This, those who give their votes
before they hear the debate, and have weighed the reasons on all
sides, are not capable of doing. To prepare such an assembly as
this, and endeavour to set up the declared abettors of his own will,
for the true representatives of the people, and the law-makers of
the society, is certainly as great a breach of trust, and as perfect a
declaration of a design to subvert the government, as is possible to
be met with. To which, if one shall add rewards and punishments
visibly employed to the same end, and all the arts of perverted law
made use of to take off and destroy all that stand in the way of
such a design, and will not comply and consent to betray the liberties
of their country, it will be past doubt what is doing. What power they
ought to have in the society who thus employ it contrary to the
trust that along with it in its first institution, is easy to
determine; and one cannot but see that he who has once attempted any
such thing as this cannot any longer be trusted.
223. To this, perhaps, it will be said that the people being
ignorant and always discontented, to lay the foundation of
government in the unsteady opinion and uncertain humour of the people,
is to expose it to certain ruin; and no government will be able long
to subsist if the people may set up a new legislative whenever they
take offence at the old one.
Pages:
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210