Page:James Bryce American Commonwealth vol 1.djvu/364



Americans have long been agreed that the only possible form of government for their country is a Federal one. All have perceived that a centralized system would be inexpedient, if not unworkable, over so large an area, and have still more strongly felt that to cut up the continent into absolutely independent States would not only involve risks of war but injure commerce and retard in a thousand ways the material development of every part of the country. But regarding the nature of the Federal tie that ought to exist there have been keen and frequent controversies, dormant at present, but which might break out afresh should there arise a new question of social or economic change capable of bringing the powers of Congress into collision with the wishes of any State or group of States. The general suitability to the country of a Federal system is therefore accepted, and need not be discussed. I pass to consider the strong and weak points of that which exists.

The faults generally charged on federations as compared with unified governments are the following:—

I. Weakness in the conduct of foreign affairs.

II. Weakness in home government, that is to say, deficient authority over the component States and the individual citizens.

III. Liability to dissolution by the secession or rebellion of States.

IV. Liability to division into groups and factions by the formation of separate combinations of the component States.

V. Want of uniformity among the States in legislation and administration.

VI. Trouble, expense, and delay due to the complexity of a double system of legislation and administration.