The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-02-13
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III.
million to the power; and that they have no
more power than The contribution gave them:
and that, Gnce all civil pawer is granted ard
received avowedly only for the publck coed
he who employs it for contrary purpoie,by
this perhly on his part, frees the other party
from all obligation, and consequently the
fubieas have the natural right Of defending
themfelves aginlf wrongs, A RICH; Of re-
fiaancc againa injuries imports no civil iu-
periorty, nay it is confident With The iowe't
iubieaion. The peIhdy Of a h'oc'ior may
fct his lubje6s free from all ooiga'Ion to
him: and a fave may have right of vio-
lently reGang favage and ba'barous rnaf-
ter, though he had been fubjected to AagcFy
for the laRef reafons.
AS in all contributions civil power IS ac-'
knowleged TO be truf for the public good,
auctions may arfe whether it be abu'ed or
not, by fuch perhdy as forfeit8 it. We do not
here fpeak of fuch imprudences or INTAKES
of rulers as fubjeas mua have expected in
any falhbc mottals. To bear theie patti
emily. while their great ineteos a;c lAie,
they have tact!y conlentcd, and they are ia
credly bound to do 70, beth out OF duty to a
ruler in the main good, and to their conn-
trv. But if the quetion De, whether the a
bufes of power are fuch as aSe inconiitert
with a faithful intention, or 10 great that
they mutt be ruincus to a people if they ate
per(iiled in one might think hat neither of
the contending parties will be the mott i'm
martial iudces in their owu cauie; but The
ruler can have the worie pTetenIlans to
Judge, as the point queliioncd is whether he
has forfeited his power or not and TO be
fure he never will give Judgment aga'nit
himfelf. To be flre the arbitration OF fome
men of wifdom of fome remote nation,
which could gain nothing by either iide,
would not be ufclefs on iuch occallons.
But the people, or fuch council OF wife
deputies as they can trua, aud eleGied by
themfelves, have the bef pEeteniions to a
right ofdeciding this queffion, as it is for their
intereR and that of their confituents, that all
civil power is conltituted, and not for that
of their rulers; and whocan 70 jufly claim
10 Judge Of any truaee, or any perfon imPow-
cred to manage bufneis for others, as thcie
perlons themlelves Who have intruited him,
and fnpportcd him for that purpole.
Nay, if upon trial the people find that
the plan of power they con}.uted avowedly
for their own good is really dangerous TO
them, they have right to alter it. il mutt
be orange efFfontery in any governor, f'on
any views of bis own intereif, or that Of his
family, to hinder them TO change it or to
hold them to a contract which he knows
they entered into upon this expectation and
exprcis delign that it lhould tend 70 the ge-
neral good, for which alto he expressly IN
dertook, when it is found to have contrary
tendency. The governor acts as Manda~
tayias. who, after he had been once employ
ed by others TO manage iome important bu-
Gnels of theirs by general commiiiion,
fhould refule afterwards 20 receive any ipe-.
c;al infrucfion. or limitations from thoic who
EMPLOYED him, or to quit Ills hrlt commifii
on. If he cannot by ieaioning, and explain
inc the views of his conduct, latlsfy the peo-
pie he may jaRlv reign the troubieiome
office, and may Unfit on compensation Of any
damage he flaained, AID tha; bis family be
fettled in as good condition as they were
before he was raifsd to this power AMI the
people are bound to do 70 when it IS cooi.t-
ent with their fafe'y. But TO force people
or great majority of them to continue
form they'are dilla;sicd with, or to be his
fubieas whether they viii or not, nult DC
isIaagely abfurd as if millions of men, a
mony whom are ,houiands OF egaal know
ledge, virtues, abilities, and capacities of
haop;nels or miEry, with the ruler, were
defined as property to be managed for his