INTRODUCTION. 



49 



parents and children, formed the family, or domestic circle. Those families that happen to 

 live in the same neighborhood, after quarreling for a while, at last agree to live in harmony 

 together ; certain rules become established among them, which for a time are only considered 

 customs. The union of these famihes does not form a state, but only a civil society. These 

 small societies soon perceive, that their customs and observances require to be clearly ex- 

 pressed, and to be invested with the authority of laws. Men of superior capacity become the 

 lawgivers of these hamlets or villages. As soon as the rights and duties of individuals become 

 thus established, pohtical society commences. 



But this is a community without efficient government. They have laws ; but these, in order 

 to render them effectual, require some power to execute them. The want of this power leaves 

 society a prey to anarchy and confusion. The experience of these evils teaches mankind to 

 establish some system, by which laws shall not only be framed, but enforced. Such a system 

 is government, and when once established in a community, that community becomes a king- 

 dom, empire, or republic, according to the particular form of government that is adopted. 



In the earliest state of society, the patriarch or head of a family is naturally regarded as its ruler. 

 Thus the patriarchal form is used in the infancy of society. In time of war, the strongest and 

 most sagacious leader naturally assumes the principal authority and becomes the chief. As 

 society advances and the nation increases in number and wealth, the chief assumes the rank and 

 authority of a prince or king. A prince of a warlike disposition conquers the adjacent coun- 

 tries, and, ruling over several nations, becomes an emperor. Convinced, by experience and 

 observation, that monarchical forms of government are not adapted to promote the highest 

 happiness of the people, the inhabitants of a country throw off the yoke of tyranny, and frame 

 a system, in which the authority shall be placed in the hands of persons chosen, from time to 

 time, by themselves, thus giving rise to a free government. 



2. Government. The government of a state is the body or bodies of men, to which are 

 intrusted the power of making and executing the laws, the management of the public concerns, 

 and the defence and promotion of the general welfare. 



3. Powers and Branches of Government. The most important powers of a government 

 are, that of making laws, or the legislative power ; that of interpreting or applying them to 

 individual cases, or the judicial power ; and that of executing them, or the executive power 

 Each of these powers is, in many states, confided to a distinct body, and the government is, 

 therefore, divided into three independent branches, the legislature, the judiciary, and the 

 executive. 



4. Forms of Government. There are various forms of government differing in their charac 

 ter and appellation, according to the disposition of the powers of government in few or many 

 hands, and the organization of the different branches ; 



(1.) A monarchical government is one in which the supreme power is exercised by a single 

 individual ; if the sovereign succeeds his predecessor by right of inheritance, it is a hereditary 

 monarchy ; if he is chosen by the nation, or certain privileged classes, or dignitaries, it is an 

 elective monarchy ; 



(2.) When the sovereign has no law but his own will, and can dispose at pleasure of the 

 lives, persons, and property of his subjects, the government is a despotism ; if the sovereign 

 unites all powers in himself, but is bound by the laws, the government is an absolute monarchy ; 



(3.) When the authority of the head of the state is restricted by the concurrent authority of 

 the representatives of the nation or of certain privileged classes of the nation, the government 

 is called a limited or constitutional monarchy ; 



(4.) A republican government is one in which the supreme power is in the hands of the 

 whole body of the people, or is exercised by the principal citizens ; in the former case, it is 

 called a democracy or democratic republic ; in the latter an aristocracy or aristocratic republic ; 



(5.) States are also differently denominated according to the title of the sovereign, without 

 regard to the form of government ; thus a monarchy is styled an empire, kingdom, duchy, 

 principality, electorate, landgraviate, &c., according as the head of the state bears the title 

 of emperor, king, duke, prince, elector, landgrave, &c. ; 



(6.) Of the popular form of government, that of the United States furnishes the leading 

 example. This is founded upon the theory, that the true end and first object of government 

 should be to secure the highest happiness of the people, and that the surest mode of accom- 

 plishing this end, is to intrust the government to the people. It may safely be asserted, that 



