Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/246

208 an aritocracy, and democracy. The third he uppoes to grow naturally out of the econd, and the econd out of the firt, which originated in patriarchal authority. But as there is nothing remarkable, either in favour of our ytem or againt it, I hould not have quoted the book in this place, but for the ake of its title. The contitution of England is in truth a republic, and has been ever o conidered by foreigners, and by the mot learned and enlightened Englihmen, although the word commonwealth has become unpopular and odious, ince the unuccesful and injudicious attempts to abolih monarchy and aritocracy, between the years 1640 and 1660.

Let us proceed then to make a few obervations upon the Dicoures of Plato and Polybius, and hew how forcibly they prove the neceity of permanent laws, to retrain the paions and vices of men, and to ecure to the citizens the bleings of ociety, in the peaceable enjoyment of their lives, liberties, and properties; and the neceity of different orders of men, with various and oppoite powers, prerogatives, and privileges, to watch over one another, to balance each other, and to compel each other at all times to be real guardians of the laws.

Every citizen mut look up to the laws, as his mater, his guardian, and his friend; and whenever any of his fellow citizens, whether magitrates or ubjects, attempt to deprive him of his right, he mut appeal to the laws; if the aritocracy encroach, he mut appeal to the democracy; if they are divided, he mut appeal to the monarchical power to decide between them, by joining with that which adheres to the laws; if the democracy is on the cramble for power, he mut appeal to the aritocracy, and the monarchy, which by ing