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DEMOCRACY IN THE UNITED STATES.

1.-FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.

FORMS of government have been undergoing changes since the first peopling of the world, commencing with the patriarchs. Nearly every form has been tried, in almost every country, with ever-varying success. We have seen in Rome and the Grecian states, and other places, republican forms of government prevail for a time. These have been changed to others resting upon a more doubtful foundation. Much of the world is ruled by abso lute sovereigns, who make laws for themselves, and construe and execute them, all at their pleasure. In a few countries, like Great Britain, the regal power is restrained by legislative author ity, which is in fact elective by the people. A purely democratic form of government, like that once existing in Athens, is impracticable in countries like ours. The people cannot all assemble and act upon questions as they may arise. This form is also open to the objection, that large multitudes of men are often swayed by passion and popular appeals, instead of being governed by reason and reflection. A government of this form, when urged on by excitement, plays the tyrant without restraint or remedy.

In our own country, we set the first example of written constitutions, conferring upon the majority, with certain limitations, full power to govern, through representatives chosen by the people. Although not free from defects, this is the best form of government yet devised by man. Ample time is allowed the

elector in selecting his agents. These are accountable to him for the manner of performing their duties. These agents have the full benefit of ample discussion before they act. Responsibility is brought home to them. Broad errors will defeat their prospects of future service, or hope of promotion. Both the people and their representatives act with more deliberation than large masses of men, who neither owe nor feel responsibility to any one for any thing their interests or passions may induce them to do.

Under our written constitutions both the people and their agents are restrained in the exercise of their powers to such matters as they can act upon intelligently and successfully for the public good. Under the State governments the legislative power is so distributed as to prevent combinations, or excited or local action. The most numerous branch is selected from a limited territory and for a short period, and the least numerous from a larger one and for a longer term. The Chief Magistrate, who is armed with a veto, is selected from the whole State. Local feelings, short-lived excitements, and combinations can seldom extend to all. The action of each is a check upon the other, and tends to secure the thoughtful and wise action of all.

The national Government is clothed with large powers, carved out of those once belonging to each State. These have been surrendered for the common good of all. One branch of its Legislature is elected by the people every two years, from a limited territory, by nearly universal suffrage. The other branch is elected by the States, and not by the people, for a term of six years. This branch has the same functions with one exception as the more numerous branch, and exercises an advisory limitation upon the treaty-making and appointing powers of the Executive. The President is clothed with a limited veto-power, which strongly tends to prevent hasty and ill-advised action of the two Houses. Under both State and national Governments a judicial department is established, before which all questions of legal right and constitutional power can be deliberately contested. Where the law-making power has exceeded the boundaries of its authority, it declares its enactments null and void. Under both constitutions the powers of the Chief Executive, all subordinate officials down

to a country magistrate, are carefully hedged about, with the view of securing to the citizen every right to which he is entitled. As defects are discovered, new remedies are devised and applied to secure the independence of man. If, with all these precautions, wrong creeps in, it is more likely to be the fault of the agent than of the system. We cannot expect perfection in either, while we reflect that all heavenly bodies vary more or less from their regular orbit, producing an occasional partial or total eclipse.

2.-PARTY NAMES.

Party names seldom indicate the real principles of a party. They are generally conferred by their adversaries, and not unfrequently in derision and to excite prejudice. Whig, Tory, and Roundhead, are terms not indicating political principles. They originally meant horsemen, robbers, and men with short-cropped hair. In this country each State has had its local party names, while the national Government has had several, mostly unmeaning terms arbitrarily applied. Originally "Federalist" meant one who favored the adoption of the Federal Constitution, but was subsequently applied to those who sought by stretching and construction to make it extend beyond what its framers intended it should embrace, and afterward to those who opposed the War of 1812. They became the successors of the Tories. A Republican was one who favored a republican form of government, where the will of the people controlled, in contradistinction to one where there was a mixture of aristocracy, as in Switzerland. It included those opposed to federalism, and continued until the administration of Mr. Monroe, when many of the leaders of the Federal party announced that they "had no longer any ground of principle to stand upon," and disbanded it. When the "National Republican " party was formed during the administration of the second Adams, it put forth no formal political platform. The Republicans then assumed the name "Democratic party," which appellation the party still bears. The term indicates certain well-settled principles broadly known to mankind, and exercising an influence more or less extensive throughout the civilized

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