Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/15

Rh deign and end of government, viz. Freedom and Security. And however our eyes may be dazzled with how, or our ears deceived by ound; however prejudice may warp our wills, or interet darken our undertanding, the imple voice of nature and reaon will ay, 'tis right.

I draw my idea of the form of government from a principle in nature which no art can overturn, viz. that the more imple any thing is, the les liable it is to be diordered, and the eaier repaired when diordered; and with this maxim in view I offer a few remarks on the o much boated contitution of England. That it was noble for the dark and lavih times in which it was erected, is granted. When the world was over-run with tyranny, the leat remove therefrom was a glorious recue. But that it is imperfect, ubject to convulions, and incapable of producing what it eems to promie, is eaily demontrated.

Abolute governments (though the digrace of human nature) have this advantage with them, that they are imple; if the people uffer, they know the head from which their uffering prings; know likewie the remedy; and are not bewildered by a variety of caues and cures. But the contitution of England is o exceedingly complex, that the nation may uffer for years together, without being able to dicover in which part the fault lies; ome will ay in one and ome in another, and every political phyician will advie a different medicine.

I know it is difficult to get over local or long-tanding prejudices, yet if we will uffer ourelves to examine the component parts of the Englih contitution, we hall find them to be the bae remains of two ancient tyrannies, compounded with ome new Republican materials.

Firt.—The remains of Monarchical tyranny, in the peron of the King.

Secondly.—The remains of Aritocratical tyranny, in the perons of the Peers.

Thirdly.—The new Republican materials, in the perons of the Commons, on whoe virtue depends the freedom of England.

The two firt, by being hereditary, are independent of the people; wherefore in a contitutional ene they contribute nothing towards the freedom of the tate.

To ay that the contitution of England is a union of three powers, reciprocally checking each other, is farcical; either the words have no meaning, or they are flat contradictions.

To ay that the Commons is a check upon the King, preuppoes two things:

Firt.—That the King is not to be truted without being looked after, or, in other words, that a thirt for abolute power is the natural dieae of Monarchy.

Secondly.—That the Commons, by being appointed for that purpoe, are either wier or more worthy of confidence than the Crown.

But as the ame contitution which gives the Commons a power to check the King, by with-holding the upplies, gives afterwards the King a power to check the