Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/217

Rh dignity, grew old in the enjoyment of it, poeed themelves of a territory, urrounded it with walls, and fortified advantageous pots: thus conulting the ecurity of their ubjects, and upplying them with plenty of proviions, differing little in their clothes or tables from the people with whom they paed their lives, they continued blameles and unenvied. But their poterity, ucceeding to the government by right of inheritance, and finding every thing provided for ecurity and upport, they were led by uperfluity to indulge their appetites, and to imagine that it became princes to appear in a different dres, to eat in a more luxurious manner, and enjoy, without contradiction, the forbidden pleaures of love. The firt produced envy, the other reentment and hatred. By which means kingly government degenerated into tyranny.

At the ame time a foundation was laid, and a conpiracy formed, for the detruction of thoe who exercied it; the accomplices of which were not men of inferior rank, but perons of the mot generous, exalted, and enterprizing pirit; for uch men can leat bear the inolence of thoe in power. The people, having thee to lead them, and uniting againt their rulers, kingly government and monarchy were extirpated, and aritocracy began to be etablihed, for the people, as an immediate acknowledgment to thoe who had detroyed monarchy, choe thee leaders for their governors, and left all their concerns to them.

Thee, at firt, preferred the advantage of the public to all other coniderations, and adminitered all affairs, both public and private, with care and vigilance. But their ons having ucceeded them in the ame power, unacquainted with evils, trangers to civil equality and liberty, educated from their