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anything　would　be　gained　by　the　adoption　of　any　substitute　for

the　present　polity　of　the　country　to　be　found　in　Europe。　The

abuses　there　are　possibly　worse　than　our　own；　and　the　only

question　would　seem　to　be　as　to　the　degree　of　suffering　and　wrong

to　which　men　are　compelled　to　submit　through　the　infirmities　of

their　own　nature。　There　is　one　great　advantage　in　the　monarchical

principle；　when　subdued　by　liberal　institutions；　as　in　the　case

of　the　government　of　that　nation　from　which　we　are　derived；　which

it　would　seem　a　republic　cannot　possess。　We　allude　to　the

transmission　of　a　nominal　executive　power　that　spares　the

turmoil；　expense；　and　struggles　of　an　election；　and　which　answers

all　the　purposes　of　the　real　authorities　of　the　State　in

designating　those　who　are　to　exercise　the　functions　of　rulers　for

the　time　being。　It　has　often　been　predicted　that　the　periodical

elections　of　the　chief　magistrate　of　this　country　will；　at　no

distant　day；　destroy　the　institutions。　It　would　be　idle　to　deny

that　the　danger　manifestly　increases　with　the　expedients　of

factions；　and　that　there　are　very　grave　grounds　for　apprehending

the　worst　consequences　from　this　source　of　evil。　As　it　now　is；

the　working　of　the　system　has　already　produced　a　total　departure

from　the　original　intention　of　the　Government；　a　scheme；

probably；　that　was　radically　defective　when　adopted；　and　which

contained　the　seeds　of　its　own　ruin。　Recourse　to　electors　has

become　an　idle　form；　ponderous　and　awkward；　and　in　some　of　its

features　uselessly　hazardous。　We　are　in　the　habit　of　comparing

the　cost　of　government　in　this　country　with　that　of　other　nations

in　the　Old　World。　Beyond　a　question；　the　Americans　enjoy　great

advantages　in　this　important　particular；　owing　to　their　exemption

from　sources　of　expenses　that　weigh　so　heavily　on　those　who　rely

for　the　peace　of　society　solely　on　the　strong　hand。　But　confining

the　investigation　simply　to　the　cost　of　Executives　it　may　well　be

questioned　if　we　have　not　adopted　the　most　expensive　mode　at

present　known　among　civilized　nations。　We　entertain　very　little

doubt　that　the　cost　of　a　presidential　election　fully　equals　the

expenditures　of　the　empire　of　Great　Britain；　liberal　as　they　are

known　to　be；　for　the　maintenance　of　the　dignity　of　its　chief

magistracy。　Nor　is　this　the　worst　of　it；　for　while　much　of　the

civil　list　of　a　monarch　is　usefully　employed　in　cherishing　the

arts；　and　in　fostering　industry；　to　say　nothing　of　its　boons　to

the　dependent　and　meritorious　in　the　shape　of　pensions；　not　a

dollar　of　the　millions　that　are　wasted　every　fourth　year　among

ourselves　in　the　struggles　of　parties；　can　be　said　to　be　applied

to　a　purpose　that　has　not　a　greater　tendency　to　evil　than　to

good。　The　simple　publication　of　documents；　perhaps；　may　form　some

exception　to　these　abuses；　but　even　they　are　so　much　filled　with

falsehoods；　fallacies；　audacious　historical　misstatements；

exaggerations；　and　every　other　abuse；　naturally　connected　with

such　struggles；　that　we　are　compelled　to　yield　them　our　respect

and　credulity　with　large　allowances　for　caution　and　truth。　Were

this　the　place；　and　did　our　limits　permit；　we　would　gladly　pursue

this　subject；　for　so　completely　has　the　hurrah　of　popular　sway

looked　down　everything　like　real　freedom　in　the　discussion　of

such　a　topic　as　to　render　the　voice　of　dissent　almost　unknown　to

us。　But　our　purpose　is　merely　to　show　what　probable　effects　are

to　flow　from　the　abuses　of　the　institutions　on　the　growth　of　the

great　commercial　mart　of　which　we　are　writing。



｛recourse　to　electors　=　the　Electoral　College｝



We　certainly　think　that　even　the　looseness　of　law；　legislation；

and　justice；　that　is　so　widely　spreading　itself　over　the　land；　is

not　exactly　unsuited　to　sustain　the　rapid　settlement　of　a

country。　No　doubt　men　accomplish　more　in　the　earlier　stages　of

society　when　perfectly　unfettered；　than　when　brought　under　the

control　of　those　principles　and　regulations　which　alone　can

render　society　permanently　secure　or　happy。　In　this　sense　even

the　abuses　to　which　we　have　slightly　alluded　may　be　tolerated；

which　it　would　be　impossible　to　endure　when　the　class　of　the

needy　become　formidable　from　its　numbers；　and　they　who　had　no

other　stake　in　society　than　their　naked　assistance；　could　combine

to　transfer　the　fruits　of　the　labors　of　the　more　industrious　and

successful　to　themselves　by　a　simple　recurrence　to　the　use　of　the

ballot　box。　We　do　not　say　that　such　is　to　be　the　fate　of　this

country；　for　the　great　results　that　seem　to　be　dependent　on　its

settlement　raise　a　hope　that　the　hand　of　Providence　may　yet　guide

us　in　safety　through　the　period　of　delusion；　and　the　reign　of

political　fallacies；　which　is　fast　drawing　around　us。　Evil　is　so

much　mixed　with　good　in　all　the　interests　of　life；　that　it　would

be　bold　to　pretend　to　predict　consequences　of　such　magnitude　in

the　history　of　any　nation。　But　we　feel　persuaded　that　radical

changes　must　speedily　come；　either　from　the　powerful　but

invisible　control　of　that　Being　who　effects　his　own　purposes　in

his　own　wise　ways；　or　the　time　is　much　nearer　than　is　ordinarily

supposed　when　the　very　existence　of　the　political　institutions　of

this　country　are　to　be　brought　to　the　test　of　the　severest

practical　experiment。　The　downward　tendency　can　hardly　proceed

much　further　with　the　smallest　necessary　security　to　the　rights

of　civilized　men。　When　a　legislative　body　can　be　brought　solemnly

to　decide　by　its　vote　that　because　the　principles　of　law　leave

them　the　control　of　the　rules　for　the　descent　of　property；

therefore；　whenever　a　landlord　may　happen　to　die；　his　tenant

shall　have　the　privilege　of　converting　his　leasehold　estate　into

a　fee　on　which　the　debt　is　secured　in　the　shape　of　mortgage；

there　is　little　left　in　the　way　of　security　to　the　affluent　and

unrepresented。　They　must　unite　their　means　to　prevent

destruction；　and　woe　to　that　land　which　gives　so　plausible　an

excuse　to　the　rich　and　intelligent　for　combining　their　means　to

overturn　the　liberties　of　a　nation；　as　is　to　be　found　in　abuses

like　those　just　named。　We　very　well　know　that　the　idea　is

prevalent　among　us　of　the　irresistible　power　of　popular　sway；　but

he　has　lived　in　vain　who　has　seen　the　course　of　events　in　other

nations　for　the　last　half　century；　and　has　not　made　the　discovery

that　men　in　political　matters　become　the　servants　of　money　as

certainly　and　almost　as　actively　as　the　spirits　of　the　lamp　were

made　to　do　the　bidding　of　Aladdin。　To　us；　it　would　seem　that　the

future　of　this　country　holds　out　but　three　possible　solutions　of

the　tendencies　of　the　present　timeviz。　the　bayonet；　a　return　to

the　true　principles　of　the　original　government；　or　the　sway　of

money。　For　the　first　it　may　be　too　soon；　the　pressure　of　society

is　scarcely　sufficient　to　elevate　a　successful　soldier　to　the

height　of　despotism；　though　the　ladder　has　been　raised　more　than

once　against　the　citadel　of　the　Constitution　by　adventurers　of

this　character；　through　the　folly　and　heedless　impulses　of　the

masses。　Fifty　years　hence；　and　a　condition　of　society　will

probably　exist　among　us　that　would　effectually　have　carried　out

the　principle　of　despotic　rule　which　is　beginning　to　show　itself

in　the　bud　amongst　us；　and　which　is　nothing　more　than　the

shadowing　out　of　coming　events。



｛legislative　body　can　be　brought　=　the　New　York　State　legislature

had　enacted　laws　giving　certain　tenant　farmers　the　right　to

purchase　the　land　they　occupied；　thus　ending　one　of　the　causes　of

the　so…called　〃anti…rent　wars〃　of　the　1840s　in　upstate　New　York｝



Notwithstanding　all　these　obvious　tendencies　and　the　manifest

dangers　that　beset　the　real　liberties　of　the　country；　we　do　not

see　that　any　material　influence　will　be　brought　by　them　to　bear

upon　the　fortunes　and　ascendancy　of　the　particular　place　of　which

we　are　writing。　Even　political　despotism　in　this　age　would

necessarily　respect　the　ordinary　rights　of　commerce；　and　quite

probably　the　greater　security　that　would　be　given　to　property；

the　increased　dignity　and　authority　of　the　courts　of　justice；　and

the　visible　control　of　a　vigilant　and　efficient　government　might

rather　have　a　tendency　to　build　up　than　to　check　the　progress　of

the　capital　of　any　country。



Civil　war；　in　our　view；　can　alone　produce　any　material　checks　to

the　prosperity　of　these　towns　of　Manhattan。　Against　the　malign

influence　of　so　great　a　source　of　evil　no　one　can　with　discretion

venture　to　predict　the　consequences。　But　we　do　not　think　that　it

enters　into　the　spirit　of　the　true　American　character；　so

remarkable　for　its　mildness　and　disposition　to　mercy；　in　carrying

out　the　powers　of　government；　to　permit　such　a　struggle　as　would

be　likely　to　produce　long…continued；　or　very　withering　local

distress。　Compromises　in　some　form　or　other　would　be　resorted　to；

to　restore　the　course　of　the　commerce　of　the　country；　and

although　it　might　be；　and　probably　would　be；　that　this　could　only

be　accomplished　in　the　midst　of　the　triumph　of　disorder；

irresponsibility；　and　the　derangement　of　most　that　is　necessary

to　permanent　security　and　quiet；　a　set　of　laws　would　arise　for

the　control　of　the　affairs　of　the　towns　that　would　exercise　their

sway；　without　any　appeal　to　regularly　constituted　authority；

beyond　that　of　the　law　of　necessity。　At　this　very　moment；　when　we

have　all　the　machinery　of　an　efficient　government　around　us；　and

one　has　a　right　to　look　to　the　courts　for　the　protection　of　his

rights；　a　thousand　dollars　of　debt　are　secured　and　paid　in　a

place　like　that　of　New　York；　by　the　sole　influence　of　commercial

opinion；　where　one　dollar　is　secured　and　paid　by　the　process　of

law。　Trade　issues　its　own　edicts；　and　they　are　ordinarily　found

to　be　too　powerful　for　resistance；　wherever　there　are　the

concentrated　means　of　rendering　them　formidable　by　the　magnitude

of　the　interests　they　control。



We　see；　then；　nothing　in　the　future　that　is　very　l