The People. 258 



America. They wouldn't answer for a country in its 

 infancy, just snatched, as one might say, from the 

 hand of nater, and the hardy settlers had to make new 

 ones for themselves. They went on legislatin' and 

 legislatin' accordin' to their necessities, till at last they 

 learned the great fact, that an honest people could 

 govern themselves, without the aid of kings, and 

 princes, and lords, and sich like expensive contriv- 

 ances. The skulkin' Ingens made them watchful. 

 Every man had his musket or his rifle, to protect 

 himself and his family agin' the murderin' cusses. He 

 took his fire-arms with him to the field, when he went 

 to labor, and to the church, when he went to meetin'. 

 In this way every man became a soldier, and, while 

 he protected himself, and helped to protect his neigh- 

 bor, he kept on clearin' away the woods, and pushin' 

 forward the fields, and tillin' the ground, and makin' 

 himself useful, beyond carryin' a gun, and livin' in 

 idleness upon other people's labor. In this way they 

 found out another great fact, that standin' armies 

 were a useless contrivance, and cost more than they 

 were worth. As they went on, they found it neces- 

 sary to have ofiicers to carry out the laws they made, 

 and as every man in the settlements was known, they 



