Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/157

the qualities which conſtitute the natural foundations of authority; ſuch as benevolence, wiſdom, and power: and all the adventitious attractions of reſpect; ſuch as riches, anceſtry, and perſonal merit. All eyes arc turned upon him for their preſident or ſpeaker.—The ſecond diviſion comprehends a third, or a quarter, or, if you will, a ſixth or an eighth of the whole; and conſiſts of thoſe who have the mod to boaſt of reſembling their head.—In the third claſs are all the reſt, who are nearly on a level in underſtanding, and in all things. Such an aſſembly has in it, not only all the perſons of the nation who are moſt eminent for parts and virtues, but all thoſe who are moſt inflamed with ambition and avarice, and who are moſt vain aſ their deſcent. Theſe latter will of courſe conſtantly endeavour to increaſe their own influence, by exaggerating all the attributes they poſſeſs, and by augmenting them in every way they can think of; and will have friends, whole only chance for riſing into public view will be under their protection, who will even be more active and zealous than themſelves in their ſervice. Notwithſtanding all the equality that can ever be hoped for among men, it is eaſy to ſee that the third claſs will in general be but humble imitators and followers of the ſecond. Every man in the ſecond claſs will have conſtantly about him a circle of members of the third, who will be his admirers; perhaps afraid of his influence in the diſtricts they repreſent, related to him by blood, connected with him in trade, or dependent upon him for favours. There will be much envy too, among individuals of the ſecond claſs, againſt the ſpeaker, although a ſincere veneration is ſhewn him by the majority, and great external reſpect by all. I ſaid there

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