Page:Inquiry into the Principles and Policy of the Government of the United States.djvu/160

150 by deforming one and embellishing the other, it excessively obstructs our efforts to draw a correct comparison between them. Yet these fictions really terrified Mr. Adams to such a degree, as to draw from him an ejaculation for the discovery of conventions, which would enable the Americans to take refuge from the « annual fraud and violence" of election, under " hereditary descent;" and invigorated his mind against the " dread of unpopularity," to announce "the important truth," that "hereditary first magistrates and senators" were the final " remedy" against the vices of the elective system.

Mr. Adams frequently strikes with such incautious fury at his adversary, as to wound himself. It was before remarked, that the profligacy he ascribes to election, would corrupt his own theory, as well as ours, had it merited his censures; and new it is very remarkable, that he flies to a "convention" as a remedy against "election." Differing with all other politicians, he makes virtue the principle of hereditary power; vice, of elective power; and yet this vice is his resource, for the creation of this virtue.

Again. Mr, Adams considers a concentration of power a single body of representatives, as a political errour of unequalled magnitude; yet he proposes to collect this very body, by the resource, so corrupt in bis opinion, and confides in it to introduce his theory, which he is fascinated to believe, would be an act of the highest publick benefit. A single body of representatives, says he, is a political monster, yet it has already done great good in America; "thank heaven, Americans understand calling conventions;" and it may, therefore, do one good thing more, that is, destroy all the good things it has hitherto done, and establish "hereditary descent." Thus allowing to the elective principle the utmost perfection, after having sunk all its useful faculties in an invective. But both the one and the other is done for the sake of an hypothesis.

The case of conventions will furnish the strongest arguments in favour of election, and many hints in relation to