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The American Philosophy of Government and Its Effect on International Relations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2017

Alpheus Henry Snow
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Extract

Until quite recent times, it would have been unprofitable, in the case of most nations, to inquire what the philosophy of government held by the people was, or what effect it had on the foreign relations of the nation, or on international relations generally. There were few nations in which the people were so enlightened and expressed themselves so fully that it was possible to distinguish and define the particular philosophy of government held by them; and even if it had been possible to do so, it would have been of little use to try to discover what effect this philosophy had on international relations, since the fact was that it had little or no effect. The people of each nation, ignorant of foreign affairs by reason of the difficulties of travel and communication, allowed the executive to control the foreign relations under the advice of a council in the selection of which they had no voice, and representing certain privileged classes of persons who used the power of the nation as means to accomplish such ends as they thought desirable.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , April 1914 , pp. 191 - 212
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 1914

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References

1 Logan v. United States, 144 U. S. 263, 293.

2 Downes v. Bidwell, 182 U. S. 244, 282.

3 Logan v. United States, 144 U. S. 263, 293.

4 This collation was made in the Instructions of the President to the Commission for taking over the Civil Government of the Philippines from the Military Authorities, dated April 7, 1900, and is quoted in Kepner v. United States, 196 U. S. 100, 12.3. In those instructions it was declared that “there are certain great principles of government which have been made the basis of our governmental system, which we deem essential to the rule of law and the maintenance of individual freedom,” and that “there are certain practical rules of government which we have found to be essential to the preservation of these great principles of liberty and law.” The above quoted constitutional prohibitions were spoken of as the “rules of government” which are “inviolable.” See further on this subject an article on “The American Philosophy of Government and its Application to the Annexed Countries,” by the author of this article, in the Proceedings of the American Political Science Association for 1913, Vol. 10, p. 76.

5 Kepner v. United States, 195 U. S. 100, 122, 123.

6 Hawaii v. Mankichi, 190 U. S. 197, 217; Kepner v. United States, 195 U. S. 100, 123; Dorr v. United States, 195 U. S. 138, 144, 148.

7 6th Ed. 1912, Pars. 154, 157.