摘要
美利坚独立革命的烽火首先从乡镇(波士顿、康科德、莱克星顿)点燃,并在乡镇联合行动中逐步形成燎原之势。1780年,在麻萨诸塞,新的邦宪条款的制定可以说是参加制宪大会(convention)的代表与他们各自所代表的乡镇民众不断讨论斟酌的结果,其中大、小乡镇之间围绕邦议会代表权、行政职位的设置、司法权的地位、邦与各乡镇之关系等现实议题的争论正是七年后费城合众国立宪大会的现实依据和学理基础。在丹尼尔.谢斯(Daniel Shays)及其率领的自耕农(Regulators)看来,麻萨诸塞政府已经成为东部商业利益集团谋取私利的工具,设在波士顿的新政府日趋脱离人民,走向专制,为此人民有责任揭竿而起,驱逐波士顿的权力精英,捍卫《独立宣言》的基本原则;同样,在南、北战争前夕的南部种植园主看来,联邦政府已被以林肯及其共和党代表的东北部利益集团所操控,美利坚国家的立国原则遭到破坏,而南部"美利坚联众国"(the Confederate States of America)的使命正是意在捍卫美利坚国父们的立国精神。为此,对乡镇的历史考察和现实观照无疑是推进我们理解当代美国政治和美利坚政治文化的关键环节,本文正是这一努力的初步尝试。
The flames of American Independence War was started from such towns as Boston,Concord,Lexington,etc.,the union of towns helped spread the flames all over the Thirteen Colonies.At Massachusetts Convention of 1780,the making of the State Constitution is the deliberation among townships over representation,executive and judicial powers,the relationship between towns and the State government,these issues became the theoretical and practical basis of the Philadelphia Convention seven years later.In the eyes of Daniel Shays and his Regulators,the government of Massachusetts commonwealth has been abused by those commercial interests in Boston,their rebellion is just a noble attempt to uphold the fundamentals of the Declaration of Independence;In the eyes of those slave owners in the South during the Civil War,the Federal government has been manipulated by those rapacious Yankees represented by Lincoln and his Republican politicians,the principles of American Founding Fathers are under threat.The Confederate States of America is commissioned to save those principles.A historical examination of New England township and its significance in the creation of the Republic is the starting point to advance our understanding of American politics and political culture.
出处
《甘肃行政学院学报》
2011年第6期4-23,123,共20页
Journal of Gansu Administration Institute
