Fromthetimewhenpowerfulministersmadeitapoliticalprincipletopreventtheconvocationofanationalassembly，oneconsequencehassucceededanother，untilthedeliberationsoftheinhabitantsofavillagearedeclarednullwhentheyhavenotbeenauthorizedbytheIntendant。Ofcourse，ifthecommunityhasanexpensiveundertakingtocarrythrough，itmustremainunderthecontrolofthesub—delegateoftheIntendant，and，consequently，followtheplanheproposes，employhisfavoriteworkmen，paythemaccordingtohispleasure;andifanactionatlawisdeemednecessary，theIntendant’spermissionmustbeobtained。Thecausemustbepleadedbeforethisfirsttribunal，previoustoitsbeingcarriedintoapubliccourt;andiftheopinionoftheIntendantisopposedtothatoftheinhabitants，oriftheiradversaryenjoyshisfavor，thecommunityisdeprivedofthepowerofdefendingitsrights。Sucharethemeans，Sire，whichhavebeenexertedtoextinguishthemunicipalspiritinFrance;andtostifle，ifpossible，theopinionsofthecitizens。
Thenationmaybesaidtolieunderaninterdict，andtobeinwardshipunderguardians。"Whatcouldbesaidmoretothepurposeatthepresentday，whentheRevolutionhasachievedwhatarecalleditsvictoriesincentralization？
In1789，JeffersonwrotefromParistooneofhisfriends:—
"Thereisnocountrywherethemaniaforover—governinghastakendeeperrootthaninFrance，orbeenthesourceofgreatermischief。"（LettertoMadison，August28，1789。）Thefactis，thatforseveralcenturiespastthecentralpowerofFrancehasdoneeverythingitcouldtoextendcentraladministration;ithasacknowledgednootherlimitsthanitsownstrength。ThecentralpowertowhichtheRevolutiongavebirthmademorerapidadvancesthananyofitspredecessors，becauseitwasstrongerandwiserthantheyhadbeen;LouisXIVcommittedthewelfareofsuchcommunitiestothecapriceofanintendant;NapoleonleftthemtothatoftheMinister。Thesameprinciplegovernedboth，thoughitsconsequencesweremoreorlessremote。
AppendixL
TheimmutabilityoftheconstitutionofFranceisanecessaryconsequenceofthelawsofthatcountry。Tobeginwiththemostimportantofallthelaws，thatwhichdecidestheorderofsuccessiontothethrone;whatcanbemoreimmutableinitsprinciplethanapoliticalorderfoundeduponthenaturalsuccessionoffathertoson？In1814，LouisXVIIIhadestablishedtheperpetuallawofhereditarysuccessioninfavorofhisownfamily。TheindividualswhoregulatedtheconsequencesoftheRevolutionof1830followedhisexample;theymerelyestablishedtheperpetuityofthelawinfavorofanotherfamily。InthisrespecttheyimitatedtheChancellorMeaupou，who，whenheerectedthenewParliamentupontheruinsoftheold，tookcaretodeclareinthesameordinancethattherightsofthenewmagistratesshouldbeasinalienableasthoseoftheirpredecessorshadbeen。Thelawsof1830，likethoseof1814，pointoutnowayofchangingtheconstitution:anditisevidentthattheordinarymeansoflegislationareinsufficientforthispurpose。AstheKing，thePeers，andtheDeputies，allderivetheirauthorityfromtheconstitution，thesethreepowersunitedcannotalteralawbyvirtueofwhichalonetheygovern。Outofthepaleoftheconstitutiontheyarenothing:where，when，couldtheytaketheirstandtoeffectachangeinitsprovisions？Thealternativeisclear:eithertheireffortsarepowerlessagainstthecharter，whichcontinuestoexistinspiteofthem，inwhichcasetheyonlyreigninthenameofthecharter;ortheysucceedinchangingthecharter，andthen，thelawbywhichtheyexistedbeingannulled，theythemselvesceasetoexist。Bydestroyingthecharter，theydestroythemselves。Thisismuchmoreevidentinthelawsof1830thaninthoseof1814。In1814，theroyalprerogativetookitsstandaboveandbeyondtheconstitution;butin1830，itwasavowedlycreatedby，anddependenton，theconstitution。Apart，therefore，oftheFrenchconstitutionisimmutable，becauseitisunitedtothedestinyofafamily;andthebodyoftheconstitutionisequallyimmutable，becausethereappeartobenolegalmeansofchangingit。TheseremarksarenotapplicabletoEngland。Thatcountryhavingnowrittenconstitution，whocanassertwhenitsconstitutionischanged？
AppendixM
ThemostesteemedauthorswhohavewrittenupontheEnglishConstitutionagreewitheachotherinestablishingtheomnipotenceoftheParliament。Delolmesays:"ItisafundamentalprinciplewiththeEnglishlawyers，thatParliamentcandoeverythingexceptmakingawomanaman，oramanawoman。"
Blackstoneexpresseshimselfmoreindetail，ifnotmoreenergetically，thanDelolme，inthefollowingterms:—"ThepowerandjurisdictionofParliament，saysSirEdwardCoke（4Inst。
36），issotranscendentandabsolutethatitcannotbeconfined，eitherforcausesorpersons，withinanybounds。"AndofthisHighCourt，headds，maybetrulysaid，"Siantiquitatemspectes，estvetustissima;sidignitatem，esthonoratissima;sijurisdictionem，estcapacissima。"Ithathsovereignanduncontrollableauthorityinthemaking，confirming，enlarging，restraining，abrogating，repealing，reviving，andexpoundingoflaws，concerningmattersofallpossibledenominations;
ecclesiasticalortemporal;civil，military，maritime，orcriminal;thisbeingtheplacewherethatabsolutedespoticpowerwhichmust，inallgovernments，residesomewhere，isintrustedbytheconstitutionofthesekingdoms。Allmischiefsandgrievances，operationsandremedies，thattranscendtheordinarycourseofthelaws，arewithinthereachofthisextraordinarytribunal。Itcanregulateornew—modelthesuccessiontotheCrown;aswasdoneinthereignofHenryVIIIandWilliamIII。
Itcanaltertheestablishedreligionoftheland;aswasdoneinavarietyofinstancesinthereignsofKingHenryVIIIandhisthreechildren。Itcanchangeandcreateafresheventheconstitutionofthekingdom，andofparliamentsthemselves;aswasdonebytheActofUnionandtheseveralstatutesfortriennialandseptennialelections。Itcan，inshort，doeverythingthatisnotnaturallyimpossibletobedone;
and，thereforesomehavenotscrupledtocallitspower，byafigurerathertoobold，theomnipotenceofParliament。"
AppendixN
ThereisnoquestionuponwhichtheAmericanconstitutionsagreemorefullythanuponthatofpoliticaljurisdiction。Alltheconstitutionswhichtakecognizanceofthismatter，givetotheHouseofDelegatestheexclusiverightofimpeachment;
exceptingonlytheconstitutionofNorthCarolina，whichgrantsthesameprivilegetograndjuries。（Article23。）AlmostalltheconstitutionsgivetheexclusiverightofpronouncingsentencetotheSenate，ortotheAssemblywhichoccupiesitsplace。
Theonlypunishmentswhichthepoliticaltribunalscaninflictareremoval，ortheinterdictionofpublicfunctionsforthefuture。ThereisnootherconstitutionbutthatofVirginia（p。152），whichenablesthemtoinflicteverykindofpunishment。
Thecrimeswhicharesubjecttopoliticaljurisdictionare，inthefederalconstitution（Section4，Art。1）;inthatofIndiana（Art。3，paragraphs23and24）;ofNewYork（Art。5）;ofDelaware（Art。5），hightreason，bribery，andotherhighcrimesoroffences。IntheConstitutionofMassachusetts（Chap。I，Section2）;thatofNorthCarolina（Art。23）;ofVirginia（p。252），misconductandmaladministration。IntheconstitutionofNewHampshire（p。105），corruption，intrigue，andmaladministration。
InVermont（Chap。2，Art。24），maladministration。InSouthCarolina（Art。5）;Kentucky（Art。5）;Tennessee（Art。4）;Ohio（Art。1，23，24）;Louisiana（Art。5）;Mississippi（Art。5）;
Alabama（Art。6）;Pennsylvania（Art。4），crimescommittedinthenon—performanceofofficialduties。IntheStatesofIllinois，Georgia，Maine，andConnecticut，noparticularoffencesarespecified。
AppendixO
ItistruethatthepowersofEuropemaycarryonmaritimewarswiththeUnion;butthereisalwaysgreaterfacilityandlessdangerinsupportingamaritimethanacontinentalwar。
Maritimewarfareonlyrequiresonespeciesofeffort。A
commercialpeoplewhichconsentstofurnishitsgovernmentwiththenecessaryfunds，issuretopossessafleet。Anditisfareasiertoinduceanationtopartwithitsmoney，almostunconsciously，thantoreconcileittosacrificesofmenandpersonalefforts。Moreover，defeatbyseararelycompromisestheexistenceorindependenceofthepeoplewhichenduresit。Asforcontinentalwars，itisevidentthatthenationsofEuropecannotbeformidableinthiswaytotheAmericanUnion。ItwouldbeverydifficulttotransportandmaintaininAmericamorethan25，000soldiers;anarmywhichmaybeconsideredtorepresentanationofabout2，000，000ofmen。ThemostpopulousnationofEuropecontendinginthiswayagainsttheUnion，isinthepositionofanationof2，000，000ofinhabitantsatwarwithoneof12，000，000。Addtothis，thatAmericahasallitsresourceswithinreach，whilsttheEuropeanisat4，000milesdistancefromhis;andthattheimmensityoftheAmericancontinentwouldofitselfpresentaninsurmountableobstacletoitsconquest。
AppendixP
ThefirstAmericanjournalappearedinApril，1704，andwaspublishedatBoston。See"CollectionoftheHistoricalSocietyofMassachusetts，"vol。vi。p。66。ItwouldbeamistaketosupposethattheperiodicalpresshasalwaysbeenentirelyfreeintheAmericancolonies:anattemptwasmadetoestablishsomethinganalogoustoacensorshipandpreliminarysecurity。
ConsulttheLegislativeDocumentsofMassachusettsofJanuary14，1722。TheCommitteeappointedbytheGeneralAssembly（thelegislativebodyoftheprovince）forthepurposeofexaminingintocircumstancesconnectedwithapaperentitled"TheNewEnglandCourier，"expressesitsopinionthat"thetendencyofthesaidjournalistoturnreligionintoderisionandbringitintocontempt;thatitmentionsthesacredwritersinaprofaneandirreligiousmanner;thatitputsmaliciousinterpretationsupontheconductoftheministersoftheGospel;andthattheGovernmentofhisMajestyisinsulted，andthepeaceandtranquillityoftheprovincedisturbedbythesaidjournal。TheCommitteeisconsequentlyofopinionthattheprin...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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