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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；　to　correct　the　crude　essays　of　our　first　and

unexperienced；　although　wise；　virtuous；　and　well…meaning　councils。

And　lastly；　let　us　provide　in　our　constitution　for　its　revision　at

stated　periods。　　What　these　periods　should　be；　nature　herself

indicates。　　By　the　European　tables　of　mortality；　of　the　adults　living

at　any　one　moment　of　time；　a　majority　will　be　dead　in　about　nineteen

years。　　At　the　end　of　that　period；　then；　a　new　majority　is　come　into

place；　or；　in　other　words；　a　new　generation。　　Each　generation　is　as

independent　as　the　one　preceding；　as　that　was　of　all　which　had　gone

before。　　It　has　then；　like　them；　a　right　to　choose　for　itself　the

form　of　government　it　believes　most　promotive　of　its　own　happiness；

consequently；　to　accommodate　to　the　circumstances　in　which　it　finds

itself；　that　received　from　its　predecessors；　and　it　is　for　the　peace

and　good　of　mankind；　that　a　solemn　opportunity　of　doing　this　every

nineteen　or　twenty　years；　should　be　provided　by　the　constitution；　so

that　it　may　be　handed　on；　with　periodical　repairs；　from　generation　to

generation；　to　the　end　of　time；　if　anything　human　can　so　long　endure。

It　is　now　forty　years　since　the　constitution　of　Virginia　was　formed。

The　same　tables　inform　us；　that；　within　that　period；　two…thirds　of

the　adults　then　living　are　now　dead。　　Have　then　the　remaining　third；

even　if　they　had　the　wish；　the　right　to　hold　in　obedience　to　their

will；　and　to　laws　heretofore　made　by　them；　the　other　two…thirds；　who；

with　themselves；　compose　the　present　mass　of　adults？　　If　they　have

not；　who　has？　　The　dead？　　But　the　dead　have　no　rights。　　They　are

nothing；　and　nothing　cannot　own　something。　　Where　there　is　no

substance；　there　can　be　no　accident。　　This　corporeal　globe；　and

everything　upon　it；　belong　to　its　present　corporeal　inhabitants；

during　their　generation。　　They　alone　have　a　right　to　direct　what　is

the　concern　of　themselves　alone；　and　to　declare　the　law　of　that

direction；　and　this　declaration　can　only　be　mad