Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/148

of the poor, in the various trades, manufactures, and other occupations in life, dependent upon them for their daily bread: many of ſmaller fortunes will be in their debt, and in many ways under obligations to them: others, in better circumſtances, neither dependent nor in debt, men of letters, men of the learned profeſſions, and others, from acquaintance, converſation, and civilities, will be connected with them, and attached to them. Nay farther, it will not be denied, that among the wiſeſt people that lives, there is a degree of admiration, abſtracted from all dependence, obligation, expectation, or even acquaintance, which accompanies ſplendid wealth, enſures ſome reſpect, and beſtows ſome influence. 2. Birth. Let no man be ſurpriſed, that this ſpecies of inequality is introduced here. Let the page in hiſtory be quoted, where any nation, ancient or modern, civilized or ſavage, is mentioned, among whom no difference was made between the citizens, on account of their extraction. The truth is, that more influence is allowed to this advantage in free republics, than in deſpotic governments, or than would be allowed to it in ſimple monarchies, if ſevere laws had not been made from age to age to ſecure it. The children of illuſtrious families, have generally greater advantages of education, and earlier opportunities to be acquainted with public characters, and informed of public affairs, than thoſe of meaner ones, or even than thoſe in middle life; and what is more than all, an habitual national veneration for their names, and the characters of their anceſtors deſcribed in hiſtory, or coming down by tradition, removes them farther from vulgar jealouſy, and popular envy, and ſecures them in ſome degree the favour, the affection, and reſpect of the

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