north america-2-第75章

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f　George　III。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　even　with　us　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　constitutional　Prime　Minister；　and　that　our　Prime　Minister　is　not　placed　above　the　other　ministers　in　any　manner　that　is　palpable　to　the　senses。　　He　is　paid　no　more　than　the　others；　he　has　no　superior　title；　he　does　not　take　the　highest　rank　among　them；　he　never　talks　of　his　subordinates；　but　always　of　his　colleagues；　he　has　a　title　of　his　own；　that　of　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；　but　it　implies　no　headship　in　the　cabinet。　　That　he　is　the　head　of　all　political　power　in　the　nation；　the　Atlas　who　has　to　bear　the　globe；　the　god　in　whose　hands　rest　the　thunderbolts　and　the　showers；　all　men　do　know。　　No　man's　position　is　more　assured　to　him。　But　the　bounds　of　that　position　are　written　in　no　book；　are　defined　by　no　law；　have　settled　themselves　not　in　accordance　with　the　recorded　wisdom　of　any　great　men；　but　as　expediency　and　the　fitness　of　political　things　in　Great　Britain　have　seemed　from　time　to　time　to　require。　　This　drifting　of　great　matters　into　their　proper　places　is　not　as　closely　in　accordance　with　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　American　people　as　it　is　with　our　own。　　They　would　prefer　to　define　by　words；　as　the　French　do；　what　shall　be　the　exact　position　of　every　public　servant　connected　with　their　government；　or　rather　of　every　public　servant　with　whom　the　people　shall　be　held　as　having　any　concern。　　But　nevertheless；　I　think　it　will　come　to　pass　that　a　cabinet　will　gradually　form　itself　at　Washington　as　it　has　done　at　London；　and　that　of　that　cabinet　there　will　be　some　recognized　and　ostensible　chief。　But　a　Prime　Minister　in　the　United　States　can　never　take　the　place　there　which　is　taken　here　by　our　Premier。　　Over　our　Premier　there　is　no　one　politically　superior。　　The　highest　political　responsibility　of　the　nation　rests　on　him。　　In　the　States　this　must　always　rest　on　the　President；　and　any　minister；　whatever　may　be　his　name　or　assumed　position；　can　only　be　responsible　through　the　President。　　And　it　is　here　especially　that　the　working　of　the　United　States　system　of　government　seems　to　me　deficientappears　as　though　it　wanted　something　to　make　it　perfect　and　round　at　all　points。　　Our　ministers　retire　from　their　offices　as　do　the　Presidents；　and　indeed　the　ministerial　term　of　office　with　us；　though　of　course　not　fixed；　is　in　truth　much　shorter　than　the　presidential　term　of　four　years。　　But　our　ministers　do　not　in　fact　ever　go　out。　　At　one　time　they　take　one　position；　with　pay；　patronage；　and　power；　and　at　another　time　another　position；　without　these　good　things；　but　in　either　position　they　are　acting　as　public　men；　and　are　in　truth　responsible　for　what　they　say　and　do。　　But　the　President；　on　whom　it　is　presumed　that　the　whole　of　the　responsibility　of　the　United　States　government　rests；　goes　out　at　a　certain　day；　and　of　him　no　more　is　heard。　　There　is　no　future　before　him　to　urge　him　on　to　constancy；　no　hope　of　other　things　beyond；　of　greater　honors　and　a　wider　fame；　to　keep　him　wakeful　in　his　country's　cause。　　He　has　already　enrolled　his　name　on　the　list　of　his　country's　rulers；　and　received　what　reward　his　country　can　give　him。　　Conscience；　duty；　patriotism　may　make　him　true　to　his　place。　　True　to　his　place；　in　a　certain　degree；　they　will　make　him。　　But　ambition　and　hope　of　things　still　to　come　are　the　moving　motives　of　the　minds　of　most　men。　　Few　men　can　allow　their　energies　to　expand　to　their　fullest　extent　in　the　cold　atmosphere　of　duty　alone。　　The　President　of　the　States　must　feel　that　he　has　reached　the　top　of　the　ladder；　and　that　he　soon　will　have　done　with　life。　　As　he　goes　out　he　is　a　dead　man。　　And　what　can　be　expected　from　one　who　is　counting　the　last　lingering　hours　of　his　existence？　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time；〃　Mr。　Buchanan　is　reported　to　have　said；　when　a　friend　spoke　to　him　with　warning　voice　of　the　coming　rebellion。　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time。〃　　In　the　old　days；　before　democracy　had　prevailed　in　upsetting　that　system　of　presidential　election　which　the　Constitution　had　intended　to　fix　as　permanent；　the　Presidents　were　generally　re…elected　for　a　second　term。　　Of　the　first　seven　Presidents　five　were　sent　back　to　the　White　House　for　a　second　period　of　four　years。　　But　this　has　never　been　done　since　the　days　of　General　Jackson；　nor　will　it　be　done；　unless　a　stronger　conservative　reaction　takes　place　than　the　country　even　as　yet　seems　to　promise。　　As　things　have　lately　ordered　themselves；　it　may　almost　be　said　that　no　man　in　the　Union　would　be　so　improbable　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency　as　the　outgoing　President。　　And　it　has　been　only　natural　that　it　should　be　so。　Looking　at　the　men　themselves　who　have　lately　been　chosen；　the　fault　has　not　consisted　in　their　non…re…election；　but　in　their　original　selection。　　There　has　been　no　desire　for　great　men；　no　search　after　a　man　of　such　a　nature　that；　when　tried；　the　people　should　be　anxious　to　keep　him。　　〃It　will　not　be　in　my　time；〃　says　the　expiring　President。　　And　so；　without　dismay；　he　sees　the　empire　of　his　country　slide　away　from　him。　A　President；　with　the　possibility　of　re…election　before　him；　would　be　as　a　minister　who　goes　out　knowing　that　he　may　possibly　come　in　again　before　the　session　is　over；　and；　perhaps；　believing　that　the　chances　of　his　doing　so　are　in　his　favor。　　Under　the　existing　political　phase　of　things　in　the　United　States；　no　President　has　any　such　prospect；　but　the　ministers　of　the　President　have　that　chance。　It　is　no　uncommon　thing　at　present　for　a　minister　under　one　President　to　reappear　as　a　minister　under　another；　but　a　statesman　has　no　assurance　that　he　will　do　so　because　he　has　shown　ministerial　capacity。　　We　know　intimately　the　names　of　all　our　possible　ministerstoo　intimately　as　some　of　us　thinkand　would　be　taken　much　by　surprise　if　a　gentleman　without　an　official　reputation　were　placed　at　the　head　of　a　high　office。　　If　something　of　this　feeling　prevailed　as　to　the　President's　cabinet；　if　there　were　some　assurance　that　competent　statesmen　would　be　appointed　as　Secretaries　of　State；　a　certain　amount　of　national　responsibility　would　by　degrees　attach　itself　to　them；　and　the　President's　shoulders　would；　to　that　amount；　be　lightened。　　As　it　is；　the　President　pretends　to　bear　a　burden　which；　if　really　borne；　would　indicate　the　possession　of　Herculean　shoulders。　　But；　in　fact；　the　burden　at　present　is　borne　by　no　one。　　The　government　of　the　United　States　is　not　in　truth　responsible　either　to　the　people　or　to　Congress。　But　these　ministers；　if　it　be　desired　that　they　shall　have　weight　in　the　country；　should　sit　in　Congress　either　as　Senators　or　as　Representatives。　　That　they　cannot　so　sit　without　an　amendment　of　the　Constitution；　I　have　explained　in　the　previous　chapter；　and　any　such　amendment　cannot　be　very　readily　made。　　Without　such　seats　they　cannot　really　share　the　responsibility　of　the　President；　or　be　in　any　degree　amenable　to　public　opinion　for　the　advice　which　they　give　in　their　public　functions。　　It　will　be　said　that　the　Constitution　has　expressly　intended　that　they　should　not　be　responsible；　and　such；　no　doubt；　has　been　the　case。　　But　the　Constitution；　good　as　it　is；　cannot　be　taken　as　perfect。　　The　government　has　become　greater　than　seems　to　have　been　contemplated　w