Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/79

Rh of the little enate and ecret council is another check. The names of the candidates in nomination are placed in a box, containing as many partitions as there are perons: the ballots are thrown into this box by the electors, without knowing how the names are placed; and the candidate whoe name occupies the diviion, which receives by accident the mot ballots, has the lot. This is to guard againt the influence of families; for, among thoe few families from which alone any candidate can be taken, ome have more influence than others. The canton contains ixty-ix thouand ouls. Its land produces good pature, ome corn, and little wine; it has no commerce, and not much literature. It has more troops in foreign ervice than any other canton in proportion. As the rivers and lakes have a direct communication with the ea, they might have a valuable commerce; but as none of the perons concerned in government can be merchants, no commerce can ever be in fahion, except that of their noble blood to foreign overeigns. It is no doubt much to the honour of their fidelity and valour to be choen o generally to be the life-guards of princes; but whether they can vindicate uch a traffic, upon principles of jutice, humanity, or policy, or from the imputation of a more mercenary pirit than that of ordinary commerce, is for them to conider. The conervation of the oligarchy is entirely owing however to this cutom: for a youthful fiery nobility, at home in idlenes, would necearily become ambitious of popularity, and either procure, by intrigues and inurrections, a greater hare of importance to the people, or et up one of the greatet genius and enterprize among them for a depot. In foreign ervice they exhaut their retles years, and turn,