Russia at the present day. That it was the case in America, let the
following extract from Franklin's private correspondence testify:

'The inconsistency that strikes me the most is that between the
name of your city, Philadelphia, and the spirit of rancor, malice,
and hatred that breathes in the newspapers. For I learn from those
papers that State is divided into parties, that each party ascribes
all the public operations of the other to vicious motives, that
they do not even suspect one another of the smallest degree of
honesty, that the anti-Federalists are such merely from the fear of
losing power, places, or emoluments, which they have in possession
or expectation; that the Federalists are a set of conspirators, who
aim at establishing a tyranny over the persons and property of
their countrymen and who live in splendor on the plunder of the
people. I learn, too, that your justices of the peace, though
chosen by their neighbors, make a villanous trade of their offices,
and promote discord to augment fees, and fleece their electors; and
that this would not be mended were the choice in the Executive
Council, who, with interested or party aims, are continually making
as improper appointments, witness a 'petty fiddler, sycophant, and
scoundrel' appointed judge of the admiralty, an 'old woman and
fomentor of sedition' to be another of the judges, and 'a Jeffreys'
chief justice, etc., etc., with 'harpies,' the comptroller and
naval officers, to prey upon the merchants, and deprive them of
their property by force of arms, etc. I am informed, also, by these
papers, that your General Assembly, though the annual choice of the
people, shows no regard to their rights, but from sinister views or
ignorance makes laws in direct violation of the Constitution, to
divest the inhabitants of their property, and give it to strangers
and intruders, and that the Council, either fearing the resentment