Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/91

Rh by every American citizen. The principles of government, the neceity of various orders, and the fatal effects of an imperfect balance, appear no where in a tronger light. The fatal lumbers of the people, their invincible attachment to a few families, and the cool deliberate rage of thoe families, if uch an expreion may be allowed, to grap all authority into their own hands, when they are not controuled or over-awed by a power above them in a firt magitrate, are written in every page. I need only refer you to Dr. d'Ivernois's Hitorical and Political View of the Contitution and Revolutions of Geneva in the Eighteenth Century, which you received from the author, to convince you of this.

Let me add here, that the facts relating to the Swis cantons, and their environs, mentioned in thee letters, are taken from the Quarante Tables Politiques de la Suie, par C. E. Faber, Bernois, Pateur, à Bihviller, in 1746; with ome additional obervations from the beautiful Sketches of Mr. Coxe, which I end you with this letter; and which you will find as intructive as they are entertaining.

The petty council is indifferently called the council of twenty five, the petit council, or the enate.

The council of ixty is a body elected by the enate, and meets only for the dicuion of foreign affairs.

The grand council, and council of two hundred, are one and the ame body; it is till called the council of two hundred, though it now conits of two hundred and fifty members.

The general council, called indicriminately the overeign council, the general aembly, the reign