Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Decline And Fall Of The Dutch Republic.
siasm , the generous sentiment of the Grecian bard , « that the man who parts with his freedom , loses with it the best portion of his virtue . ' III . The idea of a balance of power among the different orders in a state is the dictate of nature , and its efficacy in procuring stability to a political constitution , confirmed by the experience of every nation in every age . Its expediency was obvious to the rude understandings of our ancestorsin the woods of Germany ; its advantages
, were perceived by the comprehensive intellect of Cicero , and the penetrating sagacity of Tacitus ; the mode of establishing arid maintaining it has been pointed out , in the pages of Montesquieu , Blackstone , De Lolme , and Adams ; and the best proofs * of the justice of their positions will be found in the governments of Great Britain and America . The unmitigated despotism ofthe Eastern nationsin
, fevery period of history , the ferocious democracies of antiquity , the aristdcratical commonwealths of latter times , arid ' the absolute monarchies of modern Europe , have been equally unstable , and equally uripropitious to those who lived under them . In Asia the tyrant'is exalted or deposed , at the will of an ambitious janizary or , an intriguing eunuch ; for he wants a nobility interested in supporting the
itistre of his throne , he is destitute of a people who * love their country in the person of their prince . ' In Greece , the effervescence of republican fury and the claims of ideal dignity subsided into the sway of an individual or the domination of a junto , the otiuth quiescentis ac penes senescentis cii / itatis , is exchanged for the noisy forum , and prolonged debate , and the man
who refused to acknowledge the superior merit of a fellow citizen becomes the flatterer of a foreign power , or the slave of a domestic usurper . Over-weening conceptions of personal consequence are generally succeeded by excessive humiliation and self abasement , according to the variation of external circumstances ; arid the most ardent patriotism , when soured by disappointment , tormented by faaion , or appalled by slaughter , will sink into despair ; submit with
indifference , and at length embrace and glory in servitude . The virtue of immixed republicanism , therefore , is transient , though conspicuous unity in the executive power is requisite to give stability and energy to its best intentions ; the interference of age and wisdom and authority and rank is necessary to give dignity to its" deliberations , and moderation to its demands arid wishes . Most ofthe commonwealths with which we are afcqnainted were founded on a mixture of the
aristocratical and popular forms , without providing a constant direaing organ of sufficient permanency , influence , and strength to regulate the operations of the state ; arid thus the occasional diaator was changed info the imperial despot , the patriotic senate into a selfish oligarchy , and a brave and , generous populace into a sanguinary and unruly mob . In Francewe have lately beheld an attempt to er ' ea a limited
monar-, chy on the basis of a single deliberative assembly , without the intervention of intermediate degrees between the throne and the people : But the current of democratic fury overturned the former in a moment , and the constitution of 1789 is now only referred to' as a proof of the absurdity of substituting theory for experiment , and exposing the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Decline And Fall Of The Dutch Republic.
siasm , the generous sentiment of the Grecian bard , « that the man who parts with his freedom , loses with it the best portion of his virtue . ' III . The idea of a balance of power among the different orders in a state is the dictate of nature , and its efficacy in procuring stability to a political constitution , confirmed by the experience of every nation in every age . Its expediency was obvious to the rude understandings of our ancestorsin the woods of Germany ; its advantages
, were perceived by the comprehensive intellect of Cicero , and the penetrating sagacity of Tacitus ; the mode of establishing arid maintaining it has been pointed out , in the pages of Montesquieu , Blackstone , De Lolme , and Adams ; and the best proofs * of the justice of their positions will be found in the governments of Great Britain and America . The unmitigated despotism ofthe Eastern nationsin
, fevery period of history , the ferocious democracies of antiquity , the aristdcratical commonwealths of latter times , arid ' the absolute monarchies of modern Europe , have been equally unstable , and equally uripropitious to those who lived under them . In Asia the tyrant'is exalted or deposed , at the will of an ambitious janizary or , an intriguing eunuch ; for he wants a nobility interested in supporting the
itistre of his throne , he is destitute of a people who * love their country in the person of their prince . ' In Greece , the effervescence of republican fury and the claims of ideal dignity subsided into the sway of an individual or the domination of a junto , the otiuth quiescentis ac penes senescentis cii / itatis , is exchanged for the noisy forum , and prolonged debate , and the man
who refused to acknowledge the superior merit of a fellow citizen becomes the flatterer of a foreign power , or the slave of a domestic usurper . Over-weening conceptions of personal consequence are generally succeeded by excessive humiliation and self abasement , according to the variation of external circumstances ; arid the most ardent patriotism , when soured by disappointment , tormented by faaion , or appalled by slaughter , will sink into despair ; submit with
indifference , and at length embrace and glory in servitude . The virtue of immixed republicanism , therefore , is transient , though conspicuous unity in the executive power is requisite to give stability and energy to its best intentions ; the interference of age and wisdom and authority and rank is necessary to give dignity to its" deliberations , and moderation to its demands arid wishes . Most ofthe commonwealths with which we are afcqnainted were founded on a mixture of the
aristocratical and popular forms , without providing a constant direaing organ of sufficient permanency , influence , and strength to regulate the operations of the state ; arid thus the occasional diaator was changed info the imperial despot , the patriotic senate into a selfish oligarchy , and a brave and , generous populace into a sanguinary and unruly mob . In Francewe have lately beheld an attempt to er ' ea a limited
monar-, chy on the basis of a single deliberative assembly , without the intervention of intermediate degrees between the throne and the people : But the current of democratic fury overturned the former in a moment , and the constitution of 1789 is now only referred to' as a proof of the absurdity of substituting theory for experiment , and exposing the