Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/171

Rh acquaint us, that they are contrained to believe human nature, no better than it hould be. The latter fays, there is no power on earth but has grown exorbitant, when it has met with no controul.

The former. "Such are the principles that govern human nature; uch the weaknes and folly of men; uch their love of domination, elfihnes, and depravity, that none of them can be raied to an elevation above others, without the utmot danger. The contant experience of the world has verified this, and proved that nothing intoxicates the human mind o much as power. In the etablihment, therefore, of civil government, it would be prepoterous to rely on the dicretion of any men. A people will never oppres themelves, or invade their own rights; but if they trut the arbitrary will of a body or ucceion of men, they trut enemies."

Shall we fay that all thee philoophers were ignorant of human nature? With all my oul, I wih it were in my power to quote any paages in hitory or philoophy, which might demontrate all thee atires on our pecies to be fale. But the phenomena are all in their favour; and the only quetion to be raied with them is, whether the caue is wickednes, weaknes, or inanity? In all events, we mut agree, that human nature is not fit to be truted with Mr. Turgot's ytem, of ail authority in a ingle aembly.

A ingle aembly will never be a teady guardian of the laws, if Machiavel is right, when he ays, "Men are never good but through neceity: on the contrary, when good and evil are left to their choice, they will not fail to throw every thing into diorder and confuion. Hunger and poverty may make men indutrious, but laws only can "make