Page:A Declaration of the People's Natural Right to a Share in the Legislature (1775) (IA declarationofpeo00shar).djvu/270

 been “the original and true ground” of all the dangerous mistakes which have been made, upon this important question, by Lord Coke, Judge Vaughan, and himself: for, if this learned gentleman will be pleased to review this argument, founded on “the Right of Conquest,” as applied by himself and the other two very eminent Writers, beforementioned, to the free kingdom of Ireland, I trust (through the great opinion I entertain of his candour and good sense) that he will readily give it up; for, though the “Right of Conquest may be, as he says, “a Right allowed by the Law of Nations, if not by that of Nature,” (that is, in some particular cases,) yet it certainly is contrary both to “the Law of Nations and that of Nature,” (to which he has appealed,) that “the Right of Conquest should be pleaded for binding the Conquerors themselves, or their Descendants, without their Assent! for of such consist the greatest