Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-11-20
The Political Contract.


Tho gravest error which can be
committed in politics is to consider the
state as ono sole organism, WIN it
should be considered series Of organ
isms, independent among themselves,
but also related and united. IF We
consider the state as one sole organism.
We fall into the error Of the French
democratic policy, Of creating an almost
absolutist Convention, and converting
it into a general dispenser Of all right
and the only mediator among all insti-
buttons. Hence there results soon
after setting up such a machine, either
revolution, and with it the government
of party, or dictatorship, aud with
it the government Of q man. Consid.
sring the state as series Of organisms,
it follows that We must recognize the
personality with its autonomy and its
rights, the particular state or province
with its autonomy and its rights, the
central state or nation being the key OF
these rights, and the guarantee Of all
these necessary and different autonom-
les. And when the state is so under
stood, the best manner Of assuring it,
existence is in the political contract
The political contract must never be
confused with the social contract.
The latter is mere fiction. The politi-
cal contract is the fundamental pact in
which the rights of free persons are
made to agree with the faculties Of the
public powers. The contract supposcs
reciprocal rights aud duties. 1t sup
poses that no one can exact respect for
his authority except in return for the
ful6Ilment of his duty. Thus the Cit
liens retain the fullness Of their right,
and impose upon the state the duty OF
recognizing and respecting them
municipalities contract with a partic-
ular state for reciprocal rights and du-
tics by means of municipal charters
analogous to our ancient town charters.
The particular states or provinces write
their respective constitutions, where
are defined the powers which they are
to reserve and these which they are to
relinqu!sh to tho central state or na-
ton. This form Of government, which
distributes authority and liberty equally
throughout the social organism, is not
only in harmony with the most perfect
public rights, but in harmony, aIso. with
the only international right which can
assure perpetual peace upon the desola.
tedsoil Of Europe. The United States,
which brought this form of govern.
ment to perfection, have nerited well
Of humanity; and this not only for the
ideal Of justice and democracy which
they raised up in the last century, but
elso for the practical school Of repubii-
can and federal policy which they offer
to-day as the only policy strong enough
to insure perpetual peace. "Kings,
said one Of the most eloquent defenders
Of the harmonic philosophy-"kings
have placed on their banners as sym.
bols, either ferocious wild beasts, such
as lions and leopards, or ravenous
birds the American people display
their stars, showing tha. each State
forms world apart, and all the States
are associated aud mutually sustained
in the wide space Of the federal re-
public"
Thus it is that history moves for
ward toward the foundation Of the
United States in all continents--unitcd
states which shall form the human
federation. This formula Of politics
defines the beginning of mature agc ir
the human race, and Of the harmonic
age in history. Thus, as thought il
thesis, .ant;,hesis, and synthesis; the
universe unity, variety, and harmony
the celestial mechanism attraction, re-
pulsion, and equilibrium; the organi,
vegetable world, fixed to the earth
the animal, which moves and resists
the human race, or the synthetic
species, humanity, is Infancy, you'll
aid manhood; death resembling birth
so history is, first, the Edenic or paradi
sale age; second, the aye Of opposition
third, the age Of harmony.-EMILrc
CASTELAR,, in Harper's Magazine /o'
November.