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　　　　　　　　But　it　will　be　said；　it　is　easier　to　find　faults　than　to　amend

them。　　I　do　not　think　their　amendment　so　difficult　as　is　pretended。

Only　lay　down　true　principles；　and　adhere　to　them　inflexibly。　　Do　not

be　frightened　into　their　surrender　by　the　alarms　of　the　timid；　or　the

croakings　of　wealth　against　the　ascendency　of　the　people。　　If

experience　be　called　for；　appeal　to　that　of　our　fifteen　or　twenty

governments　for　forty　years；　and　show　me　where　the　people　have　done

half　the　mischief　in　these　forty　years；　that　a　single　despot　would

have　done　in　a　single　year；　or　show　half　the　riots　and　rebellions；

the　crimes　and　the　punishments；　which　have　taken　place　in　any　single

nation；　under　kingly　government；　during　the　same　period。　　The　true

foundation　of　republican　government　is　the　equal　right　of　every

citizen；　in　his　person　and　property；　and　in　their　management。　　Try　by

this；　as　a　tally；　every　provision　of　our　constitution；　and　see　if　it

hangs　directly　on　the　will　of　the　people。　　Reduce　your　legislature　to

a　convenient　number　for　full；　but　orderly　discussion。　　Let　every　man

who　fights　or　pays；　exercise　his　just　and　equal　right　in　their

election。　　Submit　them　to　approbation　or　rejection　at　short

intervals。　　Let　the　executive　be　chosen　in　the　same　way；　and　for　the

same　term；　by　those　whose　agent　he　is　to　be；　and　leave　no　screen　of　a

council　behind　which　to　skulk　from　responsibility。　　It　has　been

thought　that　the　people　are　not　competent　electors　of　judges　_learned

in　the　law_。　　But　I　do　not　know　that　this　is　true；　and；　if　doubtful；

we　should　follow　principle。　　In　this；　as　in　many　other　elections；

they　would　be　guided　by　reputation；　which　would　not　err　oftener；

perhaps；　than　the　present　mode　of　appointment。　　In　one　State　of　the

Union；　at　least；　it　has　long　been　tried；　and　with　the　most

satisfactory　success。　　The　judges　of　Connecticut　have　been　chosen　by

the　people　every　six　months；　for　nearly　two　centuries；　and　I　believe

there　has　hardly　ever　been　an　instance　of　change；　so　powerful　is　the

curb　of　incessant　responsibility。　　If　prejudice；　however；　derived

from　a　monarchical　institution；　is　still　to　prevail　against　the　vital

elective　principle　of　our　own；　and　if　the　existing　example　among

ourselves　of　periodical　election　of　judges　by　the　people　be　still

mistrusted；　let　us　at　least　not　adopt　the　evil；　and　reject　the　good；

of　the　English　precedent；　let　us　retain　amovability　on　the

concurrence　of　the　executive　and　legislative　branches；　and　nomination

by　the　executive　alone。　　Nomination　to　office　is　an　executive

function。　　To　give　it　to　the　legislature；　as　we　do；　is　a　violation　of

the　principle　of　the　separation　of　powers。　　It　swerves　the　members

from　correctness；　by　temptations　to　intrigue　for　office　themselves；

and　to　a　corrupt　barter　of　votes；　and　destroys　responsibility　by

dividing　it　among　a　multitude。　　By　leaving　nomination　in　its　proper

place；　among　executive　functions；　the　principle　of　the　distribution

of　power　is　preserved；　and　responsibility　weighs　with　its　heaviest

force　on　a　single　head。




　　　　　　　　The　organization　of　our　county　administrations　may　be　thought

more　difficult。　　But　follow　principle；　and　the　knot　unties　itself。

Divide　the　counties　into　wards　of　such　size　as　that　every　citizen　can

attend；　when　called　on；　and　act　in　person。　　Ascribe　to　them　the

government　of　their　wards　in　all　things　relating　to　themselves

exclusively。　　A　justice；　chosen　by　themselves；　in　each；　a　constable；

a　military　company；　a　patrol；　a　school；　the　care　of　their　own　poor；

their　own　portion　of　the　public　roads；　the　choice　of　one　or　more

jurors　to　serve　in　some　court；　and　the　delivery；　within　their　own

wards；　of　their　own　votes　for　all　elective　officers　of　higher　sphere；

will　relieve　the　county　administration　of　nearly　all　its　business；

will　have　it　better　done；　and　by　making　every　citizen　an　acting

member　of　the　government；　and　in　the　offices　nearest　and　most

interesting　to　him；　will　attach　him　by　his　strongest　feelings　to　the

independence　of　his　country；　and　its　republican　constitution。　　The

justices　thus　chosen　by　every　ward；　would　constitute　the　county

court；　would　do　its　judiciary　business；　direct　roads　and　bridges；

levy　county　and　poor　rates；　and　administer　all　the　matters　of　common

interest　to　the　whole　country。　　These　wards；　called　townships　in　New

England；　are　the　vital　principle　of　their　governments；　and　have

proved　themselves　the　wisest　invention　ever　devised　by　the　wit　of　man

for　the　perfect　exercise　of　self…government；　and　for　its

preservation。　　We　should　thus　marshal　our　government　into；　1；　the

general　federal　republic；　for　all　concerns　foreign　and　federal；　2；

that　of　the　State；　for　what　relates　to　our　own　citizens　exclusively；

3；　the　county　republics；　for　the　duties　and　concerns　of　the　county；

and　4；　the　ward　republics；　for　the　small；　and　yet　numerous　and

interesting　concerns　of　the　neighborhood；　and　in　government；　as　well

as　in　every　other　business　of　life；　it　is　by　division　and　subdivision

of　duties　alone；　that　all　matters；　great　and　small；　can　be　managed　to

perfection。　　And　the　whole　is　cemented　by　giving　to　every　citizen；

personally；　a　part　in　the　administration　of　the　public　affairs。




　　　　　　　　The　sum　of　these　amendments　is；　1。　General　Suffrage。　　2。　Equal

representation　in　the　legislature。　　3。　An　executive　chosen　by　the

people。　　4。　Judges　elective　or　amovable。　　5。　Justices；　jurors；　and

sheriffs　elective。　　6。　Ward　divisions。　　And　7。　Periodical　amendments

of　the　constitution。




　　　　　　　　I　have　thrown　out　these　as　loose　heads　of　amendment；　for

consideration　and　correction；　and　their　object　is　to　secure

self…government　by　the　republicanism　of　our　constitution；　as　well　as

by　the　spirit　of　the　people；　and　to　nourish　and　perpetuate　that

spirit。　　I　am　not　among　those　who　fear　the　people。　　They；　and　not　the

rich；　are　our　dependence　for　continued　freedom。　　And　to　preserve

their　independence；　we　must　not　let　our　rulers　load　us　with　perpetual

debt。　　We　must　make　our　election　between　_economy　and　liberty_；　or

_profusion　and　servitude_。　　If　we　run　into　such　debts；　as　that　we

must　be　taxed　in　our　meat　and　in　our　drink；　in　our　necessaries　and

our　comforts；　in　our　labors　and　our　amusements；　for　our　callings　and

our　creeds；　as　the　people　of　England　are；　our　people；　like　them；　must

come　to　labor　sixteen　hours　in　the　twenty…four；　give　the　earnings　of

fifteen　of　these　to　the　government　for　their　debts　and　daily

expenses；　and　the　sixteenth　being　insufficient　to　afford　us　bread；　we

must　live；　as　they　now　do；　on　oatmeal　and　potatoes；　have　no　time　to

think；　no　means　of　calling　the　mismanagers　to　account；　but　be　glad　to

obtain　subsistence　by　hiring　ourselves　to　rivet　their　chains　on　the

necks　of　our　fellow…sufferers。　　Our　landholders；　too；　like　theirs；

retaining　indeed　the　title　and　stewardship　of　estates　called　theirs；

but　held　really　in　trust　for　the　treasury；　must　wander；　like　theirs；

in　foreign　countries；　and　be　contented　with　penury；　obscurity；　exile；

and　the　glory　of　the　nation。　　This　example　reads　to　us　the　salutary

lesson；　that　private　fortunes　are　destroyed　by　public　as　well　as　by

private　extravagance。　　And　this　is　the　tendency　of　all　human

governments。　　A　departure　from　principle　in　one　instance　becomes　a

precedent　for　a　second；　that　second　for　a　third；　and　so　on；　till　the

bulk　of　the　society　is　reduced　to　be　mere　automatons　of　misery；　and

to　have　no　sensibilities　left　but　for　sinning　and　suffering。　　Then

begins；　indeed；　the　_bellum　omnium　in　omnia_；　which　some　philosophers

observing　to　be　so　general　in　this　world；　have　mistaken　it　for　the

natural；　instead　of　the　abusive　state　of　man。　　And　the　fore　horse　of

this　frightful　team　is　public　debt。　　Taxation　follows　that；　and　in

its　train　wretchedness　and　oppression。




　　　　　　　　Some　men　look　at　constitutions　with　sanctimonious　reverence；

and　deem　them　like　the　arc　of　the　covenant；　too　sacred　to　be　touched。

They　ascribe　to　the　men　of　the　preceding　age　a　wisdom　more　than

human；　and　suppose　what　they　did　to　be　beyond　amendment。　　I　knew　that

age　well；　I　belonged　to　it；　and　labored　with　it。　　It　deserved　well　of

its　country。　　It　was　very　like　the　present；　but　without　the

experience　of　the　present；　and　forty　years　of　experience　in

government　is　worth　a　century　of　book…reading；　and　this　they　would

say　themselves；　were　they　to　rise　from　the　dead。　　I　am　certainly　not

an　advocate　for　frequent　and　untried　changes　in　laws　and

constitutions。　　I　think　moderate　imperfections　had　better　be　borne

with；　because；　when　once　known；　we　accommodate　ourselves　to　them；　and

find　practical　means　of　correcting　their　ill　effects。　　But　I　know

also；　that　laws　and　institutions　must　go　hand　in　hand　with　the

progress　of　the　human　mind。　　As　that　becomes　more　developed；　more

enlightened；　as　new　discoveries　are　made；　new　truths　disclosed；　and

manners　and　opinions　change　with　the　change　of　circumstances；

institutions　must　advance　also；　and　keep　pace　with　the　times。　　We

might　as　well　require　a　man　to　wear　still　the　coat　which　fitted　him

when　a　boy；　as　civilized　society　to　remain　ever　under　the　regimen　of

their　barbarous　ancestors。　　It　is　this　preposterous　idea　which　has

lately　deluged　Europe　in　blood。　　Their　monarchs；　instead　of　wisely

yielding　to　the　gradual　change　of　circumstances；　of　favoring

progressive　accommodation　to　progressive　improvement；　have　clung　to

old　abuses；　entrenched　themselves　behind　steady　habits；　and　obliged

their　subjects　to　seek　through　blood　and　violence　rash　and　ruinous

innovations；　which；　had　they　been　referred　to　the　peaceful

deliberations　and　collected　wisdom　of　the　nation；　would　have　been　put

into　acceptable　and　salutary　forms。　　Let　us　follow　no　such　examples；

nor　weakly　believe　that　one　generation　is　not　as　capable　as　another

of　taking　care　of　itself；　and　of　ordering　its　own　affairs。　　Let　us；

as　our　sister　States　have　done；　avail　ourselves　of　our　reason　and

experience；