MEN I HAVE PAINTED
hereditary and nominative, the second elective, with certain well-defined powers, the most important being the right of veto by the House of Lords.
The government of the United States was established upon the same principle, under a written Constitution. The House of Representatives holds the position of the House of Commons, the Senate corresponds to the House of Lords, the President and his Cabinet to the Prime Minister and his Ministers. One element is lacking, the sovereign. The system is entirely elective, excepting in the case of the members of the Cabinet, who are nominated by the President. The government of the United States is consequently incomplete, because there is no spiritual head to whom all the people can be loyally attached. But there is one paramount power in the government of the Republic—the Senate: while in England the Second Chamber has already been divested of its powers, and the Commons are fast losing their authority, and autocratic procedure is being usurped by Prime Ministers, the Senate of the United States is reaffirming its rights and privileges under the Constitution, and becoming more potent for good every day. And it would be strange indeed if a nation that organized its government on the principle of rule by the delegates of the people should allow one delegate, even though he be the chief magistrate, to arrogate to himself a preponderating influence in either internal or foreign affairs. In a crisis it may be well for one man to possess almost dictatorial powers, but it is a healthier and saner sign when counsels emanate from the council chamber, and not from the cabinet of the roi de fait.
The following letters were published in the Pall Mall Gazette. Ten years later it is not uninstructive to contrast
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