyandenergetically，andwasthefirsttorecommendforciblemeasures;
butGeneralJacksonappearstome，ifImayusetheAmericanexpressions，tobeaFederalistbytaste，andaRepublicanbycalculation。
GeneralJacksonstoopstogainthefavorofthemajority，butwhenhefeelsthathispopularityissecure，heoverthrowsallobstaclesinthepursuitoftheobjectswhichthecommunityapproves，orofthosewhichitdoesnotlookuponwithajealouseye。Heissupportedbyapowerwithwhichhispredecessorswereunacquainted;andhetramplesonhispersonalenemieswhenevertheycrosshispathwithafacilitywhichnoformerPresidenteverenjoyed;hetakesuponhimselftheresponsibilityofmeasureswhichnoonebeforehimwouldhaveventuredtoattempt:
heeventreatsthenationalrepresentativeswithdisdainapproachingtoinsult;heputshisvetouponthelawsofCongress，andfrequentlyneglectstoreplytothatpowerfulbody。
Heisafavoritewhosometimestreatshismasterroughly。ThepowerofGeneralJacksonperpetuallyincreases;butthatofthePresidentdeclines;inhishandstheFederalGovernmentisstrong，butitwillpassenfeebledintothehandsofhissuccessor。
IamstrangelymistakeniftheFederalGovernmentoftheUnitedStatesbenotconstantlylosingstrength，retiringgraduallyfrompublicaffairs，andnarrowingitscircleofactionmoreandmore。Itisnaturallyfeeble，butitnowabandonsevenitspretensionstostrength。Ontheotherhand，IthoughtthatI
remarkedamorelivelysenseofindependence，andamoredecidedattachmenttoprovincialgovernmentintheStates。TheUnionistosubsist，buttosubsistasashadow;itistobestrongincertaincases，andweakinallothers;intimeofwarfare，itistobeabletoconcentratealltheforcesofthenationandalltheresourcesofthecountryinitshands;andintimeofpeaceitsexistenceistobescarcelyperceptible:asifthisalternatedebilityandvigorwerenaturalorpossible。
Idonotforeseeanythingforthepresentwhichmaybeabletocheckthisgeneralimpulseofpublicopinion;thecausesinwhichitoriginateddonotceasetooperatewiththesameeffect。
Thechangewillthereforegoon，anditmaybepredictedthat，unlesssomeextraordinaryeventoccurs，theGovernmentoftheUnionwillgrowweakerandweakereveryday。
Ithink，however，thattheperiodisstillremoteatwhichthefederalpowerwillbeentirelyextinguishedbyitsinabilitytoprotectitselfandtomaintainpeaceinthecountry。TheUnionissanctionedbythemannersanddesiresofthepeople;itsresultsarepalpable，itsbenefitsvisible。WhenitisperceivedthattheweaknessoftheFederalGovernmentcompromisestheexistenceoftheUnion，Idonotdoubtthatareactionwilltakeplacewithaviewtoincreaseitsstrength。
TheGovernmentoftheUnitedStatesis，ofallthefederalgovernmentswhichhavehithertobeenestablished，theonewhichismostnaturallydestinedtoact。Aslongasitisonlyindirectlyassailedbytheinterpretationofitslaws，andaslongasitssubstanceisnotseriouslyaltered，achangeofopinion，aninternalcrisis，orawar，mayrestoreallthevigorwhichitrequires。ThepointwhichIhavebeenmostanxioustoputinaclearlightissimplythis:Manypeople，especiallyinFrance，imaginethatachangeinopinionisgoingonintheUnitedStates，whichisfavorabletoacentralizationofpowerinthehandsofthePresidentandtheCongress。Iholdthatacontrarytendencymaydistinctlybeobserved。SofaristheFederalGovernmentfromacquiringstrength，andfromthreateningthesovereigntyoftheStates，asitgrowsolder，thatImaintainittobegrowingweakerandweaker，andthatthesovereigntyoftheUnionaloneisindanger。Sucharethefactswhichthepresenttimediscloses。Thefutureconcealsthefinalresultofthistendency，andtheeventswhichmaycheck，retard，oracceleratethechangesIhavedescribed;butIdonotaffecttobeabletoremovetheveilwhichhidesthemfromoursight。
OfTheRepublicanInstitutionsOfTheUnitedStates，AndWhatTheirChancesOfDurationAreTheUnionisaccidental—TheRepublicaninstitutionshavemoreprospectofpermanence—ArepublicforthepresentthenaturalstateoftheAnglo—Americans—Reasonofthis—Inordertodestroyit，allthelawsmustbechangedatthesametime，andagreatalterationtakeplaceinmanners—DifficultiesexperiencedbytheAmericansincreatinganaristocracy。
ThedismembermentoftheUnion，bytheintroductionofwarintotheheartofthoseStateswhicharenowconfederate，withstandingarmies，adictatorship，andaheavytaxation，might，eventually，compromisethefateoftherepublicaninstitutions。
ButweoughtnottoconfoundthefutureprospectsoftherepublicwiththoseoftheUnion。TheUnionisanaccident...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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