Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/120

82 lot his weight in the contitution; the total confuion in all public affairs; the declenion of importance, and los of territory—all hew that abolute monarchy is preferable to uch a republic. Would twelve millions of inhabitants, under an Englih contitution, or under the contitution of any one of the United States, have been partitioned and dimembered? No; not by a league of all the abolute overeigns of Europe againt them at once.—Such are the effects of collecting all authority into one center, of neglecting an equilibrium of powers, and of not having three branches in the legilature.

The practice of cantoning a body of oldiers near the plain where the kings are elected, has been adopted by everal foreign powers for near a century; and, although it may be galling to the nobility, prevents the effuion of blood that formerly deluged the aembly. This was done, at the election of Stanilaus Augutus, by the empres of Ruia and the king of Pruia; five thouand Ruian troops were tationed at a mall ditance from the plain of Vola.

Stanilaus was in the thirty-econd year of his age when he acended the throne, in 1764. From his virtues and abilities, the fairet hopes were conceived of his raifing Poland from its deplorable ituation; but his exertions for the public good were fettered by the contitution, by the factions of a turbulent people, and the intrigues of neighbouring powers. His endeavours to introduce order at home, and independence abroad, which would have increaed the power of his country, and her conideration with foreign nations, alarmed the neighbouring powers. The pirit of religious intolerance produced a civil war,