is　　necessarily　illegal　is　the　despotic。　　That　can　never　be　a　truly　　civilized　government；　nor　a　legitimate　government；　for　God　has　　given　to　man　no　dominion　over　man。　　He　gave　men；　as　St。　Augustine　　says；　and　Pope　St。　Gregory　the　Great　repeats；　dominion　over　the　　irrational　creation；　not　over　the　rational；　and　hence　the　　primitive　rulers　of　men　were　called　pastors　or　shepherds；　not　　lords。　　It　may　be　the　duty　of　the　people　subjected　to　a　despotic　　government　to　demean　themselves　quietly　and　peaceably　towards　it；　　as　a　matter　of　prudence；　to　avoid　sedition；　and　the　evils　that　　would　necessarily　follow　an　attempted　revolution；　but　not　　because；　founded　as　it　is　on　mere　force；　it　has　itself　any　right　　or　legality。
  All　other　forms　of　government　are　republican　in　their　essential　　constitution；　founded　on　public　right；　and　held　under　God　from　　and　for　the　commonwealth；　and　which　of　them　is　wisest　and　best　　for　the　commonwealth　is；　for　the　most　part；　an　idle　question。　　　〃Forms　of　government；〃　somebody　has　said；　〃are　like　shoesthat　　is　the　best　form　which　best　fit　the　feet　that　are　to　wear　them。〃　　　Shoes　are　to　be　fitted　to　the　feet；　not　the　feet　to　the　shoes；　　and　feet　vary　in　size　and　conformation。　　There　is；　in　regard　to　　government；　as　distinguished　from　the　state；　183　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　no　antecedent　right　　which　binds　the　people；　for　antecedently　to　the　existence　of　the　　government　as　a　fact；　the　state　is　free　to　adopt　any　form　that　it　　finds　practicable；　or　judges　the　wisest　and　best　for　itself。　　　Ordinarily　the　form　of　the　government　practicable　for　a　nation　is　　determined　by　the　peculiar　providential　constitution　of　the　　territorial　people；　and　a　form　of　government　that　would　be　　practicable　and　good　in　one　country　may　be　the　reverse　in　another。　　　The　English　government　is　no　doubt　the　best　practicable　in　Great　　Britain；　at　present　at　least；　but　it　has　proved　a　failure　　wherever　else　it　has　been　attempted。　　The　American　system　has　　proved　itself；　in　spite　of　the　recent　formidable　rebellion　to　　overthrow　it；　the　best　and　only　practicable　government　for　the　　United　States；　but　it　is　impracticable　everywhere　else；　and　all　　attempts　by　any　European　or　other　American　state　to　introduce　it　　can　end　only　in　disaster。　　The　imperial　system　apparently　works　　well　in　France；　but　though　all　European　states　are　tending　to　it；　　it　would　not　work　well　at　all　on　the　American　continent；　　certainly　not　until　the　republic　of　the　United　States　has　ceased　　to　exist。　　While　the　United　States　remain　the　great　American　　power；　that　system；　or　its　kindred　system；　democratic　centralism；　　can　184　　　　　never　become　an　American　system；　as　Maximilian's　experiment　　in　Mexico　is　likely　to　prove。
  Political　propagandism；　except　on　the　Roman　plan；　that　is；　by　　annexation　and　incorporation；　is　as　impracticable　as　it　is　　wanting　in　the　respect　that　one　independent　people　owes　to　　another。　　The　old　French　Jacobins　tried　to　propagate；　even　with　　fire　and　sword；　their　system　throughout　Europe；　as　the　only　　system　compatible　with　the　rights　of　man。　　The　English；　since　　1688；　have　been　great　political　propagandists；　and　at　one　time　it　　seemed　not　unlikely　that　every　European　state　would　try　the　　experiment　of　a　parliamentary　government；　composed　of　an　　hereditary　crown；　an　hereditary　house　of　lords；　and　an　elective　　house　of　commons。　　The　democratic　Americans　are　also　great　　political　propagandists；　and　are　ready　to　sympathize　with　any　　rebellion；　insurrection；　or　movement　in　behalf　of　democracy　in　　any　part　of　the　world；　however　mean　or　contemptible；　fierce　or　　bloody　it　may　be；　but　all　this　is　as　unstatesmanlike　as　unjust；　　unstatesmanlike；　for　no　form　of　government　can　bear　　transplanting；　and　because　every　independent　nation　is　the　sole　　judge　of　what　best　comports　with　its　own　interests；　and　its　　judgment　is　to　be　respected　by　the　citizens　as　well　as　by　the　　gov…　185　　　　ernments　of　other　states。　　Religious　propagandism　is　a　right　　and　a　duty；　because　religion　is　catholic　and　of　universal　　obligation；　and　so　is　the　jus　gentium　of　the　Romans；　which　is　　only　the　application　to　individuals　and　nations　of　the　great　　principles　of　natural　justice；　but　no　political　propagandism　is　　ever　allowable；　because　no　one　form　of　government　is　catholic　in　　its　nature；　or　of　universal　obligation。
  Thoughtful　Americans　are　opposed　to　political　propagandism；　and　　respect　the　right　of　every　nation　to　choose　its　own　form　of　　government；　but　they　hold　that　the　American　system　is　the　best　in　　itself；　and　that　if　other　nations　were　as　enlightened　as　the　　American；　they　would　adopt　it。　　But　though　the　American　system；　　rightly　understood；　is　the　best；　as　they　hold；　it　is　not　because　　other　nations　are　less　enlightened；　which　is　by　no　means　a　fact；　　that　they　do　not　adopt；　or　cannot　bear　it；　but　solely　because　　their　providential　constitutions　do　not　require　or　admit　it；　and　　an　attempt　to　introduce　it　in　any　of　them　would　prove　a　failure　　and　a　grave　evil。
  Fit　your　shoes　to　your　feet。　　The　law　of　the　governmental　　constitution　is　in　that　of　the　nation。　　The　constitution　of　the　　government　must　grow　out　of　the　constitution　of　the　state；　and　186　accord　with　the　genius；　the　character；　the　habits；　customs；　and　　wants　of　the　people；　or　it　will　not　work　well；　or　tend　to　secure　　the　legitimate　ends　of　government。　　The　constitutions　imagined　by　　philosophers　are　for　Utopia；　not　for　any　actual；　living；　　breathing　people。　　You　must　take　the　state　as　it　is；　and　develop　　your　governmental　constitution　from　it；　and　harmonize　it　with　it。　　　Where　there　is　a　discrepancy　between　the　two　constitutions；　the　　government　has　no　support　in　the　state；　in　the　organic　people；　or　　nation；　and　can　sustain　itself　only　by　corruption　or　physical　　force。　　A　government　may　be　under　the　necessity　of　using　force　to　　suppress　an　insurrection　or　rebellion　against　the　national　　authority；　or　the　integrity　of　the　national　territory；　but　no　　government　that　can　sustain　itself；　not　the　state；　only　by　　physical　force　or　large　standing　armies；　can　be　a　good　government；　　or　suited　to　the　nation。　　It　must　adopt　the　most　stringent　　repressive　measures；　suppress　liberty　of　speech　and　of　conscience；　　outrage　liberty　in　what　it　has　the　most　intimate　and　sacred；　and　　practise　the　most　revolting　violence　and　cruelty；　for　it　can　　govern　only　by　terror。　　Such　a　government　is　unsuited　to　the　　nation。
  This　is　seen　in　all　history：　in　the　attempt　of　the　dictator　Sulla　　to　preserve　the　old　patri…　187　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　cian　government　against　the　plebeian　　power　that　time　and　events　had　developed　in　the　Roman　state；　and　　which　was　about　to　gain　the　supremacy；　as　we　have　seen；　at　　Pharsalia；　Philippi；　and　Actium；　in　the　efforts　to　establish　a　　Jacobinical　government　in　France　in　1793；　in　Rome　in　1848；　and　　the　government　of　Victor　Emmanuel　in　Naples　in　1860　and　1861。　　　These　efforts；　proscriptions；　confiscations；　military　executions；　　assassinations；　massacres；　are　all　made　in　the　name　of　liberty；　　or　in　defence　of　a　government　supposed　to　guaranty　the　well…being　　of　the　state　and　the　rights　of　the　people。　　They　are　rendered　　inevitable　by　the　mad　attempt　to　force　on　a　nation　a　constitution　　of　government　foreign　to　the　national　constitution；　or　repugnant　　to　the　national　tastes；　interests；　habits；　convictions；　or　whole　　interior　life。　　The　repressive　policy；　adopted　to　a　certain　　extent　by　nearly　all　European　governments；　grows　out　of　the　　madness　of　a　portion　of　the　people　of　the　several　states　in　　seeking　to　force　upon　the　nation　an　anti…national　constitution。　　　The　sovereigns　may　not　be　very　wise；　but　they　are　wiser；　more　　national；　more　patriotic　than　the　mad　theorists　who　seek　to　　revolutionize　the　state　and　establish　a　government　that　has　no　　hold　in　the　national　traditions；　the　national　character；　or　the　　188　national　life；　and　the　statesman；　the　patriot；　the　true　friend　of　　liberty　sympathizes　with　the　national　authorities；　not　with　the　　mad　theorists　and　revolutionists。
  The　right　of　a　nation　to　change　its　form　of　government；　and　its　　magistrates　or　representatives；　by　whatever　name　called；　is　　incontestable。　　Hence　the　French　constitution　of　l789；　which　　involved　that　of　1793；　was　not　illegal；　for　though　accompanied　by　　some　irregularities；　it　was　adopted　by　the　manifest　will　of　the　　nation；　and　consented　to　by　all　orders　in　the　state。　　Not　its　　legality　but　its　wisdom　is　to　be　questioned；　together　with　the　　false　and　dangerous　theories　of　government　which　dictated　it。　　　There　is　no　compact　or　mutual　stipulation　between　the　state　and　　the　government。　　The　state；　under　God；　is　sovereign；　and　ordains　　and　establishes　the　government；　instead　of　making　a　contract；　a　　bargain；　or　covenant；　with　it。　　The　common　democratic　doctrine　on　　this　point　is　right；　if　by　people　is　understood　the　organic　　people　attached　to　a　sovereign　domain；　not　the　people　as　　individuals　or　as　a　floating　or　nomadic　multitude。　　By　people　in　　the　political　sense；　Cicero；　and　St。　Augustine　after　him；　　understood　the　people　as　the　republic；　organized　in　reference　to　　the　common　or　public　good。　　With　this　under…　189　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　standing；　the　　sovereignty　p