264 



POLITICAL FEELING 



equal degree of sincerity and of right apprehen- 

 sion of the subject, he would be essentially in 

 error ; for there is this important distinction : the 

 greater number of those who called out for the 

 constitution knew very imperfectly what they were 

 asking for ; whereas, every individual in the new 

 states, however ignorant of the true nature and 

 extent of civil liberty, or however indifferent about 

 other political matters, is strongly possessed of 

 the same clear, consistent, and steady conception 

 of what independence means ; and' well knows its 

 important practical consequences. It is because 

 these sentiments are universal, and receive every 

 hour more and more strength and confirmation, 

 that I venture to speak so decidedly of the utter 

 impossibility of again reducing to political and 

 moral thraldom so vast a population ; every 

 member of which is at length fully awakened to 

 a sense of his own interest and honour. 



In all companies, the conversation turned on 

 political topics ; and it was very curious to ob- 

 serve, amidst much prejudice and error in reason- 

 ing, and much exaggeration and misstatement of 

 facts, how justly every one felt on the occasion, 



