Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/30

xxii "Ubi vero jutitia non et, nec jus potet ee; quod enim jure fit, profecto jute fit; quod autem fit injute, nec jure fieri potet. Non enim jura dicenda unt, vel putanda, iniqua hominum contituta, cum illud etiam ipi jus ee dicant quod de jutitis fonte manaverit; falumque fit, quod a quibudam non recte entientibus dici olet, id jus ee, quod ei, qui plus potet, utile et." According to this, a imple monarchy, if it could in reality be what it pretends to be—a government of laws, might be jutly denominated a republic. A limited monarchy, therefore, epecially when limited by two independent branches, an aritocratical and a democratical power in the contitution, may with trict propriety be called by that name.

If Cicero and Tacitus could reviit the earth, and learn that the Englih nation had reduced the great idea to practice, and brought it nearly to perfection, by giving each diviion a power to defend itelf by a negative; had found it the mot olid and durable government, as well as the mot free; had obtained, by means of it, a properity among civilized nations, in an enlightened age, like that of the Romans among barbarians: and that the Americans, after having enjoyed the benefits of uch a contitution a century and a half, were advied by ome of the greatet philoophers and politicians of the age to