170 



from acting, often envious, jealous, or even hostile ; two pne- 

 tors, two censors, four sediles, several quaestors — all of these 

 to a great extent independent of one another, and chosen at 

 different times, some by different popular assemblies, without 

 the slightest view of making of them one homogenous body, 

 fit and ready to act in concert ; on the contrary, charged and 

 encouraged to check and control each other, and as if this 

 was not enough, all of them subject to the arbitrary interposi- 

 tion and final veto of any of the ten tribunes of the people, 

 who had originally no other function than that of checking 

 the various executive officers and political agencies. If we 

 add to this the confusion that must have arisen in all public 

 departments from the annual change of all of these officers, 

 we are at a loss to conceive how it was possible to maintain 

 such strict order, regularity, and punctuality in the public 

 service, such constant success in the military operations, 

 such an undeviating masterly policy, pursued for centuries 

 in the interior of the state and in all foreign relations, 

 with the most careful consistency and deepest premeditation. 

 We are astounded to see the course of Eoman policy run 

 smooth and regular in spite of incongruity and frequent in- 

 capacity in the executive officers of the state. It would take 

 me too long even to allude to the historical facts which prove 

 this, but it is not necessary, as it must be acknowledged by 

 every one, though he should have but a very slight knowledge 

 of Eoman history. And how shall we explain this pheno- 

 menon? Who was it that bound together the discordant 

 elements of the executive, and made them all work of one 

 accord for one object, the greatness of Rome ? It was the 

 Roman Senate. The Greeks who visited Rome, were surprised 

 indeed to find so much power entrusted to the consuls and the 

 other executive officers. The Grecian commonwealths, living 

 in constant dread of tyrants, had contrived to grind down and 

 fritter away the political power in their several states, by 

 dividing and subdividing the chief offices, and by devising so 



