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SECTION THE SEVENTH
AUTHORITY.
Confidence is a substitution of the understanding and honesty of others for our own; authority, the understanding and honesty so substituted. Whether this substitution belongs to the good or to the evil class of moral principles, is the same question in another shape, with the controversy for preference between the policy of the United States, and that of every other country. Monarchy, aristocracy, hierarchy, privileged orders, and all parties and factions, political or religious, being founded upon the substitution of the understanding and honesty of others for our own ; and the policy of the United States, upon the use of one's own understanding and honesty.
From the fact, that the inducements of nations to defraud or enslave individuals, arc infinitely fewer than those of individuals to defraud or enslave nations, our policy has inferred, that the judgement and honesty of a nation, is more likely to produce its own liberty and happiness, than any other judgement or honesty which can be substituted for it. either of a king, an order, a patriot, a party, a demagogue or a faction.
Authority asserts the contrary. Authority is suspect to fraud and errour; national judgement, to errour only. Nations have no motive for deceiving or injuring themselves authority, so many for deceiving or injuring nations, that it seldom or never fails to do both. A nation never knowingly adopts or adheres to an oppressive measure^ authority is so entirely addicted to this vice, that it is constantly its original design, or final effort; and the first pretenion to the dictatorship it usurps.
