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man　lawyer　to　show　that　our　system　of　trial　by　jury　is　open　to　the　gravest　objections；　and　that　it　sins　against　common　sense。　　But　if　that　system　gives　us　substantial　justice；　and　protects　us　from　the　tyranny　of　men　in　office；　the　German　will　not　succeed　in　making　us　believe　that　it　is　a　bad　system。　　When　looking　into　the　matter　of　the　schools　at　Boston；　I　observed　to　one　of　the　committee　of　management　that　the　statements　with　which　I　was　supplied；　though　they　told　me　how　many　of　the　children　went　to　school；　did　not　tell　me　how　long　they　remained　at　school。　　The　gentleman　replied　that　that　information　was　to　be　obtained　from　the　result　of　the　schooling　of　the　population　generally。　　Every　boy　and　girl　around　him　could　read　and　write；　and　could　enjoy　reading　and　writing。　　There　was　therefore　evidence　to　show　that　they　remained　at　school　sufficiently　long　for　the　required　purposes。　　It　was　fair　that　I　should　judge　of　the　system　from　the　results。　　Here；　in　England；　we　generally　object　to　much　that　the　Americans　have　adopted　into　their　form　of　government；　and　think　that　many　of　their　political　theories　are　wrong。　　We　do　not　like　universal　suffrage。　We　do　not　like　a　periodical　change　in　the　first　magistrate；　and　we　like　quite　as　little　a　periodical　permanence　in　the　political　officers　immediately　under　the　chief　magistrate；　we　are；　in　short；　wedded　to　our　own　forms；　and　therefore　opposed　by　judgment　to　forms　differing　from　our　own。　　But　I　think　we　all　acknowledge　that　the　United　States；　burdened　as　they　are　with　these　political　evilsas　we　think　themhave　grown　in　strength　and　material　prosperity　with　a　celerity　of　growth　hitherto　unknown　among　nations。　　We　may　dislike　Americans　personally；　we　may　find　ourselves　uncomfortable　when　there；　and　unable　to　sympathize　with　them　when　away。　　We　may　believe　them　to　be　ambitious；　unjust；　self…idolatrous；　or　irreligious；　but　unless　we　throw　our　judgment　altogether　overboard；　we　cannot　believe　them　to　be　a　weak　people；　a　poor　people；　a　people　with　low　spirits　or　with　idle　hands。　　Now　to　what　is　it　that　the　government　of　a　country　should　chiefly　look？　　What　special　advantages　do　we　expect　from　our　own　government？　　Is　it　not　that　we　should　be　safe　at　home　and　respected　abroadthat　laws　should　be　maintained；　but　that　they　should　be　so　maintained　that　they　should　not　be　oppressive？　　There　are；　doubtless；　countries　in　which　the　government　professes　to　do　much　more　than　this　for　its　peoplecountries　in　which　the　government　is　paternal；　in　which　it　regulates　the　religion　of　the　people；　and　professes　to　enforce　on　all　the　national　children　respect　for　the　governors；　teachers；　spiritual　pastors；　and　masters。　But　that　is　not　our　idea　of　a　government。　　That　is　not　what　we　desire　to　see　established　among　ourselves　or　established　among　others。　　Safety　from　foreign　foes；　respect　from　foreign　foes　and　friends；　security　under　the　law　and　security　from　the　law；　this　is　what　we　expect　from　our　government；　and　if　I　add　to　this　that　we　expect　to　have　these　good　things　provided　at　a　fairly　moderate　cost；　I　think　I　have　exhausted　the　list　of　our　requirements。　　I　hardly　think　that　we　even　yet　expect　the　government　to　take　the　first　steps　in　the　rudimentary　education　of　the　people。　　We　certainly　do　not　expect　it　to　make　the　people　religious；　or　to　keep　them　honest。　And　if　the　Americans　with　their　form　of　government　have　done　for　themselves　all　that　we　expect　our　government　to　do　for　us；　if　they　have　with　some　fair　approach　to　general　excellence　obtained　respect　abroad　and　security　at　home　from　foreign　foes；　if　they　have　made　life；　liberty；　and　property　safe　under　their　laws；　and　have　also　so　written　and　executed　their　laws　as　to　secure　their　people　from　legal　oppression；I　maintain　that　they　are　entitled　to　a　verdict　in　their　favor；　let　us　object　as　we　may　to　universal　suffrage；　to　four　years'　Presidents　and　four　years'　presidential　cabinets。　　What；　after　all；　matters　the　theory　or　the　system；　whether　it　be　king　or　president；　universal　suffrage　or　ten…pound　voter；　so　long　as　the　people　be　free　and　prosperous？　　King　and　president；　suffrage　by　poll　and　suffrage　by　property；　are　but　the　means。　　If　the　end　be　there；　if　the　thing　has　been　done；　king　and　president；　open　suffrage　and　close　suffrage；　may　alike　be　declared　to　have　been　successful。　　The　Americans　have　been　in　existence　as　a　nation　for　seventy…five　years；　and　have　achieved　an　amount　of　foreign　respect　during　that　period　greater　than　any　other　nation　ever　obtained　in　double　the　time。　　And　this　has　been　given　to　them；　not　in　deference　to　the　statesmanlike　craft　of　their　diplomatic　and　other　officers；　but　on　grounds　the　very　opposite　of　those。　　It　has　been　given　to　them　because　they　form　a　numerous；　wealthy；　brave；　and　self…asserting　nation。　　It　is；　I　think；　unnecessary　to　prove　that　such　foreign　respect　has　been　given　to　them；　but　were　it　necessary；　nothing　would　prove　it　more　strongly　than　the　regard　which　has　been　universally　paid　by　European　governments　to　the　blockade　placed　during　this　war　on　the　Southern　ports　by　the　government　of　the　United　States。　　Had　the　nation　been　placed　by　general　consent　in　any　class　of　nations　below　the　first；　England；　France；　and　perhaps　Russia　would　have　taken　the　matter　into　their　own　hands；　and　have　settled　for　the　States；　either　united　or　disunited；　at　any　rate　that　question　of　the　blockade。　　And　the　Americans　have　been　safe　at　home　from　foreign　foes；　so　safe；　that　no　other　strong　people　but　ourselves　have　enjoyed　anything　approaching　to　their　security　since　their　foundation。　　Nor　has　our　security　been　at　all　equal　to　theirs；　if　we　are　to　count　our　nationality　as　extending　beyond　the　British　Isles。　　Then　as　to　security　under　their　laws　and　from　their　laws！　　Those　laws　and　the　system　of　their　management　have　been　taken　almost　entirely　from　us；　and　have　so　been　administered　that　life　and　property　have　been　safe；　and　the　subject　also　has　been　free；　under　the　law。　　I　think　that　this　may　be　taken　for　granted；　seeing　that　they　who　have　been　most　opposed　to　American　forms　of　government　have　never　asserted　the　reverse。　　I　may　be　told　of　a　man　being　lynched　in　one　State；　or　tarred　and　feathered　in　another；　or　of　a　duel　in　a　third　being　〃fought　at　sight。〃　　So　I　may　be　told　also　of　men　garroted　in　London；　and　of　tithe　proctors　buried　in　a　bog　without　their　ears　in　Ireland。　　Neither　will　seventy　years　of　continuance；　nor　will　seven　hundred；　secure　such　an　observance　of　laws　as　will　prevent　temporary　ebullition　of　popular　feeling；　or　save　a　people　from　the　chance　disgrace　of　occasional　outrage。　Taking　the　general；　life　and　limb　and　property　have　been　as　safe　in　the　States　as　in　other　civilized　countries　with　which　we　are　acquainted。　As　to　their　personal　liberty　under　their　laws；　I　know　it　will　be　said　that　they　have　surrendered　all　claim　to　any　such　precious　possession　by　the　facility　with　which　they　have　now　surrendered　the　privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。　　It　has　been　taken　from　them；　as　I　have　endeavored　to　show；　illegally；　and　they　have　submitted　to　the　loss　and　to　the　illegality　without　a　murmur！　　But　in　such　a　matter　I　do　not　think　it　fair　to　judge　them　by　their　conduct　in　such　a　moment　as　the　present。　　That　this　is　the　very　moment　in　which　to　judge　of　the　efficiency　of　their　institutions　generally；　of　the　aptitude　of　those　institutions　for　the　security　of　the　nation；　I　readily　acknowledge；　but　when　a　ship　is　at　sea　in　a　storm；　riding　out　through　all　that　the　winds　and　waves　can　do　to　her；　one　does　not　condemn　her　because　a　yard…arm　gives　way；　nor　even　though　the　mainmast　should　go　by　the　board。　　If　she　can　make　her　port；　saving　life　and　cargo；　she　is　a　good　ship；　let　her　losses　in　spars　and　rigging　be　what　they　may。　　In　this　affair　of　the　habeas　corpus　we　will　wait　awhile　before　we　come　to　any　final　judgment。　　If　it　be　that　the　people；　when　the　war　is　over；　shall　consent　to　live　under　a　military　or　other　dictatorship；　that　they　shall　quietly　continue　their　course　as　a　nation　without　recovery　of　their　rights　of　freedom；　then　we　shall　have　to　say　that　their　institutions　were　not　founded　in　a　soil　of　sufficient　depth；　and　that　they　gave　way　before　the　first　high　wind　that　blew　on　them。　　I　myself　do　not　expect　such　a　result。　I　think　we　must　admit　that　the　Americans　have　received　from　their　government；　or　rather　from　their　system　of　policy；　that　aid　and　furtherance　which　they　required　from　it；　and；　moreover；　such　aid　and　furtherance　as　we　expect　from　our　system　of　government。　　We　must　admit　that　they　have　been　great；　and　free；　and　prosperous；　as　we　also　have　become。　　And　we　must　admit　also　that　in　some　matters　they　have　gone　forward　in　advance　of　us。　　They　have　educated　their　people；　as　we　have　not　educated　ours。　　They　have　given　to　their　millions　a　personal　respect；　and　a　standing　above　the　abjectness　of　poverty；　which　with　us　are　much　less　general　than　with　them。　　These　things；　I　grant；　have　not　come　of　their　government；　and　have　not　been　produced　by　their　written　Constitution。　　They　are　the　happy　results　of　their　happy　circumstances。　　But　so　also　are　not　those　evil　attributes　which　we　sometimes　assign　to　them　the　creatures　of　their　government　or　of　their　Constitution。　　We　acknowledge　them　to　be　well　educated；　intelligent；　philanthropic；　and　indu