Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/20

xii imple democracy, never had a patron among men of letters. Democratical mixtures in government have lot almot all the advocates they ever had out of England and America.

Men of letters mut have a great deal of praie, and ome of the necearies, conveniences, and ornaments of life. Monarchies and aritocracies pay well and applaud liberally. The people have almot always expected to be erved gratis, and to be paid for the honour of erving them, and their applaues and adorations are betowed too often on artifices and tricks, on hypocriy and upertition, on flattery, bribes, and largees. It is no wonder then that democracies and democratical mixtures are annihilated all over Europe, except on a barren rock, a paltry fen, an inacceible mountain, or an impenetrable foret. The people of England, to their immortal honour, are hitherto an exception; but, to the humiliation of human nature, they hew very often that they are like other men. The people in America have now the bet opportunity, and the greatet trut, in their hands, that Providence ever committed to o mall a number, ince the trangeion of the firt pair: if they betray their trut, their guilt will merit even greater punihment than other nations have uffered, and the indignation of heaven. If there is one certain truth to be collected from the hitory of all ages, it is this: That the people's rights and liberties, and the democratical mixture in a contitution, can never be preerved without a trong executive, or, in other words,