ans of it to
prolong his term of office, or to accomplish any other violent end,
there is, perhaps, not a single state in the Union, the population of
which would not alone be able to put him down--so strong are the people
with us, and so weak, in opposition to them, the government and the
army.

It is often made a subject of reproach by European writers and
speakers, in commenting on the state of things in America, that the
government is so weak; but this we consider not our reproach, but our
glory. The government is indeed weak. The people take good care to
keep it weak. But the nation is not weak; the nation is strong. The
difference is, that in our country the nation chooses to retain its
power in its own hands. The people make the government strong enough
from time to time for all the purposes which they wish it to
accomplish. When occasion shall arise, the strength thus to be
imparted to it may be increased almost indefinitely, according to the
nature of the emergency. In the mean time, the people consider
themselves the safest depositary of their reserved power.

But to return to Peter. Of course, his policy was the reverse of ours.
He wished to make his army as efficient as possible, and to cut it off
as completely as possible from all communion and sympathy with the
people, so as to keep it in close and absolute subjection to his own
individual will. The measures which he adopted were admirably adapted
to this purpose. By means of them he greatly strengthened his power,
and established it on a firm and permanent basis.

Peter did not forget that, during the late rebellion, the influence of
the Church and that of all the leading ecclesiastics had been against
him. This was necessarily the case; for, in a Church constituted as
that of Russia then was, the powers and prerogatives of the priests
rested, not on reason or right, but on ancient customs. The priests
would therefore naturally be opposed to all changes--even
improvements--in the usages and institutions of the realm, for fear
that the system of reform, if once entered upon, might extend to and
interfere with their ancient prerogatives and privileges. An
established Church in any country, where, by means of the
establishment, the priests or the ministers hold positions which secure
to them the possession of wealth or power, is always opposed to every
species of change. It hates even the very name of reform.

Peter determined to bring th