HISTORY OF VERMONT. 245 



tinued from age to age in the same condition, 

 and made no improvements. Where the means 

 of subsistence were plentiful, and easy to be 

 procured, the Indians had advanced beyond the 

 state of an hunter, and began to increase their 

 numbers, and their agriculture. In such pla- 

 ces, society began to assume a difibrent form, 

 from what it bore in their rudest and most sim- 

 ple state. And the tendency of it was every 

 where to monarchy. In the southern parts of 

 New England, and Virginia, some of the tribes 

 were advancing fast to the form of hereditary 

 monarchy. In the hotter climates it was al- 

 ready established. This was the case in Floi-i- 

 da, among the Natchez on the Missisippi, in 

 Cuba, Hispaniola, and all the large islands. In 

 Bagota, Mexico, and Peru, monarchy had ac- 

 quired its perfect form, its full powers, and a 

 complete establishment. In each of these places, 

 the progress of govermiient had been from per- 

 fect freedom and independence, to almost abso- 

 lute and unlimited monarchy. In the course of 

 this progress, two remarkable , phenomena ap- 

 peared ; In one part of America, an empire and 

 a monarchy was established, in most respects 

 resembling those which had arisen in the oth- 

 er hemisphere. In another f)art of America, 

 an empire and a monarchy was produced, 

 far superior to those which were produced 

 in the other parts of the globe. 



In the empire of Mexico, almost every thing 

 had taken the Asiatic, and European course. 

 The great body of the people were reduced to a 

 degraded and humiliating state ; and held their 

 lives, and performed their labours, under various 



