ternally between themselves, and internally between the com- 

 ponent parts of each individual governnnent. They might 

 rather be said to protect than be protected, to uphold than be 

 upheld. This singularity in the constitution of modern Eu- 

 ropean governments, originated a new principle of action. 

 This principle has been developed- in the strong and ceaseless 

 efforts of those governments accurately to maintain the bal- 

 ance of power. It arose from the anxiety of government to 

 perpetuate itself; to foster and protect its own interests. It 

 was a refinement in governmental reasoning. It was the 

 "logic of empire." The consequences resulting from the 

 actual developement of this principle have been all important 

 in European politics. But I must here stop at immediate 

 results, without attempting to push them into their far reach- 

 ing consequences. 



It is a fact worth adverting to, that the very despotic ten- 

 dency of modern European governments, has resulted from 

 the prevalent spirit of this era. , In the earlier periods of their 

 existence, the spirit of liberty and equality had been infused 

 into these governments. Of this, the diets of Germany, the 

 cortes of Spain, the parliament of England, and the states- 

 general of France, are so many attesting witnesses. They 

 have descended to us as the relics of that period. On the first 

 page of modern European history, therefore, individual gen- 

 ius predominates. It was left free to obey its own impulses. 

 That freedom, with" some qualification, it has ever since en- 

 joyed, both under the common law of England, and the civil 

 law of the continent. Its prominent objects were the acqui- 

 sition of knowledge, and the accumulation of wealth, or crea- 

 tion of value out of the inert things of nature. For the pre- 

 valence of an individual, rather than a national spirit, in this 

 era there exists a reason. • 



'Human affections must centre in something. When con-" 

 fined, .they even attach themselves to the very barrier that 

 confines them. Witness the love of the monk for his clois- 

 ter. He loves it, because 4t excludes^im from loving any 

 thing else. The law which controls the action of these af- 



