phenomena attending it is the same here as in England, and
this coincidence demonstrates an identity in the causes; but
we fall into theerrour, of cohtemplating the same thing as a
mighty substance and an empty shadow, without reflecting
that the danger lies, not in the feeble body of an ignorant
man, but in an accumulation and concentration of active
powers. For a century past, executive power in England,
has had the address to change its ministers as they became
odious, and to replace them by popular adversaries; retaining the encroachments upon the rights and purses of the
people, which produced the odium, and using the popularity of its new ministers, to make new encroachments: who,
having lost it in performing this work, make room for
others. Thus executive power, working with popular agents.
and armed with gold and iron, has long gained ground with
undeviating regularity in England. It pursues the same
system here. Our presidents are its ministers, suffered only
to remain in office whilst popular; encroaching in favour
of executive power whilst this popularity lasts; bearing the
odium of mischiefs which ought to light upon our accumulation and concentration of powers; leaving encroachments behind them for the benefit of executive power, to be extended by popular successors; and organizing a body of outs and ins, alternately demagogues aiid tools. These
outs and ins are equally proper to delude a nation, and to
exalt executive power, which sits in proud superiority,
looking down upon the fraud and oppressions caused by
itself; whilst the people dare not look up to it as their
cause, but will be taught the forlorn hope of redress from a
change of ministry, as in England. Hence, both in England
and America, executive power obscures legislative to such a
degree, that even popular favour is only obtained by an
avowal of subserviency or hostility to its prime minister; and we compel our popular representatives gratuitously to become the tools of the same principle, to which the members of the British House of Commons sell their service*.
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GOVERNMENT OF THE U. STATES.
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