Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/186

148

Dear Sir,

OME mall numbers of men, living within the precincts of one city, have, as it were, cat into a common tock, the right which they had of governing themelves and children, and, by common conent, joining in one body, exercied uch power over every ingle peron as eemed beneficial to the whole; and this men call perfect democracy. Others choe rather to be governed by a elect number of uch as mot excelled in widom and virtue; and this, according to the ignificacion of the word, was called aritocracy. When one man excelled all others, the government was put into his hands, under the name of monarchy. But the wiet, bet, and by far the greatet part of mankind, rejecting thee imple pecies, did form governments mixed or compoed of the three, as hall be proved hereafter, which commonly received their repective denomination from the part that prevailed, and did receive praie or blame, as they were well or ill proportioned.

Sidney, p. 138. § 16. The bet governments of the world have been compoed of monarchy, aritocracy, and democracy.

As for democracy, I believe it can uit only with the convenience of a mall town, accompanied with uch circumtances as are eldom found.