Page:Inquiry into the Principles and Policy of the Government of the United States.djvu/111

Rh without a knowledge of the history of mankind. The English constitution is the only one which has considered and provided for all cases that are known to have generally, indeed to have always happened in the progress of every nation; it is therefore the only scientifical government."

"Whenever the people have had any share in the executive, or more than one third part of the legislative, they have always abused it, and rendered property insecure."

" But a mixed government produces and necessitates "constancy in all its parts; the king must be constant to preserve his prerogatives; the senate must be constant to "preserve their share; and the house theirs."

"It is therefore the true policy of the common people to place the whole executive power in one man, to make him a distinct order in the state, from whence arises an inevitable jealousy between him and the gentlemen."

Mr. Adams's third volume contains a reference to the parties under our present general government, by the terms "constitutionalist and republican;" and in the same volume it is said, "that Lewis the 16th had the unrivalled glory of admitting the people to a share in the government;" an observation for which no ground existed, previously to the establishment of the present general constitution. This volume must therefore have been written or revised after the existence of that constitution; of course, that instrument is entitled to share with the constitutions proposed by the title page to be defended, in the censures of those several quotations.

One of these is an adjudication assigning literally to the "English constitution" the utmost conceivable political perfection; and to every other, a specified comparative inferiority, with a considerable portion of actual worthlessness. "The English constitution is the only one which has