Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/148

110 of the poor, in the various trades, manufactures, and other occupations in life, dependent upon them for their daily bread: many of maller fortunes will be in their debt, and in many ways under obligations to them: others, in better circumtances, neither dependent nor in debt, men of letters, men of the learned profeions, and others, from acquaintance, converation, and civilities, will be connected with them, and attached to them. Nay farther, it will not be denied, that among the wiet people that lives, there is a degree of admiration, abtracted from all dependence, obligation, expectation, or even acquaintance, which accompanies plendid wealth, enures ome repect, and betows ome influence. 2. Birth. Let no man be urpried, that this pecies of inequality is introduced here. Let the page in hitory be quoted, where any nation, ancient or modern, civilized or avage, is mentioned, among whom no difference was made between the citizens, on account of their extraction. The truth is, that more influence is allowed to this advantage in free republics, than in depotic governments, or than would be allowed to it in imple monarchies, if evere laws had not been made from age to age to ecure it. The children of illutrious families, have generally greater advantages of education, and earlier opportunities to be acquainted with public characters, and informed of public affairs, than thoe of meaner ones, or even than thoe in middle life; and what is more than all, an habitual national veneration for their names, and the characters of their ancetors decribed in hitory, or coming down by tradition, removes them farther from vulgar jealouy, and popular envy, and ecures them in ome degree the favour, the affection, and repect of the public.