What caught my attention was the fact that he called American government a tradition. I assume you are talking about the theological definition of tradition. He also says that the government seeks to pass itself on unchanged to posterity. He is trying to say that the government seeks to pass on its ideas, unchanged, to future generations. As if in reality there will always be a ruler throughout time. Then he says “lose some of his integrity?”, so basically not being honest and deceiving people. However, he clarifies what his opinions are towards the government. As stated: "But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves men without government, I ask not immediately for the absence of government, but immediately for better government." This is what I would call the middleman: he wants the government to meet him halfway. He doesn't believe that the government should be completely out of the picture, but he believes that the laws and tactics towards the people are not efficient enough. Start the sentence with “talk practically.” This means that it may not be what he feels one hundred percent, but what he thinks is most reasonable