Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/146

108 whether imple or ublime, as they may amue the fancy and illutrate an argument: all that is inited on is, that whatever there is in them of wit or argument, is all in favour of a complication of forces, of more powers than one; of three powers indeed, becaue a balance can never be etablihed between two orders in ociety, without a third to aid the weaket.

All that is urpriing here is, that the real force of the imile hould have been miunderftood: if there is any imilitude, or any argument in it, it is clearly in favour of two aemblies. The weight of the load itelf would roll the waggon on the oxen, and the cattle on one another, in one cene of detruction, if the forces were not divided and the balance formed; whereas by checking one power by another, all decend the hill in afety, and avoid the danger. It hould be remembered too, that it is only in decending uncommon declivities that this diviion of trength becomes neceary. In travelling in ordinary plains, and always in acending mountains, the whole team draws together, and advances fater as well as eaier on its journey: it is alo certain, there are oftener arduous teeps to mount, which require the united trength of all, with all the kill of the director, than there are precipices to decend, which demand a diviion of it.

Let us now return to Mr. Turgot's idea of a government confiding in a ingle aembly.—He tells us, our republics are "founded on the equality of all the citizens, and therefore "orders" and "equilibriums," are unneceary, and occaion diputes."—But what are we to undertand here by equality? Are the citizens to be all of the ame age, ex, ize, trength, tature, activity, courage, hardines, indutry, patience, ty,