ower　soon　reached　the　maximum　of　its　authority；　as　is　usually　the　case　with　a　government　which　triumphs　after　having　braced　its　strength　by　the　struggle。　At　that　time　the　interpretation　of　the　Constitution　seemed　to　extend；　rather　than　to　repress；　the　federal　sovereignty；　and　the　Union　offered；　in　several　respects；　the　appearance　of　a　single　and　undivided　people；　directed　in　its　foreign　and　internal　policy　by　a　single　Government。　　But　to　attain　this　point　the　people　had　risen；　to　a　certain　extent；　above　itself。
  ＇Footnote　v：　＇Since　1861　the　movement　is　certainly　in　the　opposite　direction；　and　the　federal　power　has　largely　increased；　and　tends　to　further　increase。＇＇
  The　Constitution　had　not　destroyed　the　distinct　sovereignty　of　the　States；　and　all　communities；　of　whatever　nature　they　may　be；　are　impelled　by　a　secret　propensity　to　assert　their　independence。　　This　propensity　is　still　more　decided　in　a　country　like　America；　in　which　every　village　forms　a　sort　of　republic　accustomed　to　conduct　its　own　affairs。　　It　therefore　cost　the　States　an　effort　to　submit　to　the　federal　supremacy；　and　all　efforts；　however　successful　they　may　be；　necessarily　subside　with　the　causes　in　which　they　originated。
  As　the　Federal　Government　consolidated　its　authority；　America　resumed　its　rank　amongst　the　nations；　peace　returned　to　its　frontiers；　and　public　credit　was　restored；　confusion　was　succeeded　by　a　fixed　state　of　things；　which　was　favorable　to　the　full　and　free　exercise　of　industrious　enterprise。　It　was　this　very　prosperity　which　made　the　Americans　forget　the　cause　to　which　it　was　attributable；　and　when　once　the　danger　was　passed；　the　energy　and　the　patriotism　which　had　enabled　them　to　brave　it　disappeared　from　amongst　them。　No　sooner　were　they　delivered　from　the　cares　which　oppressed　them；　than　they　easily　returned　to　their　ordinary　habits；　and　gave　themselves　up　without　resistance　to　their　natural　inclinations。　　When　a　powerful　Government　no　longer　appeared　to　be　necessary；　they　once　more　began　to　think　it　irksome。　The　Union　encouraged　a　general　prosperity；　and　the　States　were　not　inclined　to　abandon　the　Union；　but　they　desired　to　render　the　action　of　the　power　which　represented　that　body　as　light　as　possible。　　The　general　principle　of　Union　was　adopted；　but　in　every　minor　detail　there　was　an　actual　tendency　to　independence。　　The　principle　of　confederation　was　every　day　more　easily　admitted；　and　more　rarely　applied；　so　that　the　Federal　Government　brought　about　its　own　decline；　whilst　it　was　creating　order　and　peace。
  As　soon　as　this　tendency　of　public　opinion　began　to　be　manifested　externally；　the　leaders　of　parties；　who　live　by　the　passions　of　the　people；　began　to　work　it　to　their　own　advantage。　　The　position　of　the　Federal　Government　then　became　exceedingly　critical。　　Its　enemies　were　in　possession　of　the　popular　favor；　and　they　obtained　the　right　of　conducting　its　policy　by　pledging　themselves　to　lessen　its　influence。　　From　that　time　forwards　the　Government　of　the　Union　has　invariably　been　obliged　to　recede；　as　often　as　it　has　attempted　to　enter　the　lists　with　the　governments　of　the　States。　　And　whenever　an　interpretation　of　the　terms　of　the　Federal　Constitution　has　been　called　for；　that　interpretation　has　most　frequently　been　opposed　to　the　Union；　and　favorable　to　the　States。
  The　Constitution　invested　the　Federal　Government　with　the　right　of　providing　for　the　interests　of　the　nation；　and　it　had　been　held　that　no　other　authority　was　so　fit　to　superintend　the　〃internal　improvements〃　which　affected　the　prosperity　of　the　whole　Union；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　cutting　of　canals。　　But　the　States　were　alarmed　at　a　power；　distinct　from　their　own；　which　could　thus　dispose　of　a　portion　of　their　territory；　and　they　were　afraid　that　the　central　Government　would；　by　this　means；　acquire　a　formidable　extent　of　patronage　within　their　own　confines；　and　exercise　a　degree　of　influence　which　they　intended　to　reserve　exclusively　to　their　own　agents。　　The　Democratic　party；　which　has　constantly　been　opposed　to　the　increase　of　the　federal　authority；　then　accused　the　Congress　of　usurpation；　and　the　Chief　Magistrate　of　ambition。　　The　central　Government　was　intimidated　by　the　opposition；　and　it　soon　acknowledged　its　error；　promising　exactly　to　confine　its　influence　for　the　future　within　the　circle　which　was　prescribed　to　it。
  The　Constitution　confers　upon　the　Union　the　right　of　treating　with　foreign　nations。　　The　Indian　tribes；　which　border　upon　the　frontiers　of　the　United　States；　had　usually　been　regarded　in　this　light。　　As　long　as　these　savages　consented　to　retire　before　the　civilized　settlers；　the　federal　right　was　not　contested：　but　as　soon　as　an　Indian　tribe　attempted　to　fix　its　dwelling　upon　a　given　spot；　the　adjacent　States　claimed　possession　of　the　lands　and　the　rights　of　sovereignty　over　the　natives。　　The　central　Government　soon　recognized　both　these　claims；　and　after　it　had　concluded　treaties　with　the　Indians　as　independent　nations；　it　gave　them　up　as　subjects　to　the　legislative　tyranny　of　the　States。　*w
  ＇Footnote　w：　See　in　the　Legislative　Documents；　already　quoted　in　speaking　of　the　Indians；　the　letter　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　to　the　Cherokees；　his　correspondence　on　this　subject　with　his　agents；　and　his　messages　to　Congress。＇
  Some　of　the　States　which　had　been　founded　upon　the　coast　of　the　Atlantic；　extended　indefinitely　to　the　West；　into　wild　regions　where　no　European　had　ever　penetrated。　　The　States　whose　confines　were　irrevocably　fixed；　looked　with　a　jealous　eye　upon　the　unbounded　regions　which　the　future　would　enable　their　neighbors　to　explore。　　The　latter　then　agreed；　with　a　view　to　conciliate　the　others；　and　to　facilitate　the　act　of　union；　to　lay　down　their　own　boundaries；　and　to　abandon　all　the　territory　which　lay　beyond　those　limits　to　the　confederation　at　large。　*x　Thenceforward　the　Federal　Government　became　the　owner　of　all　the　uncultivated　lands　which　lie　beyond　the　borders　of　the　thirteen　States　first　confederated。　　It　was　invested　with　the　right　of　parcelling　and　selling　them；　and　the　sums　derived　from　this　source　were　exclusively　reserved　to　the　public　treasure　of　the　Union；　in　order　to　furnish　supplies　for　purchasing　tracts　of　country　from　the　Indians；　for　opening　roads　to　the　remote　settlements；　and　for　accelerating　the　increase　of　civilization　as　much　as　possible。　　New　States　have；　however；　been　formed　in　the　course　of　time；　in　the　midst　of　those　wilds　which　were　formerly　ceded　by　the　inhabitants　of　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic。　　Congress　has　gone　on　to　sell；　for　the　profit　of　the　nation　at　large；　the　uncultivated　lands　which　those　new　States　contained。　　But　the　latter　at　length　asserted　that；　as　they　were　now　fully　constituted；　they　ought　to　enjoy　the　exclusive　right　of　converting　the　produce　of　these　sales　to　their　own　use。　　As　their　remonstrances　became　more　and　more　threatening；　Congress　thought　fit　to　deprive　the　Union　of　a　portion　of　the　privileges　which　it　had　hitherto　enjoyed；　and　at　the　end　of　1832　it　passed　a　law　by　which　the　greatest　part　of　the　revenue　derived　from　the　sale　of　lands　was　made　over　to　the　new　western　republics；　although　the　lands　themselves　were　not　ceded　to　them。　*y
  ＇Footnote　x：　The　first　act　of　session　was　made　by　the　State　of　New　York　in　1780；　Virginia；　Massachusetts；　Connecticut；　South　and　North　Carolina；　followed　this　example　at　different　times；　and　lastly；　the　act　of　cession　of　Georgia　was　made　as　recently　as　1802。＇
  ＇Footnote　y：　It　is　true　that　the　President　refused　his　assent　to　this　law；　but　he　completely　adopted　it　in　principle。　　（See　Message　of　December　8；　1833。）＇
  The　slightest　observation　in　the　United　States　enables　one　to　appreciate　the　advantages　which　the　country　derives　from　the　bank。　　These　advantages　are　of　several　kinds；　but　one　of　them　is　peculiarly　striking　to　the　stranger。　The　banknotes　of　the　United　States　are　taken　upon　the　borders　of　the　desert　for　the　same　value　as　at　Philadelphia；　where　the　bank　conducts　its　operations。　*z
  ＇Footnote　z：　The　present　Bank　of　the　United　States　was　established　in　1816；　with　a　capital　of　35；000；000；　its　charter　expires　in　1836。　　Last　year　Congress　passed　a　law　to　renew　it；　but　the　President　put　his　veto　upon　the　bill。　　The　struggle　is　still　going　on　with　great　violence　on　either　side；　and　the　speedy　fall　of　the　bank　may　easily　be　foreseen。　　＇It　was　soon　afterwards　extinguished　by　General　Jackson。＇＇
  The　Bank　of　the　United　States　is　nevertheless　the　object　of　great　animosity。　　Its　directors　have　proclaimed　their　hostility　to　the　President：　and　they　are　accused；　not　without　some　show　of　probability；　of　having　abused　their　influence　to　thwart　his　election。　　The　President　therefore　attacks　the　establishment　which　they　represent　with　all　the　warmth　of　personal　enmity；　and　he　is　encouraged　in　the　pursuit　of　his　revenge　by　the　conviction　that　he　is　supported　by　the　secret　propensities　of　the　majority。　　The　bank　may　be　regarded　as　the　great　monetary　tie　of　the　Union；　just　as　Congress　is　the　great　legislative　tie；　and　the　same　passions　which　tend　to　render　the　States　independent　of　the　central　power；　contribute　to　the　overthrow　of　the　bank。
  The　Bank　of　the　United　States　always　holds　a　great　number　of　the　notes　issued　by　the　pro