Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. III. (1787).djvu/479

 Commonwealth, examined. 473

people acquired power, equal at leaft, if not supe- rior to the senate, then "forces were kept up, " the ambition of Cinna, the horrid tyranny of " Sylla, and the insolence of Marius, and the " self ends of divers other leaders, both before " and after them, filled all Italy with tragedies, " and the world with wonder." Is not this an ar- gument for the power of kings and senates, rather / than the uncontroulable power of the people, when ic is confessed that the two first used it wisely, and the last perniciously ? The truth is, as he said be- fore, "the sword and sovereignty go together." While the sovereignty was in the senate under kings, the militia obeyed the orders of the senate given out by the kings ; while the sovereignty was in the senate, under the consuls, the militia obey- ed the orders of the senate given out by consuls ; but when the sovereignty was lost by the senate, and gained by the people, the militia was neg- lected, a standing army set up, and obeyed the orders of the popular idols. " The people, see- " ing what misery they had brought upon them- " selves, by keeping their armies within the " bowels of Italy, passed a law to prevent it, and " to employ them abroad, or at a convenient dis- " tance : the law was, that if any general march- " ed over the river Rubicon, he should be de- " clared a public enemy ;" and in the passage of that river this following inscription " was erect:- " ed, to put the men of arms in mind of their duty: " Imperator, five miles, five tyrannus armatus " quifque, fiftito vexillum, armaque deponito, nee " citra hunc amnem trajicito ;' general, or sol- " dier, or tyrant in arms, whosoever thou be, " stand, quit thy standard, and lay aside thy arms, " or else cross not this river." But to what pur- pose was the law ? Caesar knew the people now to be