wr


f)tan  those  democratical  forms  which  have
been  the  subject  of  so  much  contest.  So
that  I  may  venture  to  say,  England  has  not
only  in  its  forms  the  most  democratical  gOT-
emment  that  ever  existed  in  a  great  country,
but,  'in  substancej  has  the  most  democratical
government  that  ever  existed  in  any  country;
— if  the  most  subitaniid  democracy  be  thlat
state  in  which  the  greatest  number  of  men
feel  an  interest  and  express  an  opinion  upon
political  questions,  and  in  which  the  greatest
number  of  judgments  and  wills  concur  in  in-
fhiencing  public  measures.
^  The  same  circumstance  gave  great  addi-
tional importance  te  our  discussion  of  conti-
nental politics.  That  discussion  was  no
longer,  as  in  the  "preceding  century,  confined
to  a  few  pamphlets,  written  and  read  o;ily
by  men  of  education  and  rank,  which  reach-
ed tjie  multitude  very  slowly  and  rarely.
In  newspapers  an  almost  daily  appeal  was
made,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  the  iiidgmfent
and  passions  of  almost  fevery  indiviaaalin  the
kingdom  upon  the  measures  and  principles
not  ooly  of  his  own  country,  but  of  every
state  in  Europe.  Under  such  circumstances,
the  {one  of  these  publications  in  speaking  6t
fbreign  governments  became  a  matter  of  im-
portance. You  will  excuse  me,  therefore,
if,  before  I  conclude,  I  remind  you  of  the
general  nature  of  their  language  on  one  ort<vo
very,  remarkable  occasions,  and  of  the  bold-
ness' with  which  they  arraigned  the  crimes
of  powerful  sovereigns,  witnout  any  check
frooi  the  laws  and  magistrates  of  their  own
country.  This  toleration,  or  rather  this  pro-
tection, was  too  long  and  uniform  to  be  acci-
dental. I  am,  indeed,  very  much  mistaken
if  it  be  not  founded  upoii  a  policy  which  this
country  cannot  abanaon  without  sacrificing
her  'liberty  and  endangering  her  national
existence.
