t actually pay
you money down for your services; but we will put money under your
control, and you may, if you please, _help_ yourself." What has been
the result of this conduct upon society?--that as the government does
not consider a breach of faith as deserving of punishment, society does
not think so either; and thus are the people demoralised, not only by
the example of government in its foreign relations, but by its leniency
towards those individuals who are as regardless of faith as the
government has proved to be itself.

Indeed, it may be boldly asserted, that in every measure taken by the
Federal Government, the moral effect of that measure upon the people has
never been thought worthy of a moment's consideration.

VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER NINE.

We must now examine into one or two other points. The Americans
consider that they are the only people on earth who govern themselves.
They assert that _we_ have not a free and perfect representation. We
will not dispute that point; the question is, not what the case in
England may be, but what America may have gained. This is certain, that
if they have not a free impartial representation, they do _not_, as they
suppose, govern themselves. Have they, with universal suffrage,
obtained a representation free from bribery and corruption? If they
have, they certainly have gained their point; if they have not, they
have sacrificed much, and have obtained nothing.

By a calculation which I made at the time I was in the United States of
all the various elections which took place annually, biennially, and at
longer dates, including those for the Federal Government, the separate
governments of each State, and many other elective offices, there are
about two thousand five hundred elections of different descriptions
every year; and if I were to add the civic elections, which are equally
political, I do not know what amount they would arrive at. In this
country we have on an average about two hundred elections per annum, so
that, in America, for thirteen millions, they have two thousand five
hundred elections, and in England for twenty-seven millions, two
hundred, on the average, during the year.

It must, however, be admitted, that the major portion of these elections
in the United States pass off quietly, probably from the comparative
want of interest excited by them, and the continual repetition which
takes place; but when the important elections are in progress the