The historical audacity of the Louisiana Purchase - Judy Walton

歷史上的大膽行徑：路易斯安那購地案 - Judy Walton

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Coco Shen

Have you heard the one about Thomas Jefferson

你有聽過湯瑪斯．傑佛遜（Thomas Jefferson）

and the Louisiana Territory?

以及路易斯安那地區（Louisiana Territory） 的故事嗎？

Thomas Jefferson, author of The Declaration of Independence,

湯瑪斯．傑佛遜是獨立宣言的作者，

was not a fan of the new constitution presented in 1787.

但他對 1787 年提出的新憲法並不滿意。

He was very worried

他很擔心

that The Constitution gave too much power

這憲法給予新的國家政府

to the new, national government,

太多權力，

and not enough power to the states,

而給各州的太少，

an issue known as "big government".

就是所謂的「大政府」議題。

Jefferson only reluctantly agreed to support it

當他的朋友詹姆斯．麥迪遜（James Madison）

when his friend, James Madison,

答應在憲法通過後 提出權利法案時

promised to propose a bill of rights after it was ratified.

傑佛遜也只有不情願地 同意支持憲法。

But Jefferson's fears about big government did not go away.

但是傑佛遜對於大政府的擔憂 並沒有消失。

For example, Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton,

比如說，財政部長 亞歷山大．漢密爾頓（Alexander Hamilton）

proposed a national bank in 1790,

在 1790 年提議組織國家銀行，

and Jefferson knew there was no provision in The Constitution

而傑佛遜知道憲法裡並沒有

to permit such a thing.

一個條款允許這件事。

Hamilton claimed some sort of implied powers mumbo-jumbo.

漢密爾頓主張憲法有一些隱含權力 之類的胡扯。

Sure, it wasn't written in The Constitution,

當然，它沒寫在憲法裡，

but The Constitution implied that it could be done.

但是憲法默示這件事是可行的。

But, Jefferson wasn't buying it.

但傑佛遜不吃這一套。

Nonetheless, the bank was established

無論如何，銀行還是建立起來了，

by Hamilton and President Washington.

在漢密爾頓和華盛頓總統（Washington） 的手中。

When Jefferson was sworn in as President in 1801,

當 1801 年傑佛遜宣誓就職總統時，

he pledged to reduce the size and scope

他承諾他會降低國家政府的

of the national government.

規模與範圍。

But, of course, things didn't go exactly as he had planned.

但當然地，事情並沒有照他的計劃發展。

Spain secretly transferred the Louisiana Territory to France

當著傑佛遜的面，西班牙秘密地

right beneath Jefferson's nose.

將路易斯安那區轉手給法國，

When Congress found out,

當國會發現時，

they quickly began discussions with France

他們迅速地和法國洽商，

to buy a piece of the territory

要用大約兩百萬元來買

along the Mississippi River for about $2 million.

密西西比河沿岸的一塊地。

But, there was one little problem:

但是，這其中有個小問題：

Jefferson knew there was no provision

傑佛遜知道憲法裡

in The Constitution to buy foreign territory.

並沒有購買外國領土的條款。

So what was a strict constructionist to do?

那麼這位嚴格的 憲法解釋者要怎麼辦呢？

First, he tried to get an amendment to The Constitution passed

首先，他試著讓國會通過 一個憲法修正案，

that would expressly permit the purchase,

這修正案可以迅速地允許購地，

but Congress wasn't willing to do it.

但是國會並不想這麼做。

Then, without permission, the U.S. negotiators in France

接著，在沒有許可之下， 在法國的美國交涉員

cut a deal for all of the territory

談好所有土地的交易，

for a cool $15 million dollars.

只要一千五百萬元。

That new land doubled the size of the nation!

新的土地會讓國家領土變成兩倍！

Now Jefferson was really stuck.

現在傑佛遜真的尷尬了。

He knew that the territory would be a great acquisition for the country,

他知道這塊土地對國家來說 將會是一大收獲，

providing lots of new land for farmers and other settlers,

它可以提供農夫和其它開墾者 大量新的土地，

but how could he constitutionally justify it?

但是這要怎麼得到憲法的合理解釋？

In the end, Jefferson turned to the argument

最終，傑佛遜求助於

used by his old foe Alexander Hamilton.

他的老冤家漢密爾頓的主張。

He claimed that the power to purchase the territory

他聲稱憲法的締約權

is implied in The Constitution's treaty-making power.

有隱含購買這塊領土的權力。

This was the exact argument

而這正是十年前

that he had mocked openly a decade before,

他公然譏諷的主張，

so it must have crushed his pride to have to use it.

他顯然粉碎了他的自尊。

But more importantly,

但更重要的是，

he may have committed the biggest big government play ever!

他可能已經組成有史以來最大的政府！

How ironic is it

這多麼諷刺啊！

that one of the biggest opponents of big government

一個大政府的頭號反對者

doubled the size of the young country

將一個年輕國家的領土變成兩倍，

and did so while openly questioning its constitutionality?

而且這麼做的時候 同時還公然質疑它的合法性。

At $15 million,

一千五百萬，

which is about three cents an acre,

相當於每英畝三分錢，

it has been called by many

這被許多人稱為

the greatest real estate deal

美國有史以來

in the history of the United States.

最划算的不動產交易。