TheframersoftheAmericanConstitutionwerefarfromwishingorintendingtofoundademocracyinthestrictsenseoftheword，though，aswasinevitable，everyexpansionoftheschemeofgovernmenttheyelaboratedhasbeeninademocraticaldirection。Butthishasbeengenerallytheslowresultofgrowth，andnotthesuddeninnovationoftheory；infact，theyhadaprofounddisbeliefintheory，andknewbetterthantocommitthefollyofbreakingwiththepast。TheywerenotseducedbytheFrenchfallacythatanewsystemofgovernmentcouldbeorderedlikeanewsuitofclothes。Theywouldassoonhavethoughtoforderinganewsuitoffleshandskin。Itisonlyontheroaringloomoftimethatthestuffiswovenforsuchavestureoftheirthoughtandexperienceastheyweremeditating。Theyrecognizedfullythevalueoftraditionandhabitasthegreatalliesofpermanenceandstability。
Theyallhadthatdistasteforinnovationwhichbelongedtotheirrace，andmanyofthemadistrustofhumannaturederivedfromtheircreed。Thedayofsentimentwasover，andnodithyrambicaffirmationsorfine-drawnanalysesoftheRightsofManwouldservetheirpresentturn。Thiswasapracticalquestion，andtheyaddressedthemselvestoitasmenofknowledgeandjudgmentshould。
TheirproblemwashowtoadaptEnglishprinciplesandprecedentstothenewconditionsofAmericanlife，andtheysolveditwithsingulardiscretion。
Theyputasmanyobstaclesastheycouldcontrive，notinthewayofthepeople\'swill，butoftheirwhim。Withfewexceptionstheyprobablyadmittedthelogicofthethenacceptedsyllogism，-democracy，anarchy，despotism。Butthisformulawasframedupontheexperienceofsmallcitiesshutuptostewwithintheirnarrowwalls，wherethenumberofcitizensmadebutaninconsiderablefractionoftheinhabitants，whereeverypassionwasreverberatedfromhousetohouseandfrommantomanwithgatheringrumortilleveryimpulsebecamegregariousandthereforeinconsiderate，andeverypopularassemblyneededbutaninfusionofeloquentsophistrytoturnitintoamob，allthemoredangerousbecausesanctifiedwiththeformalityoflaw。2
[Footnote2:Theeffectoftheelectrictelegraphinreproducingthistroopingofemotionandperhapsofopinionisyettobemeasured。TheeffectofDarwinismasadisintegratorofhumanitarianismisalsotobereckonedwith。]