nces of ascertaining the intentions of the framers of the constitution rather than the influence of any sinister or unpatriotic motive. but the great danger to our institutions does not appear to me to be in a usurpation by the government of power not granted by the people， but by the accumulation in one of the departments of that which was assigned to others. limited as are the powers which have been granted， still enough have been granted to constitute a despotism if concentrated in one of the departments. this danger is greatly heightened， as it has been always observable that men are less jealous of encroachments of one department upon another than upon their own reserved rights. when the constitution of the united states first came from the hands of the convention which formed it， many of the sternest republicans of the day were alarmed at the extent of the power which had been granted to the federal government， and more particularly of that portion which had been assigned to the executive branch. there were in it features which appeared not to be in harmony with their ideas of a simple representative democracy or republic， and knowing the tendency of power to increase itself， particularly when exercised by a single individual， predictions were made that at no very remote period the government would terminate in virtual monarchy. it would not become me to say that the fears of these patriots have been already realized； but as i sincerely believe that the tendency of meas
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