What is now wanted is, that the people,
whose instincts are right, should understand the American
constitution as it is, and so understand it as to render it
impossible for political theorists, no matter of what school or
party, to deceive them again as to its real import, or induce
them to depart from it in their political action.
A work written with temper, without passion or sectional
prejudice, in a philosophical spirit, explaining to the American
people their own national constitution, and the mutual relations
of the General government and the State governments, cannot, at
this important crisis in our affairs, be inopportune, and, if
properly executed, can hardly fail to be of real service. Such a
work is now attempted--would it were by another and abler hand--
which, imperfect as it is, may at least offer some useful
suggestions, give a right direction to political thought,
although it should fail to satisfy the mind of the reader.
This much the author may say, in favor of his own work, that it
sets forth no theory of government in general, or of the United
States in particular. The author is not a monarchist, an
aristocrat, a democrat, a feudalist, nor an advocate of what are
called mixed governments like the English, at least for his own
country; but is simply an American, devoted to the real, living,
and energizing constitution of the American republic as it is,
not as some may fancy it might be, or are striving to make it.
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