Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/43

Rh

My dear Sir,

R. Turgot is offended, becaue the cutoms of England are imitated in mot of the new contitutions in America, without any particular motive. But, if we uppoe that Englih cutoms were neither good nor evil in themelves, and merely indifferent; and the people, by their birth, education, and habits, were familiarly attached to them; was not this a motive particular enough for their preervation, rather than endanger the public tranquillity, or unanimity, by renouncing them? If thoe cutoms were wie, jut, and good, and calculated to ecure the liberty, property, and afety of the people, as well or better than any other intitutions ancient or modern, would Mr. Turgot have advied the nation to reject them, merely becaue it was at that time jutly incened againt the Englih government?—What Englih cutoms have they retained which may with any propriety be called evil? Mr. Turgot has intanced only in one, viz. "that a body of repreentatives, a council, and a governor, has been etabliflied, becaue there is in England a houe of commons, a houe of lords, and a king." It was not o much becaue the legilature in England conited of three branches, that uch a diviion of power was adopted by the tates, as becaue their own aemblies had ever been o contituted. It was not o much from attachment by habit to uch a plan of power, as from conviction that it was founded in nature and reaon, that it was continued. Mr.