nd　indirectly　bring　about　a　revolution；　but　this　epoch　is　still　very　remote。
  It　may；　however；　be　foreseen　even　now；　that　when　the　Americans　lose　their　republican　institutions　they　will　speedily　arrive　at　a　despotic　government；　without　a　long　interval　of　limited　monarchy。　　Montesquieu　remarked；　that　nothing　is　more　absolute　than　the　authority　of　a　prince　who　immediately　succeeds　a　republic；　since　the　powers　which　had　fearlessly　been　intrusted　to　an　elected　magistrate　are　then　transferred　to　a　hereditary　sovereign。　　This　is　true　in　general；　but　it　is　more　peculiarly　applicable　to　a　democratic　republic。　　In　the　United　States；　the　magistrates　are　not　elected　by　a　particular　class　of　citizens；　but　by　the　majority　of　the　nation；　they　are　the　immediate　representatives　of　the　passions　of　the　multitude；　and　as　they　are　wholly　dependent　upon　its　pleasure；　they　excite　neither　hatred　nor　fear：　hence；　as　I　have　already　shown；　very　little　care　has　been　taken　to　limit　their　influence；　and　they　are　left　in　possession　of　a　vast　deal　of　arbitrary　power。　This　state　of　things　has　engendered　habits　which　would　outlive　itself；　the　American　magistrate　would　retain　his　power；　but　he　would　cease　to　be　responsible　for　the　exercise　of　it；　and　it　is　impossible　to　say　what　bounds　could　then　be　set　to　tyranny。
  Some　of　our　European　politicians　expect　to　see　an　aristocracy　arise　in　America；　and　they　already　predict　the　exact　period　at　which　it　will　be　able　to　assume　the　reins　of　government。　　I　have　previously　observed；　and　I　repeat　my　assertion；　that　the　present　tendency　of　American　society　appears　to　me　to　become　more　and　more　democratic。　　Nevertheless；　I　do　not　assert　that　the　Americans　will　not；　at　some　future　time；　restrict　the　circle　of　political　rights　in　their　country；　or　confiscate　those　rights　to　the　advantage　of　a　single　individual；　but　I　cannot　imagine　that　they　will　ever　bestow　the　exclusive　exercise　of　them　upon　a　privileged　class　of　citizens；　or；　in　other　words；　that　they　will　ever　found　an　aristocracy。
  An　aristocratic　body　is　composed　of　a　certain　number　of　citizens　who；　without　being　very　far　removed　from　the　mass　of　the　people；　are；　nevertheless；　permanently　stationed　above　it：　a　body　which　it　is　easy　to　touch　and　difficult　to　strike；　with　which　the　people　are　in　daily　contact；　but　with　which　they　can　never　combine。　　Nothing　can　be　imagined　more　contrary　to　nature　and　to　the　secret　propensities　of　the　human　heart　than　a　subjection　of　this　kind；　and　men　who　are　left　to　follow　their　own　bent　will　always　prefer　the　arbitrary　power　of　a　king　to　the　regular　administration　of　an　aristocracy。　　Aristocratic　institutions　cannot　subsist　without　laying　down　the　inequality　of　men　as　a　fundamental　principle；　as　a　part　and　parcel　of　the　legislation；　affecting　the　condition　of　the　human　family　as　much　as　it　affects　that　of　society；　but　these　are　things　so　repugnant　to　natural　equity　that　they　can　only　be　extorted　from　men　by　constraint。
  I　do　not　think　a　single　people　can　be　quoted；　since　human　society　began　to　exist；　which　has；　by　its　own　free　will　and　by　its　own　exertions；　created　an　aristocracy　within　its　own　bosom。　　All　the　aristocracies　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　founded　by　military　conquest；　the　conqueror　was　the　noble；　the　vanquished　became　the　serf。　　Inequality　was　then　imposed　by　force；　and　after　it　had　been　introduced　into　the　maners　of　the　country　it　maintained　its　own　authority；　and　was　sanctioned　by　the　legislation。　　Communities　have　existed　which　were　aristocratic　from　their　earliest　origin；　owing　to　circumstances　anterior　to　that　event；　and　which　became　more　democratic　in　each　succeeding　age。　　Such　was　the　destiny　of　the　Romans；　and　of　the　barbarians　after　them。　But　a　people；　having　taken　its　rise　in　civilization　and　democracy；　which　should　gradually　establish　an　inequality　of　conditions；　until　it　arrived　at　inviolable　privileges　and　exclusive　castes；　would　be　a　novelty　in　the　world；　and　nothing　intimates　that　America　is　likely　to　furnish　so　singular　an　example。
  Reflection　On　The　Causes　Of　The　Commercial　Prosperity　Of　The　Of　The　United　States
  The　Americans　destined　by　Nature　to　be　a　great　maritime　people　…　Extent　of　their　coasts　…　Depth　of　their　ports　…　Size　of　their　rivers　…　The　commercial　superiority　of　the　Anglo…Americans　less　attributable；　however；　to　physical　circumstances　than　to　moral　and　intellectual　causes　…　Reason　of　this　opinion　…Future　destiny　of　the　Anglo…Americans　as　a　commercial　nation　…　The　dissolution　of　the　Union　would　not　check　the　maritime　vigor　of　the　States　…　Reason　of　this　…　Anglo…Americans　will　naturally　supply　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants　of　South　America　…　They　will　become；　like　the　English；　the　factors　of　a　great　portion　of　the　world。
  The　coast　of　the　United　States；　from　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　the　Sabine　River　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　is　more　than　two　thousand　miles　in　extent。　These　shores　form　an　unbroken　line；　and　they　are　all　subject　to　the　same　government。　　No　nation　in　the　world　possesses　vaster；　deeper；　or　more　secure　ports　for　shipping　than　the　Americans。
  The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　constitute　a　great　civilized　people；　which　fortune　has　placed　in　the　midst　of　an　uncultivated　country　at　a　distance　of　three　thousand　miles　from　the　central　point　of　civilization。　America　consequently　stands　in　daily　need　of　European　trade。　　The　Americans　will；　no　doubt；　ultimately　succeed　in　producing　or　manufacturing　at　home　most　of　the　articles　which　they　require；　but　the　two　continents　can　never　be　independent　of　each　other；　so　numerous　are　the　natural　ties　which　exist　between　their　wants；　their　ideas；　their　habits；　and　their　manners。
  The　Union　produces　peculiar　commodities　which　are　now　become　necessary　to　us；　but　which　cannot　be　cultivated；　or　can　only　be　raised　at　an　enormous　expense；　upon　the　soil　of　Europe。　　The　Americans　only　consume　a　small　portion　of　this　produce；　and　they　are　willing　to　sell　us　the　rest。　　Europe　is　therefore　the　market　of　America；　as　America　is　the　market　of　Europe；　and　maritime　commerce　is　no　less　necessary　to　enable　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　to　transport　their　raw　materials　to　the　ports　of　Europe；　than　it　is　to　enable　us　to　supply　them　with　our　manufactured　produce。　　The　United　States　were　therefore　necessarily　reduced　to　the　alternative　of　increasing　the　business　of　other　maritime　nations　to　a　great　extent；　if　they　had　themselves　declined　to　enter　into　commerce；　as　the　Spaniards　of　Mexico　have　hitherto　done；　or；　in　the　second　place；　of　becoming　one　of　the　first　trading　powers　of　the　globe。
  The　Anglo…Americans　have　always　displayed　a　very　decided　taste　for　the　sea。　　The　Declaration　of　Independence　broke　the　commercial　restrictions　which　united　them　to　England；　and　gave　a　fresh　and　powerful　stimulus　to　their　maritime　genius。　　Ever　since　that　time；　the　shipping　of　the　Union　has　increased　in　almost　the　same　rapid　proportion　as　the　number　of　its　inhabitants。　　The　Americans　themselves　now　transport　to　their　own　shores　nine…tenths　of　the　European　produce　which　they　consume。　*g　And　they　also　bring　three…　quarters　of　the　exports　of　the　New　World　to　the　European　consumer。　*h　The　ships　of　the　United　States　fill　the　docks　of　Havre　and　of　Liverpool；　whilst　the　number　of　English　and　French　vessels　which　are　to　be　seen　at　New　York　is　comparatively　small。　*i
  ＇Footnote　g：　The　total　value　of　goods　imported　during　the　year　which　ended　on　September　30；　1832；　was　101；129；266。　　The　value　of　the　cargoes　of　foreign　vessels　did　not　amount　to　10；731；039；　or　about　one…tenth　of　the　entire　sum。＇
  ＇Footnote　h：　The　value　of　goods　exported　during　the　same　year　amounted　to　87；176；943；　the　value　of　goods　exported　by　foreign　vessels　amounted　to　21；036；183；　or　about　one　quarter　of　the　whole　sum。　　（Williams's　〃Register；〃　1833；　p。　398。）＇
  ＇Footnote　i：　The　tonnage　of　the　vessels　which　entered　all　the　ports　of　the　Union　in　the　years　1829；　1830；　and　1831；　amounted　to　3；307；719　tons；　of　which　544；571　tons　were　foreign　vessels；　they　stood；　therefore；　to　the　American　vessels　in　a　ratio　of　about　16　to　100。　　（〃National　Calendar；〃　1833；　p。　304。）　The　tonnage　of　the　English　vessels　which　entered　the　ports　of　London；　Liverpool；　and　Hull；　in　the　years　1820；　1826；　and　1831；　amounted　to　443；800　tons。　　The　foreign　vessels　which　entered　the　same　ports　during　the　same　years　amounted　to　159；431　tons。　　The　ratio　between　them　was；　therefore；　about　36　to　100。　　（〃Companion　to　the　Almanac；〃　1834；　p。　169。）　In　the　year　1832　the　ratio　between　the　foreign　and　British　ships　which　entered　the　ports　of　Great　Britain　was　29　to　100。　＇These　statements　relate　to　a　condition　of　affairs　which　has　ceased　to　exist；　the　Civil　War　and　the　heavy　taxation　of　the　United　States　entirely　altered　the　trade　and　navigation　of　the　country。＇＇
  Thus；　not　only　does　the　American　merchant　face　the　competition　of　his　own　countrymen；　but　he　even　supports　that　of　foreign　nations　in　their　own　ports　with　success。　　This　is　readily　explained　by　the　fact　that　the　vessels　of　the　United　States　can　cross　the　seas　at　a　cheaper　rate　than　any　other　vessels　in　the　world。　　As　long　as　the　mercantile　shipping　of　the　United　States　preserves　this　superiority；　it　will　not　only　retain　what　it　has　acquired；　but　it　will　constantly　increase　in　prosperity。
  Chapter