Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/196

158 on the mot urgent and preing occaions, the prings of the nation might be topped by a ingle caprice.

My dear Sir,

N earching for the principles of government, we may divide them into two kinds: the principles of authority, and the principles of power. The firt are virtues of the mind and heart, uch as widom, prudence, courage, patience, temperance, jutice, &c.: the econd are the goods of fortune, uch as riches, extraction, knowledge, and reputation. I rank knowledge among the goods of fortune, becaue it is the effect of education, tudy, and travel, which are either accidents, or uual effects of riches or birth, and is by no means necearily connected with widom or virtue: but, as it is univerally admired and repected by the people, it is clearly a principle of power. The ame may be aid of reputation, which, abtracted from all conideration whether it is merited or not, well or ill founded, is another ource of power.

Riches will hold the firt place, in civilied ocieties at leat, among the principles of power, and will often prevail not only over all the principles of authority, but over all the advantages of birth, knowledge, and fame. For, as Harrington ays,