individual　citizen；　concerns　the　citizens　collectively；　and　however　trifling　an　interest　may　be；　it　assumes　a　great　degree　of　importance　as　soon　as　it　becomes　general。　　The　President　possesses　but　few　means　of　rewarding　his　supporters　in　comparison　to　the　kings　of　Europe；　but　the　places　which　are　at　his　disposal　are　sufficiently　numerous　to　interest；　directly　or　indirectly；　several　thousand　electors　in　his　success。　　Political　parties　in　the　United　States　are　led　to　rally　round　an　individual；　in　order　to　acquire　a　more　tangible　shape　in　the　eyes　of　the　crowd；　and　the　name　of　the　candidate　for　the　Presidency　is　put　forward　as　the　symbol　and　personification　of　their　theories。　For　these　reasons　parties　are　strongly　interested　in　gaining　the　election；　not　so　much　with　a　view　to　the　triumph　of　their　principles　under　the　auspices　of　the　President…elect　as　to　show　by　the　majority　which　returned　him；　the　strength　of　the　supporters　of　those　principles。
  For　a　long　while　before　the　appointed　time　is　at　hand　the　election　becomes　the　most　important　and　the　all…engrossing　topic　of　discussion。　　The　ardor　of　faction　is　redoubled；　and　all　the　artificial　passions　which　the　imagination　can　create　in　the　bosom　of　a　happy　and　peaceful　land　are　agitated　and　brought　to　light。　　The　President；　on　the　other　hand；　is　absorbed　by　the　cares　of　self…　defence。　　He　no　longer　governs　for　the　interest　of　the　State；　but　for　that　of　his　re…election；　he　does　homage　to　the　majority；　and　instead　of　checking　its　passions；　as　his　duty　commands　him　to　do；　he　frequently　courts　its　worst　caprices。　　As　the　election　draws　near；　the　activity　of　intrigue　and　the　agitation　of　the　populace　increase；　the　citizens　are　divided　into　hostile　camps；　each　of　which　assumes　the　name　of　its　favorite　candidate；　the　whole　nation　glows　with　feverish　excitement；　the　election　is　the　daily　theme　of　the　public　papers；　the　subject　of　private　conversation；　the　end　of　every　thought　and　every　action；　the　sole　interest　of　the　present。　　As　soon　as　the　choice　is　determined；　this　ardor　is　dispelled；　and　as　a　calmer　season　returns；　the　current　of　the　State；　which　had　nearly　broken　its　banks；　sinks　to　its　usual　level：　*a　but　who　can　refrain　from　astonishment　at　the　causes　of　the　storm。
  ＇Footnote　a：　＇Not　always。　　The　election　of　President　Lincoln　was　the　signal　of　civil　war。　…　Translator's　Note。＇＇
  Chapter　VIII：　The　Federal　Constitution　…　Part　III
  Re…election　Of　The　President
  When　the　head　of　the　executive　power　is　re…eligible；　it　is　the　State　which　is　the　source　of　intrigue　and　corruption　…　The　desire　of　being　re…elected　the　chief　aim　of　a　President　of　the　United　States　…　Disadvantage　of　the　system　peculiar　to　America　…　The　natural　evil　of　democracy　is　that　it　subordinates　all　authority　to　the　slightest　desires　of　the　majority　…　The　re…election　of　the　President　encourages　this　evil。
  It　may　be　asked　whether　the　legislators　of　the　United　States　did　right　or　wrong　in　allowing　the　re…election　of　the　President。　　It　seems　at　first　sight　contrary　to　all　reason　to　prevent　the　head　of　the　executive　power　from　being　elected　a　second　time。　　The　influence　which　the　talents　and　the　character　of　a　single　individual　may　exercise　upon　the　fate　of　a　whole　people；　in　critical　circumstances　or　arduous　times；　is　well　known：　a　law　preventing　the　re…election　of　the　chief　magistrate　would　deprive　the　citizens　of　the　surest　pledge　of　the　prosperity　and　the　security　of　the　commonwealth；　and；　by　a　singular　inconsistency；　a　man　would　be　excluded　from　the　government　at　the　very　time　when　he　had　shown　his　ability　in　conducting　its　affairs。
  But　if　these　arguments　are　strong；　perhaps　still　more　powerful　reasons　may　be　advanced　against　them。　　Intrigue　and　corruption　are　the　natural　defects　of　elective　government；　but　when　the　head　of　the　State　can　be　re…elected　these　evils　rise　to　a　great　height；　and　compromise　the　very　existence　of　the　country。　　When　a　simple　candidate　seeks　to　rise　by　intrigue；　his　manoeuvres　must　necessarily　be　limited　to　a　narrow　sphere；　but　when　the　chief　magistrate　enters　the　lists；　he　borrows　the　strength　of　the　government　for　his　own　purposes。　　In　the　former　case　the　feeble　resources　of　an　individual　are　in　action；　in　the　latter；　the　State　itself；　with　all　its　immense　influence；　is　busied　in　the　work　of　corruption　and　cabal。　　The　private　citizen；　who　employs　the　most　immoral　practices　to　acquire　power；　can　only　act　in　a　manner　indirectly　prejudicial　to　the　public　prosperity。　　But　if　the　representative　of　the　executive　descends　into　the　combat；　the　cares　of　government　dwindle　into　second…rate　importance；　and　the　success　of　his　election　is　his　first　concern。　All　laws　and　all　the　negotiations　he　undertakes　are　to　him　nothing　more　than　electioneering　schemes；　places　become　the　reward　of　services　rendered；　not　to　the　nation；　but　to　its　chief；　and　the　influence　of　the　government；　if　not　injurious　to　the　country；　is　at　least　no　longer　beneficial　to　the　community　for　which　it　was　created。
  It　is　impossible　to　consider　the　ordinary　course　of　affairs　in　the　United　States　without　perceiving　that　the　desire　of　being　re…　elected　is　the　chief　aim　of　the　President；　that　his　whole　administration；　and　even　his　most　indifferent　measures；　tend　to　this　object；　and　that；　as　the　crisis　approaches；　his　personal　interest　takes　the　place　of　his　interest　in　the　public　good。　　The　principle　of　re…eligibility　renders　the　corrupt　influence　of　elective　government　still　more　extensive　and　pernicious。
  In　America　it　exercises　a　peculiarly　fatal　influence　on　the　sources　of　national　existence。　　Every　government　seems　to　be　afflicted　by　some　evil　which　is　inherent　in　its　nature；　and　the　genius　of　the　legislator　is　shown　in　eluding　its　attacks。　　A　State　may　survive　the　influence　of　a　host　of　bad　laws；　and　the　mischief　they　cause　is　frequently　exaggerated；　but　a　law　which　encourages　the　growth　of　the　canker　within　must　prove　fatal　in　the　end；　although　its　bad　consequences　may　not　be　immediately　perceived。
  The　principle　of　destruction　in　absolute　monarchies　lies　in　the　excessive　and　unreasonable　extension　of　the　prerogative　of　the　crown；　and　a　measure　tending　to　remove　the　constitutional　provisions　which　counterbalance　this　influence　would　be　radically　bad；　even　if　its　immediate　consequences　were　unattended　with　evil。　　By　a　parity　of　reasoning；　in　countries　governed　by　a　democracy；　where　the　people　is　perpetually　drawing　all　authority　to　itself；　the　laws　which　increase　or　accelerate　its　action　are　the　direct　assailants　of　the　very　principle　of　the　government。
  The　greatest　proof　of　the　ability　of　the　American　legislators　is；　that　they　clearly　discerned　this　truth；　and　that　they　had　the　courage　to　act　up　to　it。　　They　conceived　that　a　certain　authority　above　the　body　of　the　people　was　necessary；　which　should　enjoy　a　degree　of　independence；　without；　however；　being　entirely　beyond　the　popular　control；　an　authority　which　would　be　forced　to　comply　with　the　permanent　determinations　of　the　majority；　but　which　would　be　able　to　resist　its　caprices；　and　to　refuse　its　most　dangerous　demands。　To　this　end　they　centred　the　whole　executive　power　of　the　nation　in　a　single　arm；　they　granted　extensive　prerogatives　to　the　President；　and　they　armed　him　with　the　veto　to　resist　the　encroachments　of　the　legislature。
  But　by　introducing　the　principle　of　re…election　they　partly　destroyed　their　work；　and　they　rendered　the　President　but　little　inclined　to　exert　the　great　power　they　had　vested　in　his　hands。　　If　ineligible　a　second　time；　the　President　would　be　far　from　independent　of　the　people；　for　his　responsibility　would　not　be　lessened；　but　the　favor　of　the　people　would　not　be　so　necessary　to　him　as　to　induce　him　to　court　it　by　humoring　its　desires。　　If　re…　eligible　（and　this　is　more　especially　true　at　the　present　day；　when　political　morality　is　relaxed；　and　when　great　men　are　rare）；　the　President　of　the　United　States　becomes　an　easy　tool　in　the　hands　of　the　majority。　　He　adopts　its　likings　and　its　animosities；　he　hastens　to　anticipate　its　wishes；　he　forestalls　its　complaints；　he　yields　to　its　idlest　cravings；　and　instead　of　guiding　it；　as　the　legislature　intended　that　he　should　do；　he　is　ever　ready　to　follow　its　bidding。　　Thus；　in　order　not　to　deprive　the　State　of　the　talents　of　an　individual；　those　talents　have　been　rendered　almost　useless；　and　to　reserve　an　expedient　for　extraordinary　perils；　the　country　has　been　exposed　to　daily　dangers。
  Federal　Courts　*b
  ＇Footnote　b：　See　chap。　　VI；　entitled　〃Judicial　Power　in　the　United　States。〃　This　chapter　explains　the　general　principles　of　the　American　theory　of　judicial　institutions。　　See　also　the　Federal　Constitution；　Art。　3。　　See　〃The　Federalists；〃　Nos。　　78…83；　inclusive；　and　a　work　entitled　〃Constitutional　Law；〃　being　a　view　of　the　practice　and　jurisdiction　of　the　courts　of　the　United　States；　by　Thomas　Sergeant。　　See　Story；　pp。　134；　162；　489；　511；　581；　668；　and　the　organic　law　of　September　24；　1789；　in　the　〃Collection　of　the　Laws　of　the　United　States；〃　by　Story；　vol。　i。　p。　53。＇
  Political　importance　of　the　judiciary　in　the　United　States　…　Difficulty　of　treating　this　subject　…　Utility　of　judicial　power　in　confederations　…　What　tribunals　could　be　introduced　into　the　Union　…　Necessity　of　establishing