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termed geographical. The ancient kingdom 

 of Quito, for instance, is connected at the same 

 time, by the habits and language of its moun- 

 tainous inhabitants, with Peru and New-Gre- 

 nada. If there were a provincial junta, if they 

 resorted to the congress only for the taxes that 

 are necessary for the defence and general wel- 

 fare of Columbia, the feeling of an individual 

 political existence would render the inhabitants 

 less interested in the choice of the spot where 

 the central government is placed. The same 

 reasoning applies to New-Andalusia or Guyana, 

 which are governed by intendants named by 

 the President. It may be said that these pro- 

 vinces are hitherto in a position little different 

 from such territories of the United States as 

 have a population below 60,000 souls. Pecu- 

 liar circumstances, which cannot be justly ap- 

 preciated at such a distance, have no doubt ren- 

 dered great centralization necessary in the civil 

 administration ; every change would be dan- 

 gerous as long as the state has external enemies; 

 but the forms useful for defence, are not always 

 those which, after the struggle, sufficiently favor 

 individual liberty, and the development of pub- 

 lic prosperity. History proves that this diffi- 

 culty, when not overcome with prudence, has 

 more than once been the rock against which 

 the enthusiasm and the affections of nations 

 have made shipwreck. Without breaking the 



