Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/166

128 be denominated free: as the ociety governs itelf, it is free, according to the definition of Dr. Price. The enquiry of thee writers, in uch paages, was not into the highet point of liberty, or greatet degree of it, which might be etablihed by the general will, and the common ene of interet, in their reults or laws. They have taken it for granted, that human nature is o fond of liberty, that, if the whole ociety were conulted, a majority would never be found to put chains upon themelves, by their own act and voluntary conent.

But all men, as well as republican writers, mut agree, that there can be no uninterrupted enjoyment of liberty, nor any good government, in ociety, without laws, or where tanding laws do not govern. In depotic tates, in imple monarchies, in aritocracies, in democracies, in all poible mixtures of thee, the individual enjoys continually the benefit of law, as he does thoe of light and air, although, in mot of thoe governments, he has no ecurity for the continuance of it. If the laws were all repealed at once, in any great kingdom, and the event made known uddenly to all, there would carcely a houe remain in poeion of its preent inhabitant, in the great cities.

The great quetion therefore is, What combination of powers in ociety, or what form of government, will compel the formation of good and equal laws, an impartial execution, and faithful interpretation of them, o that the citizens may contantly enjoy the benefit of them, and be ure of their continuance. The controvery between Mr. Turgot and me is—whether a ingle aembly of repreentatives be this form. He maintains the affirmative. I am for the negative: becaue uch