of the belligerency of the Confederate States: whereas the message of President Grant, and the despatches of Mr. Fish show, that the present Government of the United States not only has not made any such demands, but has expressly forborne to make them, even while insisting that such premature acknowledgement manifested an antecedent unfriendliness, which gave a specific colour ing to the negligence of the British Government in the Alabama matter.

In the hope that the following pages may have some effect in producing a correct appreciation of the present condition of the controversy, they are given to the public. A third part has been partly prepared, to which what is now published, would form an appropriate introduction; but there is no present probability that it will ever be completed.

It is hardly necessary to add that the Author makes this publication entirely of his own motion, and without consulting any person whomsoever as to the propriety or expediency of doing so.

LANGHAM HOTEL,

London, January, 1870.

PART I.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.'

It is not only convenient, but even necessary, to clear the way to our main topics, by discussing certain matters directly, rather than incidentally. To many this discussion may seem wholly or in a great part unnecessary. To others it will appear indispensable to a proper comprehension of the subject.

DEFINITIONS.

The term British is applied to the aggregate population of Great Britain and Ireland. The term Anglo-Saxon is rejected, as not being sufficiently descriptive. The term British American is applied to the aggregate population of the United States of America, which is assumed to be such either by origin or by political affiliation. The general term American is rejected as not being specific. The term British American, as above defined, is inaccurate, because it excludes other British races in North America; but, restricted by definition, must serve the present purpose. The thirty-eight million citizens of the United States do not yet possess a collective adjective which expresses their nationality.

POLITICS is the science of human government. INTERNATIONAL POLITICS concern the relations and conduct of nations towards

each other. MUNICIPAL POLITICS is the relation and conduct t a particular state towards its citizens or subjects, and their rafr tion and conduct towards it. In a lower and restricted sens for the term politics is often applied to parties existing in a p ticular state, representing diversity of opinions upon politic questions. The term will be here generally employed in larger senses; if in the other, the fact will be sufficient th obvious.

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WHAT IS GOVERNMENT ?

Government is both a science and an art. It is a scienc because the moral and economical principles upon which ought to be administered are capable of being easily ascertained and precisely stated. But in their practical application the propositions become complicated with various conditions, so the they lose their abstract character, and become concrete; an then government becomes an art. These conditions are various: such as those of geography, climate, race, traditional habit education, and the like. It will not be doubted, at this time. that the climate of Greece had much to do with the develop ment of her peculiar institutions; nor that the political characte of England has been in a great measure the result of her in sular position; nor that the political necessities of France have for the last hundred years been greatly determined by popu lations outside of her borders.

THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

In the United States we are republicans, and we prefer that form of government. It is suited to our habits, for we have been republicans from the beginning. We were first planted there two hundred and fifty years ago, as a few scattered settlements or towns along the Atlantic coast, having no connec tion, and but little communication with each other. These

THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNITED STATES

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owns came to unite for purposes of defence against savages; to orm colonial legislatures, the germ of states, and then states to form the Federal Union. The general existing condition may e thus expressed: the lowest political division is the school disrict, whose inhabitants meet in general assembly, elect trustees, etermine the questions of building school-houses, supplies for he schools, and similar matters, and levy taxes for these puroses. All these are executive and legislative acts. Several chool districts combined form the town. This also has its nnual legislative assembly, at which the town officers are lected, and other questions determined, such as the repair of he public roads, and the support of the poor. Several towns orm the county, which has also its legislature, either elected y the whole body of the county, or composed of delegates from he several towns. To this body is confided the laying out of ublic roads, the first construction of public bridges, the charge nd support of the county court-house, jail, workhouse, insane sylum, poor-house, and other kindred local matters. Above hem all rises the State, whose legislature, of two separate bodies, composed of delegates from towns, counties, divisions of coun es, or from several counties united; with [a general power of unicipal legislation, and a governor elected by universal sufage. And above them all the FEDERAL UNION of the several tates; in which we present to the world the only national chaacter we possess, and which has a national executive, judiiary and legislature, of two separate bodies, the Senate and House of Representatives; and these are the only authorities hrough which we collect customs, coin money, make treaties, ustain an army and navy, declare war, and have international atercourse with other peoples.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES NOT DEMOCRATIC.

But our national government is not democratic. Many of the tates are democratic, but the national government is arranged pon a more complicated basis. The representatives, in the House of Representatives in Congress, are elected in districts

upon a basis of population, so that States of large population New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, have each between thir and forty members, while States of small population, like Delaware, Rhode Island, and Oregon, have each but one membe But each State, however great or small its population, has t members of the Senate, so that the vote of the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, with a population exceeding t millions, may be neutralized in the Senate by the vote of t states of Delaware, Rhode Island and Oregon, which have n altogether a population of even a million. And these Senators a not chosen directly by the people by primary election, but by th Legislatures of their respective States, and there fore by seconda election. Nor is the President chosen directly by the people, n does his election necessarily represent a majority of the votes cas directly by the people. The people of each State choose b universal suffrage a number of electors of President and Vice President, equal to the number of its members of the House Representatives in Congress and of its Senators. If the State New York has thirty-four members of the House of Representa tives, and two members of the Senate, it would therefore ha thirty-six members of the Electoral College; while the State Delaware, with one representative and two senators, has thre electors. The State of New York has therefore less influence the Electoral College than it would be entitled to on the basis population; while the State of Delaware has three times & much influence as its population would entitle it to. And again the President, it is obvious, may be elected by a minority oft popular votes. He may win enough electoral votes to secur his election in various States, each carried by small m jorities in his favour, while other States may cast their vot against him by majorities thrice or four times as large. So the the only department of our government, based upon a dire democratic basis, is the House of Representatives. The Sena: is not democratic, nor elected by primary election, but electe by secondary election on a purely artificial basis. The Preside is not elected by primary election, nor on a democratic basis, not does his election necessarily express a majority of the popula vote. This short statement will possess no readers with &

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