Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/206

168 third a commonwealth, as Irael, Rome, Holland. Of thee, the government of ervants is harder to be conquered, and the eaier to be held. The government of ubjects is the eaier to be conquered, and the harder to be held. The government of citizens is both the hardet to be conquered, and the hardet to be held.

The reaon why a government of ervants is hard to be conquered, is, that they are under a perpetual dicipline and command. Why a government of ubjects is eaily conquered, is on account of the factions of the obility.

The reaons why a government of citizens, where the commonwealth is equal, is hardet to be conquered, are, that the invader of uch a ociety mut not only trut to his own trength, inamuch as, the commonwealth being equal, he mut needs find them united; but in regard that uch citizens, being all oldiers, or trained up to their arms, which they ue not for the defence of lavery, but of liberty, a condition not in this world to be bettered, they have, more pecially upon this occaion, the highet oul of courage, and, if their territory be of any extent, the vatet body of a well-diciplined militia, that is poible in nature: wherefore an example of uch a one, overcome by the arms of a monarch, is not to be found in the world.

In the Art of Law-giving, chap. i. he enlarges till farther upon this ubject; and intances Joeph's purchae of all the lands of the Egyptians for Pharaoh, whereby they became ervants to Pharaoh; and he enlarges on the Englih balance, &c.

In America, the balance is nine-tenths on the ide of the people: indeed there is but one orders; and