s, and the original opposition to the
constitution having been particularly great in Virginia and North
Carolina, the aspersions on his views, and on the views of the eastern
members by whom his plans had been generally supported, were seldom
controverted. The remote tendency of particular systems, and the
motives for their adoption, are so often subjects of conjecture, that
the judgment, when exercised upon them, is peculiarly exposed to the
influence of the passions; and where measures are in themselves
burdensome, and the necessity for their adoption has not been
appreciated, suspicions of their unknown advocates, can seldom be
unsuccessfully urged by persons, in whom the people have placed their
confidence. It is not therefore cause of astonishment, that the dark
motives ascribed to the authors of tax laws, should be extensively
believed.

Throughout the United States, the party opposed to the constitution
had charged its supporters with a desire to establish a monarchy on
the ruins of republican government; and the constitution itself was
alleged to contain principles which would prove the truth of this
charge. The leaders of that party had, therefore, been ready from the
instant the government came into operation, to discover, in all its
measures, those monarchical tendencies which they had perceived in the
instrument they opposed.

The salaries allowed to public officers, though so low[60] as not to
afford a decent maintenance to those who resided at the seat of
government, were declared to be so enormously high, as clearly to
manifest a total disregard of that simplicity and economy which were
the characteristics of republics.

[Footnote 60: The salary of the secretary of state, which
was the highest, was three thousand five hundred dollars.]

The levees of the President, and the evening parties of Mrs.
Washington, were said to be imitations of regal institutions, designed
to accustom the American people to the pomp and manners of European
courts. The Vice President too was said to keep up the state and
dignity of a monarch, and to illustrate, by his conduct, the
principles which were inculcated in his political works.

The Indian war they alleged was misconducted, and unnecessarily
prolonged for the purposes of expending the public money, and of
affording a pretext for augmenting the military establishment, and
increasing the revenue.

All this prodigal waste of the money of the people was des