the present
and future, the model republic--as much so as was Rome in her day; and
it is not simply national pride nor American self-conceit that
pronounces its establishment the beginning of a new and more advanced
order of civilization; such is really the fact.

The only apparently weak point in the system is in the particular
States themselves. Feudalism protected the feudal aristocracy
effectively for a time against both the king and the people, but left
the king and the people without protection against the aristocracy, and
hence it fell. It was not adequate to the wants of civil society, did
not harmonize all social elements, and protect all social and
individual rights and interests, and therefore could not but fail. The
General government takes care of public authority and rights; the State
protects private rights and personal freedom as against the General
government: but what protects the citizens in their private rights,
their personal freedom and independence, against the particular State
government? Universal suffrage, answers the democrat. Armed with the
ballot, more powerful than the sword, each citizen is able to protect
himself. But this is theory, not reality. If it were true, the
division of the powers of government between two co-ordinate,
governments would be of no practical importance. Experience does not
sustain the theory, and the power of the ballot to protect the
individual may be rendered ineffective by the tyranny of party.
Experience proves that the ballot is far less effective in securing the
freedom and independence of the individual citizen than is commonly
pretended. The ballot of an isolated individual counts for nothing.
The individual, though armed with the ballot, is as powerless, if he
stands alone, as if he had it not. To render it of any avail he must
associate himself with a party, and look for his success in the success
of his party; and to secure the success of his party, he must give up
to it his own private convictions and free will. In practice,
individuals are nothing individually, and parties are every thing.
Even the suppression of the late rebellion, and the support of the
Administration in doing it, was made a party question, and the
government found the leaders of the party opposed to the Republican
party an obstacle hardly less difficult to surmount than the chiefs of
the armies of the so-called Confederate States.

Parties are formed, one hardly knows ho