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3. System of Government
- Indiana University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
3 System of Government The ancient political philosophy of our country speci¤ed seven features of a kingdom; namely, Ruler, Minister, Ally, Treasury, Nation,Forts,and Army.Kingdom meant the country under a king’s dominion, and the chief feature of the kingdom was the ruler or king. This has led to the general belief that the nation, the treasury or wealth of the country, the subjects, etc., were created solely for the comfort and happiness of the king. In accordance with the barbaric custom described in the proverb “Might is right,” which has prevailed since ancient times, the king was God and controlled the destinies of his subjects.The sayings1 that the subjects model themselves on the king and that the king shapes the times clearly show how the king’s sovereign rule over his subjects and his freedom to do as he wished had earlier made a strong impression upon the minds of the people. It did not even occur to the people of ancient times that a country could do well without a king, that is, without a strong ruler. This is probably why they identi¤ed “chaos” or “disorder” as “anarchy,” that is, a country without a king, or lacking the authority of a king. Such a belief does not at all exist in the republican nation of the United States. Here there is no king and there are no subjects; even so, the system of government in this nation is the best possible, and there is no “chaos” or “disorder.” The chief object of this chapter is to explain the reason why this is so. The excellent principle on whose ¤rm foundation this marvelous republican nation is built is summarized in the following sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,2 that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The principle which supports all these things assumes equality among the inhabitants of this nation. All its laws, customs and manners, and ideas are based upon this eternal truth. There is no room whatsoever for arguing that a particular right is available to one person but not to another ; therefore the distinction between high and low classes and families does not arise. There is only one American community. In our country there was only one caste in the eon known as Kritayuga,3 which is why all people acted in unison and were happy and equal. Similarly there is only one community in this nation, which is why it enjoys the greatest possible happiness arising from unity. Anyone who boasts about his particular community or lineage is regarded as having insulted the greater American community. Liberty, the patron goddess of the Americans, inscribes the name “American citizen”i on the forehead of any person (except the Chinese) who enters the country.4 The fortunate person whose forehead sparkles with this inscription considers himself to be in possession of greater honor and distinction than the thousands of other people who wear gem-studded crowns. It would not be surprising if kings and princes who wear crowns of gems envy such a person. The basic principle of American citizens is that theirs is a government “of the people, for the people, and by the people.” The vote of Presidents such as Washington , Lincoln, and Grant, or of learned men such as Franklin, Jefferson, and Emerson, does not carry any more weight than the vote of a lowly Negro citizen. Nor is there a single citizen who does not enjoy any of the citizen’s rights which were available to those famous people. The different States within the United States have quite dissimilar systems of administration and different types of laws. When the country came under the rule of the people, the prevalent English laws were retained with a slight change. But, as the people progressed and changed their views, the old laws also underwent a gradual alteration. The new States which have been incorporated into the nation during the last forty years or so are very American and have simple laws. Even the old States are gradually following their new siblings. Local Government The Federal Government is only a larger form of the local and state governments . Local government is like a seed, and it is a self-evident truth that the Federal Government, which grows out of it like a tree, will be of the...