Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/239

Rh their leaders rob thoe who have ubtance, and give it to the people, that they may have the mot themelves. Thee, then, who are thus depoiled, are obliged to defend themelves, aying and doing all they can among the people. Others, then, give them occaion to form deigns againt the people, and o they become oligarchic, even although they hould have no inclination to introduce a change of government: thence they go to accuations, law-uits, and contets, one with another, the leaders landering, and the drones tinging.

The people are wont always to et ome one in a conpicuous manner over themelves, to cherih him, and greatly to increae his power. Whenever a tyrant ries, it is from this root, and from nothing ele, that he blooms. What then is the beginning of a change, from a preident into a tyrant?—The wolf in the temple of Arcadia, dedicated to Lycæan Jupiter, had this incription, "That whoever tailed human entrails, mixed with other acrifices, necearily became a wolf." In the ame manner, he who, being preident of the people, and receiving an extremely ubmiive multitude, abtaineth not from kindred blood, but unjutly accuing them, and bringing them into courts of jutice, tains himelf with bloodhed, and banihes and lays, and propoes the abolition of debts, and diviion of lands;—mut not uch a one either be detroyed by his enemies, or exercie tyranny, and, from being a man, become a wolf? He now becomes editious towards thoe who have ubtance, and when he fails he goes againt his enemies with open force, and becomes an accomplihed tyrant; and if they be unable to expel him, or put him to death by an accuation before the city, they conpire to cut him off privately, by a violent death. On this account, all thoe