Sec.1.  The plan of government in this country is peculiar.  To a person previously unacquainted with our political institutions, it might seem strange, after having read the foregoing description of the state governments, to be told that there is still another and a different government to which the people are subject.  How the people of more than thirty states, all having complete and distinct governments, can at the same time be subject to another government, also complete in all its parts, he would not immediately understand.  He would not know what is meant by the government of the United States.  How the states, all having governments of their own, can be united in one government, he would not readily perceive.

Sec.2.  We shall therefore proceed to a description of the government of the United States, from which will appear the relation between that government and the state governments.  It will also appear that the state governments, each of which has in itself a great deal of machinery, all move in harmony with the great political machine—­the government of the United States.  It is easy to see that a knowledge of these governments is important to the people who live under them, as every freeman exercises a part of the governing power, both in the government of his own state, and in the general government.

Sec.3.  To assist the reader in understanding the constitution and government of the United States, we shall first give a sketch of the governments which preceded, and of the principal causes which led to the revolution in the government of this country.  Most of the youth who are of sufficient age to study this work, probably know that our present forms of government were not established by the early settlers in this country.  The first inhabitants were colonists.  A colony is a settlement of persons in a distant place or country, who remain subject to the government of the state or country from which they removed.  The American colonies which have become the “United States,” were chiefly settled from Great Britain, and were under her jurisdiction.

Sec.4.  The political rights and privileges enjoyed by the colonists as British subjects, were very limited, and were conferred by the charters of the king.  The people had not then, as now, constitutions of their own choice.  There were colonial governments; but they were such as the king was pleased to establish, and might be changed at his pleasure.  These governments were in form somewhat similar to that of our state governments.  There was what might be called a legislature; also an executive or governor; and there were judges.

Sec.5.  But of the officers of these departments of the government, only the members of one branch of the law-making power were elected by the people.  The other branch was composed of a small number of men, called a council; but they were appointed by the king and subject to his control, as was also the governor, who had the power of an absolute negative or veto to any proposed law.  And laws after having received the assent of the governor, must be sent to England and approved by the king, before they could go into effect.