32 MARYLAND.

ed divisions should be placed the form of gov-
ernment under which live the Indian tribes on
our frontiers?

The radical distinction among governments
is, between those which are conducted by men
deriving their appointment and powers from
the people, and who are responsible to them;
and those that are conducted by men over
whom the people have no direct control.
Whether in the latter case the power is exer-
cised by a king, an emperor, or a junto of more
or less in number; by the chief of an army, a
club of nobles, or a chamber of ministers, may
make some differences in the temper of the ad-
ministration, but will make none in the essen-
tial character of the government. The interest
of the people is the primary consideration with
the first form.—The enjoyment of power su-
persedes all other considerations with the latter
Malte Brun classifies the American system
of government, according to these principles,
and pronounces it to be "a purely national
government," in contradistinction to the oligar-
chical under which latter designation, he ranks
all forms of government where the people have
not the actual sovereign power. He could
hardly have selected a term, whereby to desig-
nate our general government, that would be
more obnoxious to the ears of some of the best
of our statesmen, who are startled at the idea
of a consolidation of powers, where nothing
more was intended than a federation,