6-öwsrk-
Laws.
Population.
Artny.
to the community,; M a s forming treaties, iffuiag letters _pfmtrque,
• and the like ads of independent Sovereignty, which might endanger
the uriion of ihe whofe. The jndicial power is lodged in one Supreme
court, and in fuch inferiot courts as the congrefs may ordain, the judges
holding their offices during their good behaviour. Each pro-nnee^has
alfo its peculiar government, confifting commonly of afenate and houfe
of repreftntatives, annually.chofen.* ' $ Vr -r ^ i j
The Haws feem in general to eorrefpond with thofe of ,England,
handed fiown by their anceftofs. | It was to have been expend that a
new and ffiort code Ihould have appeared; but as the lawyers |rea
powerfuf'fioSy, and often chofen ienators and reprefentatives, j j f e
fcaccely be feppofcd that they ihould confect to abridge then
a Amplification-of the laws. Different ftates b a v e ^ f o ^ c ^ t e d t .
nances and cuftoma, whieffi-are,permitted, whga they do not diliurb the
general concord. ‘ But a cede of law^ „to be held in ^univpkl obferv-
anee, might afford afirir obj.e£ of.arnbition.^ In,Xurbp ..the ?(?de g
the moft brief in the moft-defpptic ftates, where the patientdtes ^ an
apoplexy; whilfi-in the more free ftstfe*. A-.SowMbn-
The population of-thefe extenfive territories was formaUf ^ffiated,
by order of congrefs, in 1790, and found to he. 3,^o},odo/ exduft-Ve cf
the inhabitants N.-W., of the Ohio, fuppefeffto be^Qop,'* It & inferred
that t h e .population is .doubled every twenty years, in whreficafe
the population may now amount to about fix mHtiOns;^ The ndffib'er
of flaves in 1790 was 697,697, and has probably been littfe'mcreafed,
as ipany emancipations have taken place, and the flavC trade »dffcountenanced.
. . ty&j r .,. 1 ,, ...
A fmall military force is maintained for the fake of fupportiflg public
order, and upwards of-five thoufand were raifed fox three years, f&r-ttie
defence of the frontiers. But a Handing army is deemed incompatible
* The federalists i'ntroduced the prefent government, w ^ p th e ^ F eH y a l i t t s do not, like the
French, wifh to abolifhthedetached government o f each date, but are merely £o termed as °PP0'
fitionift’s, and thence more democratic than the former. Imlay, 193. ^
-; - t Connefticut;, the mofl^populous province;, is fuppofed: to. contain fixty-fivcfor each-fguaie
It® 1 |
with the republican -government; and the, ftrength-of'tb& ftates is .corn- Army.
puted from the militia,' which isi.ftateekby Mr. Morfe*at 700,090. Yet
bis mode ofireafoniug * i s . a n d iiatecasclufiye^f and it' would feent
jnore agreeable tbHhe^ufual.rulfcs to eftimate^^,^. nfcfnoft effective force,
at 150^x00, ‘a* number fufficientlyformidable to ftibduejthe whole, continent,
.and; to fet Foreign-- myafion at ’ defiance.'*
The navy toft ,1She*Uaaited Statesrisfcft^Fofifittio eonfeqjience, though a Navy,
few ihips" were equipped during'th&' reeerrt fliort difpute with France.
I-iftthfecourfe of u.’cestfiry'br two, ih is .probable that the maritime, fpirit
of their* progenitors will be difplayed, and that the American fleet will
rival any in.Eagepe. -r
The revenue of the? United States* is derived from the duties! on im- - Revenue,
ports-and tonnage, andlfome fmall taxes. 'Mr^ Morfe ftates the revenue
at-little,more than two .'millions dollars,* and,th<e exigences.at only ;.
740^00.' But the national: debt is fuppofed. to amount to; eighty mftw
liens- ©f dollars. The war with the Indians, which terminated in ii^QSt* %
is-laid to have coft the ftates one million of dollars yearly; and was cerh
tainLyf CAndufibed with little fpirit 015 ’ deeifion, while in found-policy,
andat-leils expence, it'might have been terminated'at one'efibrt. , *
TfejmUtkal importance oftheUriifed States will depend, in «.great Political im-
msafure, upon the individual character, as the government i^u'qtffuf-
ficientiy* ftrong to ufe coercion even for the’general profp.erity. The
moftiiahpartial travellers have been impfefled with-rfiSgret and a^onifh- ,
ment at the fpirit of felfifhnefs and'.avarice,, whichttoo. univerfaily prevails,,;,
and which, crufhes or impedesjevery!.great .or .noble, exertion... If
th;q fpirit of a monarchy, according to Montefqtlien|,be glofy,, the, fpirit
of a m m ipAn w e a l th , by the fame authority,; is: ,yirtb,e. Yet .tjj^j latter
word having become of dubious acceptation,, ifmot.'er^irely/Qbfplete, it
might perhaps be argued, from the example of Holland, Switzerland,
and the French Directory, not to mention many republics of antiquity,
that the fpirit of a commonwealth is money ; and the Oifeliange’is. cer-
* The dollar is equal to 48. 6d. fterling. Imlayr 189, eftimates the American debt at fix teen
willioHs.',fa-ling; and the funds bore an intereft of about fix per cent,
4 c a •' Mainly .