Having written extensively on various aspects of the American constitutional order; Edward S. Corwin is considered a leading constitutional scholar of the twentieth century. Alpheus Mason described Corwin’s writings as “sources of learning and understanding—hallmarks to emulate and revere.†The “Higher Law†Background of American Constitutional Law is of unique value in connecting the Western European experience—from the classical world; the Middle Ages; and the seventeenth-century thought of Coke and Locke—to the American founding. This renowned work provides a bold and accurate outline of the tradition behind the “higher law†of the United States and places in historical context the political philosophy underlying the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution. This volume addresses questions such as: • Where did the idea of a “higher law†originate? • How has it been able to survive and in what transformations? • What special forms of it are of particular interest for historians and political theorists? • How was it brought to America and wrought into the American system of government? As Clinton Rossiter notes in his prefatory note; “No one can come away from reading [Higher Law] without realizing how much we in America are part of Western civilization. The men we meet in the pages of this essay—Demosthenes; Sophocles; Aristotle; Cicero; Seneca; Ulpian; Gaius; John of Salisbury; Isidore of Seville; St. Thomas Aquinas; Bracton; Fortescue; Coke; Grotius; Newton; Hooker; Pufendorf; Locke; Blackstone—all insisted that the laws by which men live can and should be the ‘embodiment of essential and unchanging justice;’ and we may salute them respectfully as founding fathers of our experiment in ordered liberty.†In this volume Corwin demonstrates how the concept of a higher law developed and was understood by the leading thinkers of the American Revolutionary period as well as how the ideal of the higher law impacted the creation of the American Constitution. Students; scholars; and general interested readers of constitutional law and political theory will find inspiration in the pages of The “Higher Law†Background of American Constitutional Law. Edward S. Corwin (1878–1963) served as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University from 1908 to 1946.
#1056540 in Books North Point Press 1999-10-25 1999-10-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .3 x 5.50l; .60 #File Name: 0865475784336 pages
Review
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Interesting but spotty in coverage. Not comprehensive.By Paul Eckler"Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World;" by Larry Zuckerman; North Point Press; NY; 1998. This 320 p. paperback tells the story of the potato; but the focus is the Irish potato famine of the late 1840s. The potato was discovered by the Spanish in South America in 1537; but was not adopted in Europe until the late 18th Century. The book contrasts the spread of potato cultivation in Ireland; Britain; France and the USA.The potato was especially well adapted to the Irish climate; where the poor often farmed a typical 5 acre plot. High productivity favored potato growing. Six tons of potatoes would support a family of six for a year. High rents and absentee landlords squeezed the poor. Population growth; large families; and early marriage contributed to the problem. The population was dependent on potatoes. When potato blight struck (1845-49); millions starved. A simultaneous cholera epidemic added to the disaster. The population in Ireland fell by half. In 1883; a mixture of copper sulfate and lime proved an effective fungicide that controlled potato blight.The Penalty Laws which blocked land ownership are mentioned; but the book does not mention the suspension of the laws of primogenitor; which caused farms to be divided into ever smaller plots. Zuckerman dismisses the Corn Laws; supporting high grain prices; as symbolic. These laws suggest the British intended to starve Irish Catholics. (Meanwhile; high spirited American colonists went to war over taxes on their tea.)In England; class differentials labeled root crops; including the potato; as food for animals or the poor. Along with the tomato; also of the nightshade family; both were thought to be poisonous. Meat was the traditional food; and meat sauces made with animal fats were popular. The "meat and potato" diet came about only slowly; but potatoes appear in some reports in mid-18th Century. That seemed to correlate with the construction of canals making wider distribution of bulky products practical. Potatoes were generally accepted by all classes by 1795; as an important auxiliary to bread. Baked potatoes were sold on the streets of London beginning in the 1820s. They were sometimes purchased as hand warmers in winter.In France; the potato was initially regarded with disgust. Grain was preferred. Parmentier promoted growing potatoes. He had been a prisoner of the Prussians during the Seven Years War (1756-63); and survived on a diet of potatoes. After failure of the French grain crop in 1788; Louis XIV had a pamphlet on potato cultivation distributed. After more resistance; potato cultivation finally took hold in the time of Napoleon (early 1800s).In the US; Irish potatoes were known by the 1760s; but reports easily confuse them with Spanish potatoes; i.e.; sweet potatoes and yams. Although some were reported earlier; they may have been popularized by the Irish who fled the potato famine. Other immigrants such as the Scots may have contributed to their acceptance.The book includes an extensive discussion of American rural diet focusing on corn and salt pork or bacon; but with no mention of the kitchen garden. There is no mention of Burpees (from 1876) or Gurney's; traditional purveyors of garden seeds. Eventually the Burbank potato became the Russet. The potato chip was invented in Saratoga Springs; NY; in 1850. It was supplied commercially in barrels beginning in 1895; and in wax paper bags beginning in the 1930s. French fries (or pommes frites) originated in France around 1870. The story of their importation to the US is omitted. (World War I GIs brought them back from Belgium where they were served with mayonnaise.) The story of J.R. Simplot; developer of dehydrated potatoes; instant mashed potatoes; and frozen French fries; is omitted. Fish and chips began in England in about 1900. Their popularity signified the acceptance of fresh fish in the working class diet.Zuckerman tells parts of the story of the potato quite well; but coverage is spotty. Much of the story of the discovery; transportation to Europe; and gradual acceptance is missing. The book seems to jump to the middle of the story-its acceptance in Ireland contrasted with other parts of Northern Europe. Yet; the potato first arrived in Southern Europe. The book tells a compelling story; but the depth of the research seems inconsistent. One suspects other books are more complete. Notes; bibliography; index.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Peter GEasy read; good book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Potato DiariesBy Sathari SinghCool book on history of the potato-a different way to look at history worth a read. Relaxing and full of keen info.
