The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-14 00:00:00

The Constitution of the U:

rnited States.

A book, which promises to be a valuable addition
to American literature, though in French, is in
course of publication at Paris, by Dr. Thomas W.
Evans.
L'llistoire Populaire des Etats Unis consists of a
series of letters from the doctor to his late nephew.
In view of the public interest excited by the Recon-
struction Bill, the author has published a chapter
from this work. This pamphlet, in a concise and
clear manner, gives an outline of the constitution
of the Union.
To Europeans the difficulty of understanding the
Government discussed lies in the fact, that the
Union consists of a number of sovereign States,
federated into one supreme Government. As each
State has its own Legislative, Executive, and Ju-
dicial functions, foreigners do not find it easy to
understand how complications can be avoided, and
lines distinctly marked, where the power of each
begins and ends. Indeed this difficulty has furnished
a grave matter of dispute among these States—a
dispute which has been settled more by the sword
than by argument. Though Dr. Evans enters on
no arguments to prove that legally the North was
in the right, and the South was in the wrong, the
chapter before us clearly points to such a conclusion.
The pamphlet consists of a simple statement of
the theory and practice of the Constitution. The
Government is built up from the people, and at
short periods returns again and again into their
hands. Thus the varying questions of the day re-
ceive at once the emphatic mark of the people's
decision ; and thus also the Government becomes
wholly and truly a people's Government. The
citizens are kept alive to the importance of their
ever-recurring duty by its constant exercise, while
the very frequency of its exercise prevents undue
excitement.
The Government of each State is the Government
of the Union in miniature—and in all, the powers
of the three great branches are beautifully balanced,
and act as effectual checks on each other. The
whole stand on the fundamental law of the Union,
the Constitution itself.
Dr. Evans enters minutely into the manner Pre-
sidents are elected. He says, "It is dangerous for
" public peace and order to call the whole nation
" directly to elect their President. It would be open
" to improper influences, and would bring on the
" United States the evils which have fallen,
"in all periods of history on
,those nations,
" where the popular vote has decided the
" election of a chief of a great nation. A profound
" and serious examination of every difficulty caused
" the founders of the Union to decide on not confid-
ing to the people in a direct and immediate manner
" the election of their PRESIDENT, but to reduce this
" important decision to a small body of electors." The
Constitution confides to the Legislatures the care of the
Presidential elections, and these electors are named
by the people, under the superintendence of the
Legislatures of each State. The proportion for
each State is the same as that of its representatives
to Congress. The President in office is prevented
from exercising any influence on his successor by
the ordinance, that no member of Congress, nor
any functionary in public employ, can be among
the number of the electors. The Constitution has
willed that Congress shall fix the period when these
electors are to be named, and the day on which
they are to vote. That vote is to be simultaneous
in each State, and the interval has been fixed at 34
days from the nomination of the electors to the
election of the President. At the same time,
and by the same body, the Vice-President is
selected from the list of candidates, who must
all be constitutionally eligible to succeed, in case
of necessity, to the office of President. The list of
votes after being duly signed and sealed are trans-
mitted to the seat of Government, addressed to the
President of the Senate. These lists are opened on
the day fixed by the Constitution in the presence o
both Chambers, the votes counted, and the Pres

dent and Vice-President named. In case of the
death or incapacity of the President he is succeeded
by the Vice-President, and in default of the Vice-
President, by the Provisional President of the Se-
nate, and, failing him, by the President of the
House of Representatives. Thus the election is
secured for the full term of four years, and no
second election of President within that term can
be requisite. For instance, Abraham Lincoln
was re-elected President for the present term, and
shortly after murdered ; Andrew Johnson, Vice-
President, and as such President of the Senate suc-
ceeded. In case of his death, incapacity, or dis-
missal, the Senator who now fills the office he
vacated, as Provisional President of the Senate,
would succeed Mr. Johnson. In default of that
Provisional President of the Senate, the office of
President of the Republie would devolve on the

President of the Chamber of Representatives
Prior to 1792, failing President and Vice-Presi-

dent, Congress had power to appoint a functionary
till the people could elect another President, but in
that year the Constitution was altered to the pre-

sent form. We have seen, during the great War,

how powerful the Executive of the Government is.

During the last six years Mr. Lincoln and Mr.

Johnson have assumed powers and decreed acts

which no English monarch would have presumed to

do, and this in the teeth of powerful opposition.
Yet an American President is not hedged round by
the Divine Right which encircles a King, and by
the theory he can do no wrong--" The inviolability

' of any functionary whatever is incompatible in
effect with Republican theory as well as funda-

" mental principles of justice. The President, the
" Vice-President, and all other officers of Govern-

ment, can be arraigned by the Chamber of Repro-
" sentatives for intriguing, for treason, &c., and
" deposed, if condemned, by the Senate. If, then, the
" sentiment of duty, the force of public opinion, the
ti transitory nature of his mission, do not suffice to
ti guard the Republic against the abuses of Execu-
tive Power, the Chamber of Representatives can
" arrest the President in his career."

Thus, we see, that when the Representatives
threaten to impeach the President, it may become
no idle talk, but a stern reality, for they hold the
most unquestionable power to do so.

The subject of the Constitution of the United
States is of such vital interest, and the ignorance
which preKails in this country regarding it so
general, that we will continue our remarks in our
next issue.—Anglo-ilmerican Times.

CHLOROFORM FOR BEES.—A writer in the Maine
Farmer says:—" Having bad little satisfaction and much
trouble in fumigating bees with puff ball, ece., I bethought
me to try chloroform, and shall never use anything else in
future. I put about ten drops on a bit of rag, pushed it
under the hive from behind, and in about five minutes the
bees were all on the bottom board. In this way I united
two small swarms successfully."
The highest salary paid to any man in New Eng-
land is received by the agent of a woollen mill in Massa-
chusetts-115,000. The lowest is believed to be that of a
Methodist preacher, who stated at a late convention in
Boston that his salary for preaching last year was a new
hat and a bushel of apples.
The course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
60 days' sight Is about 1093 per cent. At these rates there
is a profit on the importation of gold from the United
States,

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