Excerpt from Political Sketches of Eight Years in Washington; In Four Parts, With Annotations to Each: Also, a General Appendix; An Alphabetical Index; And a Series of Charts, Giving a Comparative Synopsis of the Constitutions of the Several States, and the United States Could I hope to convince you, my countrymen, by peremp tory asseveration how sincerely I deprecate the character of an alarmist who raises the hue and cry on trivial occasions or without adequate cause, and that the present inauspicious bode ments of your public affairs are sufficient to justify any patriotic and well meaning citizen possessed of suitable facilities of information in assuming the responsible charge to wind the clarion of danger, I should not here tender you a long introduc tory dissertation in order to arouse your attention and persuade you to grant me a patient hearing through the ensuing Volume, but would proceed at once to recount to you for your rightful arbitrament the various ill omened and pernicious matters it exposes, without preface or remark - save only to declare in general terms the solemn conviction which their recital as a con catenated whole must inevitably bring to every reflecting mind, viz. That your boasted master-piece of political systems, your once Well-poised federal government, to all outward appear auces so happily adjusted and proportioned for_endurance in all its parts, has already far degenerated into the deplorable condition of A practical revolution - a practical revolution which but too probably shadows forth the reality of the coming catastrophe that threatens speedily to manifest itself to every eye, when too late, by its consummation in a self-elected executive - who having but too successfully 'brought the patronage of the federal gov ernment into conflict with the freedom of his couse quent inauguration will be the only brief ceremonial that may delay for a day his identity with a selewilled despot. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.