SOUTH AMERICA. 



157 



she must be such, it may be well that she is placed 

 under a race of kings, not likely to inspire the nation 

 with the formidable energy of our republic, but rather 

 to dissipate the force of the body politic, in childish 

 projects, and royal extrava stance, ^^ithout some mas- 

 ter spirit at the head of the government, the avowed 

 and bold enemy, like Pombal, of the power which 

 stands between the people and the throne, there is no 

 likelihood of correcting the mass of abuses, which 

 must powerfully retard its growth, and vitiate its for- 

 mation. Obedience will be the first thing to be se- 

 cured; and a free enlightened, enterprising American 

 population, can never be sufficiently passive for the 

 best of kings. It is very certain, that a young Ame- 

 rican nation, if left to itself, might outgrow many of 

 the original vices of its constitution; but it will be the 

 policy of a monarchial government, to perpetuate the 

 worst, and correct only the least of them. 



A nearer survey of the empire of Brazil, will give 

 a more adequate idea of its importance. Its shores 

 are v/ashed by the waves of the Atlantic from the 

 river Arauary, north of the entrance of the Amazon 

 in two degrees north, to Rio de St. Pedro in thirty- 

 three, south. On the north it is bounded by the Ama- 

 zon, as high up as the mouth of the Javari, and up 

 that river to the seventy-fourth degree of west longi- 

 tude, and thence in a southerly direction to the gieat 

 river Madeira, and along the river Items, and ranges 

 of mountains to the Paraguay; across this river and 

 along a range of mountains to the south of Rio Grrande 

 St. Pedro, terminating as before mentioned. The dis- 

 putes between Spain and Portugal, with respect to 

 boundaries are well known. These unavoidably arose 



