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the ancient city and the modern State, or empire. Of these there cannot 

 be any doubt that, so far as yet disclosed in history, the first is the more 

 perfect type ; or, in other words, it is the type of State that has most per- 

 fectly fulfilled the essential end of the State ; namely the harmonious 

 development of the individual : and that the modern State, though per- 

 haps of a higher order of development, cannot be compared with the city 

 State of the ancient world in this respect. Fully to establish this propo- 

 sition, would necessitate a historical disquisition too extensive for these 

 pages ; (q) but the fact will be made sufficiently clear by a comparison of 

 any modern State with that of Athens — an insignificant country in point 

 of numbers and extent, but which has played a greater part in the history 

 of the race, and the development of its civilization, than any of the great 

 empires of the world. On the other hand, this type of State presented 

 one essential defect, which was, that on account of its size, it proved itself 

 unable to cope with external aggression, and thus, in the development of 

 larger political organizations, necessarily succumbed. On this account, 

 it has been condemned, in unqualified terms, by publicists generally ; 

 who have consequently come to regard this capacity for large political 

 organization as the distinguishing mark of the political genius of the 

 people. In this, they are undoubtedly right, to the extent that this 

 capacity, under the conditions that are presented in human history up to 

 this time, has been essential to political existence. But it is equally 

 obvious, from experience, that the organization of large States, while 

 under existing conditions, essential to political existence, carries with it 

 many evils ; and especially, that it is to a large extent injurious to the 

 development of the individual, morally and intellectually. Hence, it 

 seems evident that a combination of the advantages of the larger and the 

 smaller State is desirable, and this is precisely what is effected by the 

 federal organization. It is, indeed, impossible, in modern times, and in 

 view of the immense development of population and business interests, to 

 return to the city State ; but smaller political organizations of sovereign 

 character, such as in our country are presented by the States of the 

 Union, are possible ; and these generally are sufficiently limited in popu- 

 lation and territory to subserve the same purposes as the city State. 



In Europe, where the existence of each State is threatened by hostile 

 powers, its policy, under existing conditions, must be determined by this 

 sole consideration. But here in America we are absolutely free from such 

 considerations ; and an opportunity for political development is thus 

 given us which has never before, in the history of the race, been presented 

 to the same extent ; and nothing but political prejudice, born of circum- 

 stances that no longer exist, can stand in our way. To what extent this 

 circumstance in our situation may or should influence our future develop- 

 ment, is to some extent illustrated by the history of our mother country' ; 

 which, by reason of its isolation, alone of the countries of modern 

 Europe, has been able to develop a liberal and rational constitution. 



In this country, also, it is to be observed, that under our federal Consti- 



