The conduct of merely municipal affairs was distributed within the States, among Governments even more popular than the federal structure, and without whose ever-renewed support that structure must fall.
The Government thus constituted, so new, so complex and artificial, was to be consolidated, in the midst of difficulties at home, and of dangers abroad.

The constitution had been adopted only upon convictions of absolute necessity, and with evanescent dispositions of compromise.

By nearly half of the people it was thought too feeble to sustain itself, and secure the rights for which governments are instituted among men.

By as many it was thought liable to be converted into an over-shadowing despotism, more formidable and more odious than the monarchy which had been subverted.

These conflicting opinions revealed themselves in like discordance upon every important question of administration, and were made the basis of parties, which soon became jealous and irreconcilable, and ultimately inveterate, and even in some degree disloyal.
These domestic feuds were aggravated by pernicious influences from Europe.
In the progress of western civilization, the nations of the earth had become social.