Characteristic merits and defects of American Democracy only 378 slightly foreseen The _Democracy in America_ of Alexis de Tocqueville 381 Merits and flaws in Tocqueville’s study of the United States 382 His insufficient knowledge of England 385 His preoccupation with France 387 The deficiencies observable in his book scarcely affect its 390 present value Condition of the United States in Tocqueville’s day 392 His description of the salient features of the nation 397 Advantages which he conceives Democracy to have secured 403 Evils he discovers in American Democracy 404 Causes which in his view maintain Republican government 406 His forecasts: the negroes: weakness of the Federal Union 408 Points omitted in his description 413 Chief events in the United States since Tocqueville’s time 415 Chief political changes of the last sixty-seven years 417 Examination of Tocqueville’s predictions 418 Summary of Tocqueville’s conclusions 425 General course of events in America since 1788 427 What Tocqueville would say to-day 428 ESSAY VII TWO SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTITUTIONS 430-467 Originality of the Constitutions of the two Dutch Republics 430 Circumstances under which they arose 432 Constitution of the Orange Free State 436 Constitution of the South African Republic (Transvaal) 441 Observations on the Constitution of the South African Republic 448 Is it a Rigid or a Flexible Constitution? 449 Controversy as to the so-called ‘testing power’ 452 The Constitution is certainly a Flexible one 453 Observations upon both these Constitutions 455 Comparison of these Constitutions with that of Britain and that 458 of the United States Relations of Executive and Legislature in these Dutch Republics 460 Practical Working of the Constitution of the Orange Free State 463 Working of the Constitution of the South African Republic 464 Postscript 466 ESSAY VIII THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 468-553 Interest attaching to the new Constitution of Australia 468 Origin and progress of the movement for federalizing Australia 471