y　are　not　always　agreed　upon　the　measures　which　are　most　conducive　to　good　government；　and　they　vary　upon　some　of　the　forms　of　government　which　it　is　expedient　to　adopt；　but　they　are　unanimous　upon　the　general　principles　which　ought　to　rule　human　society。　From　Maine　to　the　Floridas；　and　from　the　Missouri　to　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　the　people　is　held　to　be　the　legitimate　source　of　all　power。　　The　same　notions　are　entertained　respecting　liberty　and　equality；　the　liberty　of　the　press；　the　right　of　association；　the　jury；　and　the　responsibility　of　the　agents　of　Government。
  If　we　turn　from　their　political　and　religious　opinions　to　the　moral　and　philosophical　principles　which　regulate　the　daily　actions　of　life　and　govern　their　conduct；　we　shall　still　find　the　same　uniformity。　　The　Anglo…Americans　*d　acknowledge　the　absolute　moral　authority　of　the　reason　of　the　community；　as　they　acknowledge　the　political　authority　of　the　mass　of　citizens；　and　they　hold　that　public　opinion　is　the　surest　arbiter　of　what　is　lawful　or　forbidden；　true　or　false。　　The　majority　of　them　believe　that　a　man　will　be　led　to　do　what　is　just　and　good　by　following　his　own　interest　rightly　understood。　　They　hold　that　every　man　is　born　in　possession　of　the　right　of　self…government；　and　that　no　one　has　the　right　of　constraining　his　fellow…creatures　to　be　happy。　　They　have　all　a　lively　faith　in　the　perfectibility　of　man；　they　are　of　opinion　that　the　effects　of　the　diffusion　of　knowledge　must　necessarily　be　advantageous；　and　the　consequences　of　ignorance　fatal；　they　all　consider　society　as　a　body　in　a　state　of　improvement；　humanity　as　a　changing　scene；　in　which　nothing　is；　or　ought　to　be；　permanent；　and　they　admit　that　what　appears　to　them　to　be　good　to…day　may　be　superseded　by　something　better…to…morrow。　　I　do　not　give　all　these　opinions　as　true；　but　I　quote　them　as　characteristic　of　the　Americans。
  ＇Footnote　d：　It　is　scarcely　necessary　for　me　to　observe　that　by　the　expression　Anglo…Americans；　I　only　mean　to　designate　the　great　majority　of　the　nation；　for　a　certain　number　of　isolated　individuals　are　of　course　to　be　met　with　holding　very　different　opinions。＇
  The　Anglo…Americans　are　not　only　united　together　by　these　common　opinions；　but　they　are　separated　from　all　other　nations　by　a　common　feeling　of　pride。　　For　the　last　fifty　years　no　pains　have　been　spared　to　convince　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　that　they　constitute　the　only　religious；　enlightened；　and　free　people。　　They　perceive　that；　for　the　present；　their　own　democratic　institutions　succeed；　whilst　those　of　other　countries　fail；　hence　they　conceive　an　overweening　opinion　of　their　superiority；　and　they　are　not　very　remote　from　believing　themselves　to　belong　to　a　distinct　race　of　mankind。
  The　dangers　which　threaten　the　American　Union　do　not　originate　in　the　diversity　of　interests　or　of　opinions；　but　in　the　various　characters　and　passions　of　the　Americans。　　The　men　who　inhabit　the　vast　territory　of　the　United　States　are　almost　all　the　issue　of　a　common　stock；　but　the　effects　of　the　climate；　and　more　especially　of　slavery；　have　gradually　introduced　very　striking　differences　between　the　British　settler　of　the　Southern　States　and　the　British　settler　of　the　North。　　In　Europe　it　is　generally　believed　that　slavery　has　rendered　the　interests　of　one　part　of　the　Union　contrary　to　those　of　another　part；　but　I　by　no　means　remarked　this　to　be　the　case：　slavery　has　not　created　interests　in　the　South　contrary　to　those　of　the　North；　but　it　has　modified　the　character　and　changed　the　habits　of　the　natives　of　the　South。
  I　have　already　explained　the　influence　which　slavery　has　exercised　upon　the　commercial　ability　of　the　Americans　in　the　South；　and　this　same　influence　equally　extends　to　their　manners。　　The　slave　is　a　servant　who　never　remonstrates；　and　who　submits　to　everything　without　complaint。　　He　may　sometimes　assassinate；　but　he　never　withstands；　his　master。　　In　the　South　there　are　no　families　so　poor　as　not　to　have　slaves。　　The　citizen　of　the　Southern　States　of　the　Union　is　invested　with　a　sort　of　domestic　dictatorship；　from　his　earliest　years；　the　first　notion　he　acquires　in　life　is　that　he　is　born　to　command；　and　the　first　habit　which　he　contracts　is　that　of　being　obeyed　without　resistance。　　His　education　tends；　then；　to　give　him　the　character　of　a　supercilious　and　a　hasty　man；　irascible；　violent；　and　ardent　in　his　desires；　impatient　of　obstacles；　but　easily　discouraged　if　he　cannot　succeed　upon　his　first　attempt。
  The　American　of　the　Northern　States　is　surrounded　by　no　slaves　in　his　childhood；　he　is　even　unattended　by　free　servants；　and　is　usually　obliged　to　provide　for　his　own　wants。　　No　sooner　does　he　enter　the　world　than　the　idea　of　necessity　assails　him　on　every　side：　he　soon　learns　to　know　exactly　the　natural　limit　of　his　authority；　he　never　expects　to　subdue　those　who　withstand　him；　by　force；　and　he　knows　that　the　surest　means　of　obtaining　the　support　of　his　fellow…creatures；　is　to　win　their　favor。　　He　therefore　becomes　patient；　reflecting；　tolerant；　slow　to　act；　and　persevering　in　his　designs。
  In　the　Southern　States　the　more　immediate　wants　of　life　are　always　supplied；　the　inhabitants　of　those　parts　are　not　busied　in　the　material　cares　of　life；　which　are　always　provided　for　by　others；　and　their　imagination　is　diverted　to　more　captivating　and　less　definite　objects。　　The　American　of　the　South　is　fond　of　grandeur；　luxury；　and　renown；　of　gayety；　of　pleasure；　and　above　all　of　idleness；　nothing　obliges　him　to　exert　himself　in　order　to　subsist；　and　as　he　has　no　necessary　occupations；　he　gives　way　to　indolence；　and　does　not　even　attempt　what　would　be　useful。
  But　the　equality　of　fortunes；　and　the　absence　of　slavery　in　the　North；　plunge　the　inhabitants　in　those　same　cares　of　daily　life　which　are　disdained　by　the　white　population　of　the　South。　　They　are　taught　from　infancy　to　combat　want；　and　to　place　comfort　above　all　the　pleasures　of　the　intellect　or　the　heart。　　The　imagination　is　extinguished　by　the　trivial　details　of　life；　and　the　ideas　become　less　numerous　and　less　general；　but　far　more　practical　and　more　precise。　　As　prosperity　is　the　sole　aim　of　exertion；　it　is　excellently　well　attained；　nature　and　mankind　are　turned　to　the　best　pecuniary　advantage；　and　society　is　dexterously　made　to　contribute　to　the　welfare　of　each　of　its　members；　whilst　individual　egotism　is　the　source　of　general　happiness。
  The　citizen　of　the　North　has　not　only　experience；　but　knowledge：　nevertheless　he　sets　but　little　value　upon　the　pleasures　of　knowledge；　he　esteems　it　as　the　means　of　attaining　a　certain　end；　and　he　is　only　anxious　to　seize　its　more　lucrative　applications。　　The　citizen　of　the　South　is　more　given　to　act　upon　impulse；　he　is　more　clever；　more　frank；　more　generous；　more　intellectual；　and　more　brilliant。　　The　former；　with　a　greater　degree　of　activity；　of　common…sense；　of　information；　and　of　general　aptitude；　has　the　characteristic　good　and　evil　qualities　of　the　middle　classes。　　The　latter　has　the　tastes；　the　prejudices；　the　weaknesses；　and　the　magnanimity　of　all　aristocracies。　　If　two　men　are　united　in　society；　who　have　the　same　interests；　and　to　a　certain　extent　the　same　opinions；　but　different　characters；　different　acquirements；　and　a　different　style　of　civilization；　it　is　probable　that　these　men　will　not　agree。　　The　same　remark　is　applicable　to　a　society　of　nations。　Slavery；　then；　does　not　attack　the　American　Union　directly　in　its　interests；　but　indirectly　in　its　manners。
  ＇Footnote　e：　Census　of　1790；　3；929；328；　1830；　12；856；165；　1860；　31；443；321；　1870；　38；555；983；　1890；　62；831；900。＇
  The　States　which　gave　their　assent　to　the　federal　contract　in　1790　were　thirteen　in　number；　the　Union　now　consists　of　thirty…four　members。　　The　population；　which　amounted　to　nearly　4；000；000　in　1790；　had　more　than　tripled　in　the　space　of　forty　years；　and　in　1830　it　amounted　to　nearly　13；000；000。　*e　Changes　of　such　magnitude　cannot　take　place　without　some　danger。
  A　society　of　nations；　as　well　as　a　society　of　individuals；　derives　its　principal　chances　of　duration　from　the　wisdom　of　its　members；　their　individual　weakness；　and　their　limited　number。　　The　Americans　who　quit　the　coasts　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean　to　plunge　into　the　western　wilderness；　are　adventurers　impatient　of　restraint；　greedy　of　wealth；　and　frequently　men　expelled　from　the　States　in　which　they　were　born。　　When　they　arrive　in　the　deserts　they　are　unknown　to　each　other；　and　they　have　neither　traditions；　family　feeling；　nor　the　force　of　example　to　check　their　excesses。　　The　empire　of　the　laws　is　feeble　amongst　them；　that　of　morality　is　still　more　powerless。　The　settlers　who　are　constantly　peopling　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　are；　then；　in　every　respect　very　inferior　to　the　Americans　who　inhabit　the　older　parts　of　the　Union。　　Nevertheless；　they　already　exercise　a　great　influence　in　its　councils；　and　they　arrive　at　the　government　of　the　commonwealth　before　they　have　learnt　to　govern　themselves。　*f
  ＇Footnote　f：　This　indeed　is　only　a　temporary　danger。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　in　time　society　will　assume　as　much　stability　and　regularity　in　the　West　as　it　has　already　done　upon　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean。＇
  The　greater　the　individual　weakness　of　each　of　the　contracting　parties