ericans are like other men in
similar situations, when the manners and opinions of the community are
changed by the causes I mentioned before; and your political compact
inexplicit, your posterity will find that great power connected with
ambition, luxury and flattery, will as readily produce a Caesar, Caligula,
Nero and Domitian in America, as the same causes did in the Roman Empire.

But the next thing to be considered, in conformity to my plan, is the
first article of this new government, which comprises the erection of the
house of representatives and the senate, and prescribes their various
powers and objects of legislation. The most general objections to the
first article, that biennial elections for representatives are a departure
from the safe democratic principles of annual ones--that the number of
representatives are too few; that the apportionment and principles of
increase are unjust; that no attention has been paid to either the numbers
or property in each state in forming the senate; that the mode in which
they are appointed and their duration will lead to the establishment of an
aristocracy; that the senate and president are improperly connected, both
as to appointments and the making of treaties, which are to become the
supreme law of the land; that the judicial, in some measure, to wit, as to
the trial of impeachments, is placed in the senate, a branch of the
legislative, and sometimes a branch of the executive; that Congress have
the improper power of making or altering the regulations prescribed by the
different legislatures, respecting the time, place and manner of holding
elections for representatives, and the time and manner of choosing
senators; that standing armies may be established, and appropriation of
money made for their support for two years; that the militia of the most
remote state may be marched into those states situated at the opposite
extreme of this continent; that the slave trade is, to all intents and
purposes, permanently established, and a slavish capitation or poll-tax
may at any time be levied; these are some of the many evils that will
attend the adoption of this government.

But, with respect to the first objection, it may be remarked that a
well-digested democracy has this advantage over all others, to wit: that
it affords to many the opportunity to be advanced to the supreme command,
and the honors they thereby enjoy fill them with a desire of rendering
themselves worthy of