The  more  rapidly  a  great  nation  advances  in  wealth,  intelli-
gence and  population,  the  more  urgently  does  it  require  high
qualities  in  the  Government,  and  great  power  also.  But  the
high  qualities  cannot  be  got  by  any  process  of  universal  suffrage
yet  discovered,  and  the  very  intelligence  and  prosperity  of  the
people,  render  them  jealous  of  power  and  restive  even  when
they  control  it.
The  dominant  passion  of  the  Saxon  race  is  for  local  self-


160  THE    TRIAL    OF    THE    CONSTITUTION.
government.  They  submit  unwillingly  to  a  distant  central
authority,  though  represented  by  it,  and  only  for  the  sake  of
protection,  of  security,  of  national  power  and  greatness.  But
in  a  country  so  vast  as  ours,  the  share  of  some  parts  of  it  in
the  central  authority  may  become  too  small  to  satisfy  the
people  of  those  parts.  Local  attachment  is  stronger  than  any
affection  for  a  whole  can  possibly  be.  A  section  may  find
itself  in  a  permanent  minority,  always  outvoted,  and  either
actually  or  liable  to  be  oppressed  and  treated  as  an  inferior.
A  section  may  become  so  powerful,  and  at  the  same  time  may
be  so  divided  by  its  interests,  its  manners  and  sentiments,  and
by  geographical  lines  from  the  rest,  that  it  may  feel  able  to
become  independent,  and  to  stand  alone  as  a  separate  nation.
In  that  case  it  could  combine  within  itself  local  and  central
power,  the  latter  more  under  the  control  of  its  people  than
that  of  the  existing  General  Government,  and  yet  sufficient  to
give  it  security  as  an  independent  State.  Under  these  cir-
cumstances, and  others  that  are  supposable,  the  desire  for
independence  would  arise.  Independence  would  be  demanded.
