On the early Development of the Principle of Political Repre- On the Progress of Political Literature connected with the INTRODUCTION. By the term political literature, we must comprehend everything connected with civil government: the administration of justice; the production and diffusion of wealth; and whatever is immediately or remotely conducive to the social happiness, political power, and well-being of a people. A nation may be considered in the light of a great family; and whatever promotes the safety, peace, and comfort of that family, may properly enough come under the denomination of politics-of which political literature is the direct and tangible expression. It must be obvious that a vast field is here opened to the reasoning faculties, and literary acquirements of men. In no department of human speculation and inquiry do we find fiercer contentions, more contradictory opinions, and more vehement desires manifested after victory, than in the sphere of political literature and discussion. A person looking from a distance on the arena of public life, and unacquainted with the leading principle of civil polity would be apt to come to the conclusion, that all here was uncertainty, uproar, and confusion; that no one fundamental axiom was beyond the reach of dispute; and that truth seemed to make her escape from those engaged in the general and boisterous scramble to lay hold of her. Indeed, the fact is indisputable, that many soberminded and intelligent persons give themselves up to a vulgar kind of scepticism on political matters; and maintain there is nothing true, nothing scientifically certain in this branch of knowledge. Nor is this scepticism merely the embodiment of the casual and every-day conclusions of common life, and narrow observation; it is now even formally enrolled in recent books of philosophy, and bandied about from one writer to another, as something very profound, original, and interesting. We shall not stop at the present moment to enter upon any formal examination into the value and reasonableness of such doubts; this we shall do in another section of this treatise. We shall merely observe, what a moment's consideration will suffice to show, that matters connected with the security and happiness of a nation, are pre-eminently calculated to give rise to the highest exertions of the intellect, and the proudest efforts of logical skill. Even the subordinate divisions of the general science of politics, are calculated to call forth the most profound and subtile powers of argumentation. The doubts which some are led to entertain as to the solidity of the general principles on which all comprehensive systems of general polity rest, may fairly be referred to causes unconnected with their abstract truth, or scientific validity. The ordinary sources of such doubts chiefly take their rise from the following circumstances. A portion of the difficulties connected with speculations and inquiries into political science arise from the innate complication of the subject itself. There is only a very limited view of the consequences of any given public measure afforded to the mind, even under the most favourable circumstances; and it is often difficult to keep up such a degree of attention to one set of causes and effects, as will enable a person to trace out their several bearings through the indefinite ramifications of social life. The intellect is apt to become confounded by the multiplicity of objects, which at once solicit and demand consideration. Another prevailing source of differences in political sentiment and opinion consists, in the interests of mankind being closely and personally connected with their discussion. It will often prove a vain effort to convince a man of the expediency or wisdom of any particular course of state policy, if his private interests are likely to be endangered by its adoption. He will commonly reject all kinds and degrees of evidence; and the more palpable the testimony, the more obstinate will be his resistance. In other departments of knowledge, discussions are conducted with comparative ingenuousness and freedom from passion; but political questions come more immediately in collision with the prejudices of particular classes of the community, and by this means their minds become unfitted for giving the requisite degree of patient and clear attention to those distinct and broad principles, on which the truth and expediency of such questions rest. The want of that power of the mind which seizes |