40 UNITED STATES.

the Americans against England, arises out of the writings of English travellers, many of whom, even by their own admission, received the most disinter— ested attentions and kindness from the people of America. These courtesies they have repaid, by pub- lishing all the foibles they could discover; ridiculing the oratory of the public men; and speaking con- temptuously of their government and institutions.

The democratic form of the American government arose, perhaps, as much from necessity, as from any predilection which the leading men of the time cherished for it. There was no one who could assume a claim to sovereign right, and the wealth of the country was too equally divided to give any one person an overwhelming share of power. Washington, Hancock, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, indeed all the distinguished men and heroes of the revolution, were well aware of this circumstance, and they were all too honest and patriotic, to allow ambition, or the love of power, to interfere with the real interests of the nation.

The constitution and laws were, however, as nearly accommodated as possible to the former mode of ad- ministering the government.

The difl‘erent States retained their respective re- presentative governments, much the same as before the revolution, with the power of passing laws for their internal administration; but all the States were united under one general federal government?‘6 This

it Note F. 3"" ‘ , "