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belongs to every head of a family: that this authority did not defcend to their heirs; but that each of their fons, when they came to have families of their own, exercifed the fame authority in them as his father had done in his. They fay that the first king was Nimrod, an ufurper and a tyrant: that all other kingdoms were fet up in the fame manner. Therefore royalty is repugnant to nature: and that both name and thing ought to be banished from among men.

Both these opinions have fomething true in them, and fomething falfe. On the one hand, it cannot be denied that the patriarchs exercifed a more extenfive authority in their own houfes, than any head of a family would be allowed to do under a fettled government. "Abram had his trained fervants, whom he led forth to war: he formed alliances with neighbouring princes or patriarchs; for Aner, Efbcol, and Mamre were confederate with Abram: he paft fentence of banishment against Hagar and her fon : and exercifed other functions of royalty, even while he fojourned in a strange land. The fame thing is apparent in the history of the other patri. archs. On the other hand, we have no evidence that this authority defcended to the eldest fon. Neither Reuben, who was Jacob's first-born,-nor Joseph, to whom he left the birthright,-nor Judah, the father of the royal line,claimed any authority over their brethren after their father's death. But Judah, even in his father's lifetime, exercifed the highest authority in his own family; for he paft fentence of death upon Tamar his daughter-in-law.

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But, as foon as birthright, and a regular fucceffion to property, were known,-it is very natural to fuppofe, that the man who fucceeded to his father's eftate would confider himself as fucceeding alfo to his authority. Nor

is it improbable that his claim might be sustained by the reft of the family. If it was fo in one generation, it might be so in another: and thus the fucceffion of kingdoms, as well as of eftates, might become hereditary. We have, among ourfelves, an inconteftible proof that this was the cafe in fact. All the world knows, that, till the paffing of the Jurifdiction Act, an almost defpotic authority was exercifed, by the chiefs of our clans, over all that were confidered to be of the fame blood and no fooner did a man fucceed to the paternal eftate, than his authority was chearfully fubmitted to by the whole tribe. Even to this day, neither the progrefs of knowledge, nor the force of positive law, has been able totally to abolish this authority. If this was the cafe in Scotland, why might it not be fo in other places? Whether this fyftem is agreeable to reafon or found philofophy, or not, we fhall not difpute: but, as it is founded in natural affection, it is furely confonant to human affairs. And, in fact, this feems to have been the manner in which most governments were formed in the ruder ages of fociety.

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Of all human paffions, none is more infatiable thanambition. And, therefore, it cannot be thought improbable, that a man under the influence of that passion, though he had no hereditary claim to dominion, when he found it in his power to fubdue his neighbours, would embrace the opportunity of railing himfelf; and would extend his conquefts as far as he could. Though Nimrod is the first on record who made himself a king in this manner, he was far from being the laft. Even in modern times, Oliver Cromwel, Kouli Khan, Hyder Ali, and others, have rifen from the lower ranks of life, and made themselves masters of powerful empires; without waiting, either, for the choice or the confent of the nations whom

whom they were to govern. The juftice of such men's claims-few will affert. But it cannot be denied that fuch is the origin of many governments now fubfifting; as well as many that have subsisted in former times.

Neither is there any doubt, that, when a number of peo.. ple were, in the courfe of Providence, fettled together, in a place where they were previously subject to no government, they would fet up among themselves what form of government they thought most likely to promote the happinefs of fociety. The fame thing would happen when the former government had, by any means, been diffolved; or when a people, whether justly or unjustly, had fhaken off their fubjection to their former rulers. In this manner was the government of the United Provinces erected; and, more lately, that of the American States.

But we have no reason to think that in all fuch cafes the fame form of government was fixed upon. Some nations, like the people of Ifrael, chose to have a king; and monarchy was established among them. Others, putting confidence in a few, who were confidered as the moft eminent for wifdom and virtue, entrusted the government in their hands; and aristocracy was the result. In other places, the people chofe to retain the power in their own hands; and fo formed a democracy, or republican government.-In different nations there have been different modifications of all these three; and different mixtures of two or more of them.

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Indeed there are manifeft traces of all these three in the earliest periods of history. Even in the days of Abraham there were kings in Egypt, in Affyria, in Perfia, and in Canaan: fome of them ruling over extensive empires, and fome governing one city only. Of aristocracy we have instances in the Midianites, who, though

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but one tribe, were governed by five kings: and the Philistines, whofe five lords once had the adminiftration in their hands conjun&ly; though afterwards one of them obtained a pre-eminence, and became their king t. And of republican government we have an inftance in the Hittites, or children of Heth; as appears from this, that, before Abraham could have a burial place among them, it was neceffary to hold an affembly of all that went in at the gates of the city; and the purchase of the field and cave of Ephron was tranfacted in their prefence. Among the Gibeonites also the government feems to have been democratical; for, though they had elders, we hear nothing of their king: and all the inha bitants of their country acted, in conjunction with their elders, in fending the ambaffadors to Jofhua §.

In this enlightened age, few will call in queftion the truth of that important maxim, that all power and authority are radically in the people. I hope few will ever difpute it in time to come. Every people or nation has an undoubted right to choose and elect what form of government they find moft convenient; and to truft the adminiftration of it in what hands they pleafe: and in this right every individual has his fhare. But from this maxim, if not rightly understood, we may draw conclufions which the premiffes will not bear ;-conclufions which neither confift with truth, nor with the peace and well-being of fociety. A few of them may be pointed

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1. It does not hence follow, that all governments have actually been fet up by the general voice of the people, or even with their univerfal confent. Though, in point of theory, the people's right cannot be denied; yet it is plain from what has been faid, that, in fact, this right has feldom been exercised, or even claimed, in the erection of any government. In moft nations of the world, the people never to this day dreamed that they had fuch a right; and how fhould they exercife it? Even where it has been exercifed, it cannot be fuppofed that a whole nation was ever unanimous in their choice. Some individuals would always have preferred a different form of government, or would rather have employed other hands in the adminiftration of it. But it would be abfurd to fuppofe that this minority, because they did not actively concur in erecting the government, fhould enjoy the benefit of its protection, without being obliged to submit to its authority, or to contribute to its fupport.

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2. It does not follow, that it is moft for the benefit of fociety that the people fhould retain the exercise of that power, or any confiderable part of it, in their own hands. To govern a great nation muft require talents, education, and experience, beyond what usually falls to the lot of thofe in the lower ranks of life, in the most enlightened nation of the world. Common people may fpeculate about affairs of state at their fire fides; but the weight of government is too heavy for their fhoulders. Were our best country politician placed at the helm of public affairs, he would foon find himself unequal to the task. Neither would this be remedied by employing a great number of fuch pe fons in the bufinefs as the diverfity of their opinions would add to the confufion and embarrassment. A man muft serve an

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