roughout Europe of religion, laws, and manners. At
bottom, these are all the same. The writers on public law have often
called this _aggregate_ of nations a commonwealth. They had reason. It
is virtually one great state, having the same basis of general law, with
some diversity of provincial customs and local establishments. The
nations of Europe have had the very same Christian religion, agreeing in
the fundamental parts, varying a little in the ceremonies and in the
subordinate doctrines. The whole of the polity and economy of every
country in Europe has been derived from the same sources. It was drawn
from the old Germanic or Gothic Custumary,--from the feudal
institutions, which must be considered as an emanation from that
Custumary; and the whole has been improved and digested into system and
discipline by the Roman law. From hence arose the several orders, with
or without a monarch, (which are called States,) in every European
country; the strong traces of which, where monarchy predominated, were
never wholly extinguished or merged in despotism. In the few places
where monarchy was cast off, the spirit of European monarchy was still
left. Those countries still continued countries of States,--that is, of
classes, orders, and distinctions, such as had before subsisted, or
nearly so. Indeed, the force and form of the institution called States
continued in greater perfection in those republican communities than
under monarchies. From all those sources arose a system of manners and
of education which was nearly similar in all this quarter of the
globe,--and which softened, blended, and harmonized the colors of the
whole. There was little difference in the form of the universities for
the education of their youth, whether with regard to faculties, to
sciences, or to the more liberal and elegant kinds of erudition. From
this resemblance in the modes of intercourse, and in the whole form and
fashion of life, no citizen of Europe could be altogether an exile in
any part of it. There was nothing more than a pleasing variety to
recreate and instruct the mind, to enrich the imagination, and to
meliorate the heart. When a man travelled or resided, for health,
pleasure, business, or necessity, from his own country, he never felt
himself quite abroad.

The whole body of this new scheme of manners, in support of the new
scheme of polities, I consider as a strong and decisive proof of
determined ambition and systematic hostility.