Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/223

order.—Thus monarchy, when it becomes cruel and inſolent, and begins to purſue tyrannical meaſures, is ſubverted by an oligarchy, conſiſting of good men; and an oligarchy, compoſed of the beſt men, which is your form of government, when elated with riches and dependants, pays no regard to juſtice, or to any other virtue, and is deſtroyed by a wiſe people: and in a democracy, when the people, from being modeſt in their deportment, and obſervant of the laws, begin to run into diſorders and exceſſes, they are forced to return to their duty by the power with which, upon thoſe occaſions, the beſt man of the commonwealth is inveſted. You, fathers, have uſed all possible precautions to prevent monarchical power from degenerating into tyranny; for, inſtead of a ſingle perſon, you have inveſted two with the ſupreme power; and though you committed this magistracy to them, not for an indefinite time, but only for a year, you nevertheleſs appointed three hundred patricians, the moſt reſpectable, both for their virtue and their age, of whom this ſenate is compoſed, to watch over their conduct; but you do not ſeem hitherto to have appointed any to watch over your own, and to keep you within proper bounds. As for yourſelves, I am as yet under no apprehenſions, leſt you ſhould ſuffer your minds to be corrupted by great and accumulated proſperity, who have lately delivered your country from a long tyranny; and, through continual and laſting wars, have not as yet had leiſure to grow inſolent and luxurious. But with regard to your ſucceſſors, when I confider how great alterations length of time brings with it, I am afraid, leſt the men of power in the ſenate ſhould innovate, and ſilently tranſform our conſtitution to a monarchical tyranny:

whereas,