The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-08-22


Il is : miflake TO think this fault is proper
only TO nloaaichiss; Other forms Of govern
ment arc liable to it, as well as that For
wherever the power that is put in any
HANDS fer the government Of the people, and
the prei9rvation of their properties in applied
to other ends, and made ule of to mpoVerlih,
hafaG, or fubdue them TO the arbitrary snd
irregular command Of thoie that have II:
There it preiently becomes tyranny, whether
thofe that TINS ufe If are one or many. hus
we read of the thirty tyrants at Afben5, as
well as one at Syaeu6 and the in,oierabIe
dominion of the DeeemZIyi at Romf was nc
thing better.
Wherever law ends, tyranny begins. if
the law be tranfgfeiIed to another's harm.
And whoioever in authority exceeds the power
given him by the law, and makes ufe Of the
force he has under his command, 20 compass
that upon the fubje6t which the law allows
not; cealcs IN that to be magiftIate, and
aeing without authority, may be oppofed as
any other man, who by force invades the right
of another. This is acknowledged in fubor-
Ginate magifrates. He that hath authority
to feize my perfon in the ffree', may be oppo-
fed as a thief and a robber, if he endeavours
10 break into my houfe to execute writ,
notwithstanding know he has luch war
rant, and fuclia legal authority as will inn
power him to aref me abroad. And why
this ihould not hold in the higheR, as well as
in the moff Inferior magifrate, | would glad
ly be informed. Isit Reasonable that the eld-
eft brother, bscaufe he has the greafeit part
of his fathers ena;e, ihould thereby have
right to take away any of his younger bro
theirs portions Or that a rich man who poi
feGed whole country fhcuId from thence
have a right to leize when he pleaf-d the cot
,age and garden of his poor neighbour I The
being rightfuuy poGcned Of great power and
riches exceedingly beyond the greaief part
of the fons Of Adam, is 70 fsr from beng an
execute, much efs realon for rapine and
opprtfIion, which the exchanging another
without authority, is, thar it is great aggra-
walton of il. For the exceeding the bounds
of authority is no more right in great
than petty officer; no more jufiifiable in
King than ConRable. But 70 much the
worle in him, as thar he has more truf pu;
in him, is fuppoied from the advantage of
education, and Councillors to have better
knowledge and leis realon to do it, having
already greater fhare than the ref of his
brethren.
May the commands then of a prince be
oppofed MAY he be refiaed as often as any
ore lhaIl find himfelfagrieVed, and but ina
CINE he has NOT right done him! this will gn-
hinge and overturn all politics, and inftead Of
government and order, leave nothing bu, an
archy and confuEon.
To this anfwer That force is to be OPP
pofed to nothing but to unjuR and unlawful
force whoever makes any oppohtion in any
other cafe, draws on himielf juit condem-
nation both from God and man and 70 no
Itch danger or confufion will follow, as is
oftc.r fuggefed.
Ef..q, AS in Eome countries, the perfon of
the Prince by the law is facred ; and 70 what
ever he commands, or does, his psrfon is till
free from all gueaiOn or violence, not liable
to force, or any judicial cenfure or cOndem-
nation. But YET cppoii'ion may be made to
the illegal aas of any inferior officer or other
commiGioned BY him unlefs he will BY &C
tuslly putting himfelf into Fate Of war With
his people, dlilolvc ths vernmenf,and lsa'=