Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/9



HE arts and ciences, in general, during the three or four lat centuries, have had a regular coure of progreive improvement. The inventions in mechanic arts, the dicoveries in natural philoophy, navigation, and commerce, and the advancement of civilization and humanity, have occaioned changes in the condition of the world, and the human character, which would have atonihed the mot refined nations of antiquity. A continuation of imilar exertions is every day rendering Europe more and more like one community, or ingle family. Even in the theory and practice of government, in all the imple monarchies, coniderable improvements have been made. The checks and balances of republican governments have been in ome degree adopted by the courts of princes. By the erection of various tribunals, to regiter the laws, and exercie the judicial power—by indulging the petitions and remontrances of ubjects, until by habit they are regarded as rights—a contronl has been etablifhed over miniters of tate, and the royal councils, which approaches, in ome degree, to the pirit of republics. Property is generally ecure, and peronal liberty eldom invaded, The pres has great influence, even where it