Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/109

Rh hort of perfection, by giving the choice of ome militia officers, &c. to the people—thee are however mall matters at preent. They have not made their firt magitrates hereditary, nor their enators: here they differ from the Englih contitution, and with great propriety.

The Agrarian in America, is divided into the hands of the common people in every tate, in uch a manner, that nineteen twentieths of the property would be in the hands of the commons, let them appoint whom they could for chief magitrate and enators: the overeignty then, in fact, as well as morality, mut reide in the whole body of the people; and an hereditary king and nobility, who hould not govern according to the public opinion, would infallibly be tumbled intantly from their places: it is not only mot prudent then, but abolutely neceflary, to avoid continual violence, to give the people a legal, contitutional, and peaceable mode of changing thee rulers, whenever they dicover improper principles or dipoitions in them. In the preent tate of ociety, and with the preent manners, this may be done, not only without inconvenience, but greatly for the happines and properity of the country. In future ages, if the preent tates become great nations, rich, powerful, and luxurious, as well as numerous, their own feelings and good ene will dictate to them what to do: they may make tranitions to a nearer reemblance of the Britih contitution, by a freh convention, without the mallet interruption to liberty. But this will never become neceary, until great quantities of property hall get into few hands.

The truth is, that the people have ever governed in America: all the weight of the royal governors and councils, even backed with fleets and