CHAPTER III.

Supposed defects of American form of government examined.— Proneness to war.-National feelings towards England.M. de Talleyrand's observations on that subject.-M. Politica. -Advice of Washington on the foreign policy to be adopted by the United States.

MANY objections have been made to the political system of the United States, founded generally upon certain theories, or deduced from observations on the results of governments called Republics that have already existed. The principal defects attributed to the form of government adopted in America are these that the preponderance of the democratic party in the state will force the government into wars and aggressions upon other countries, particularly where national antipathies or predilections exist that the representatives chosen by the mass of the people become mere delegates, whose abilities and judgments are fettered by the popular will-that property must be insecure under such circumstances, and that none but men of low origin and unfitted for high situations will be elected by the classes forming the numerical majority of voters in the United States-that the judicial powers in the state will lose their independence-and that the alleged economy

of the American government is a delusion which only requires some examination of facts to dispel.

First, as to the warlike propensities attributed to Republican Governments, it is evident that the institutions of the United States are not obnoxious to an accusation founded upon a supposed resemblance between the United States and the French republic of the last century. Capt. B. Hall makes some judicious remarks upon this subject when speaking of the possibility of a future invasion of the Canadas*. A country that with a population of 13,000,000 finds a standing army of 6000 ment sufficiently large for all its purposes, is unlikely to embark in wars of ambition, if even territorial acquisition were thought requisite for its strength, which is certainly not the case with America. For the purposes of defensive warfare, there is perhaps no country more formidably provided than the United States at the present day. In 1827, their militia,

* See also Paley. "The advantages of a Republic are, liberty or exemption from needless restrictions; equal laws; regulations adapted to the wants and circumstances of the people; public spirit; frugality; averseness to war, &c." Paley on Different Forms of Government.

† It is somewhat singular that the number of pensioners (all military, as there are no civil pensions granted in the United States) should greatly exceed that of the whole army. They still amount to 16,324, principally men who were engaged in the revolutionary war.

almost precisely similar to the national guard of France in its organization, amounted to upwards of 1,150,000, and all parties agree that few countries are better prepared to resist foreign invasion*.

On the other hand, aggressive wars are little likely to be undertaken by a country so opposed to heavy taxation as America, and where such powerful obstacles exist to the dangerous or unconstitutional ambition of any military leader. It has been asserted that any popular demonstration of national jealousy, or dislike of a particular country, would hurry a Republican administration into warlike measures upon slight grounds, and that in the United States such hostility would be more likely to display itself against Great Britain than any other power, from the alleged dislike and, antipathy pervading all classes towards England and Englishmen. The evidence of this feeling, as regards individuals, cannot be found in many works of late writers, however hostile to the political institutions of America; on the contrary, it is only necessary to open almost any chapter of Capt. Hall's Travels, of Mr. de Roos', or M. Vigne's, &c.†,

* The Quarterly Review admits this, more suo: "The nation may be compared to a great sand-bank, of which all the particles may be good enough in themselves, but which, except for the purpose of destroying any one who attempts to meddle with them, have no principle of joint action," &c.-Vide Quarterly Review, No. XCIII., March, on Domestic Manners of the Americans.' † Capt. Basil Hall, vol. III., p. 2., "The same kindness and

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to find a testimony in favour of the hospitality, the ready and obliging assistance, perfect good-will and civility generally shown to English travellers, which from my own personal experience, and that of my friends, I can fully corroborate. It is indeed so

hospitality were shown to us here (at Washington), as elsewhere ;" &c. &c. Further on, "We never discovered the slightest diminution of that attention by which we had already been so much flattered during the journey ;" and many other passages might be cited from this gentleman's travels to prove the good feeling prevalent towards Englishmen in the United States.

Mr. Stanley, soon after his return from the United States, used the following language in the House of Commons:-"So strong were the ties of a common origin, that an English gentleman travelling in that great Republic is sure to meet with the most hospitable reception, as he well knew by personal experience, that great country was proud to acknowledge its relationship to England, and to recognize the love and attachment it yet felt to the mother country, and would feel for ages."

Capt. de Roos thus expresses his opinion on this subject:"Nothing can be more unfounded than the notion which is generally entertained, that a feeling of rancour and animosity against England and Englishmen pervades the United States."

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Though vilified in our journals, and ridiculed upon our stage, they will be found upon a nearer inspection to be brave, intelligent, kind-hearted, and unprejudiced; though impressed with an ardent, perhaps an exaggerated, admiration of their own country, they speak of others without envy, malignity, or detraction." And again :-" One introduction is sufficient to secure to an Englishman a general and cordial welcome."- "At New York the character of an Englishman is a passport," &c.-" At a public table d'hote, we were treated with the greatest civility by the promiscuous party, who drank the king's health out of compliment to our nation," &c. &c.-Vide also M'Gregor, &c.

strong as to have been observed at a period when political and national feelings were roused, and not unjustly*, and the passions enlisted against English

To place the full annoyance of these matters in a light to be viewed by English people, let us suppose that the Americans and French were to go to war, and that England for once remained neutral-an odd case, I admit, but one which might happen, Next, suppose that a couple of French frigates were chased into Liverpool, and that an American squadron stationed itself off that harbour to watch the motions of these French ships, which had claimed the protection of our neutrality, and were accordingly received into our waters,' I ask, 'would this blockade of Liverpool be agreeable to us, or not?'

"Even if the blockading American frigates did nothing but sail backwards and forwards across the harbour's mouth, or occasionally run up and anchor abreast of the town, it would not, 'I guess,' be very pleasant to be thus superintended. If, however, the American ships, in addition to this legitimate surveillance of their enemy, were to detain off the port, with equal legitimacy of usage, and within a league or so of the light-house, every British ship coming from France, or from a French colony, and if, besides looking over the papers of these ships, to see whether all was regular, they were to open every private letter, in the hope of detecting some trace of French ownership in the cargo, what should we say? And if, out of some twenty ships arrested daily in this manner, one or two ships were to be completely diverted from their course, from time to time, and sent off under a prizemaster to New York for adjudication, I wonder how the Liverpool folks would like it? But if, in addition to this perfectly regular and usual exercise of a belligerent right on the part of the Americans, under such circumstances, we bring in that most awkward and ticklish of questions, the impressment of seamen, let us consider how much the feeling of annoyance, on the part of the English neutral, would be augmented."

"Conceive, for instance, that the American squadron employed