ty, wealth, knowledge, fame, wit, temperance, conſtancy, and wiſdom? Was there, or will there ever be, a nation, whoſe individuals were all equal, in natural and acquired qualities, in virtues, talents, and riches? The anſwer, of all mankind muſt be in the negative.—It muſt then be acknowledged, that in every ſtate, in the Maſſachuſet's for example, there are inequalities which God and nature have planted there, and which no human legiſlator ever can eradicate. I ſhould have choſen to have mentioned Virginia, as the moſt ancient ſtate, or indeed any other in the union, rather than the one that gave me birth, if I were not afraid, of putting ſuppoſitions, which may give offence, a liberty which my neighbours will pardon: yet I ſhall ſay nothing that is not applicable to all the other twelve.
In this ſociety of Maſſachuſettenſions then, there is, it is true, a moral and political equality of rights and duties among all the individuals, and as yet no appearance of artificial inequalities of condition, ſuch as hereditary dignities, titles, magiſtracies, or legal diſtinctions; and no eſtablifhed marks, as ſtars, garters, croſſes or ribbons: there are, nevertheleſs, inequalities of great moment in the conſideration of a legiſlator, becauſe they have a natural and inevitable influence in ſociety. Let us enumerate ſome of them: 1. There is an inequality of wealth: ſome individuals, whether by deſcent from their anceſtors, or from greater ſkill, induſtry, and ſucceſs in buſineſs, have eſtates both in lands and goods of great value; others have no property at all; and all the reſt of the ſociety, much the greater number, are poſſeſſed of wealth, in all the variety of degrees, between theſe extremes: it will eaſily be conceived, that all the rich men will have many
