The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-06-14

right, which Is ncceTa-y 20 cI-ry into eacc,
tire rrocer end OF that government.
II nc gives mp more, government dcfervss the
NAVE OF detpotihn.
1fhc gives NJ lels, foci5:y may be pronounce d
to he in fate of anarchy
But AL the political riects of IN ipdivtiu9i
may be reduced TO two clailes either the right
OF chooiiug Oh being choi,n an officer of The GO
vcrnment under certain necei.ary ,,nalilicat-
ons; or the right Of doing as many things for
himfelf rs the general good will fulier him to
do. Should '-re government violate either of
thcie rights; ,hould any individual. be exclnle..
from !hare in its administration, VIXEN he has
all the neceiiary qualifications or thould he be
numerically circumfcrihrd by the acts of the 60
veinment in the exerciie of his private Judge
ment, that man nc longer deirrves the name OF
d free citizen.
In every fociety there is corfeQuent!y GER
tain balance between the qualifications or the
individuals and the powers of governments, OF
which depends the degree of lis freedom. Ma
Try the hrit and you Immediately vary the inilr-
ence OF the other. Let the people be ignorant
and corrupt, and you at once dcltrov the pro-
prety of their exerciiing their elettv, franchie,
or you at leaf leiicn the number of th0ie who
ought to exercfe it. Let the people he igno-
rant and inert, and it Immediately becomes the
duty of the government to form public e!tahIi.h-
ments: which more cnierpri2ing fociety
could of tfelf have accomplished. II is hence
that two different countries at the fame time
fnch as Turkey and America OF that the fine
country az two different times, flch as ancient
and modern Greece, are .Ifceptible of very diff
terent degrees of freedom. According TO tbs
doctrine, two governments might each of them
be called free, though enc of them would be a
dcipotifm with refpe6t to the other: becaufe
each of them would be adapted to the condit-
on of the individuals. And the fame govern
ment which would be called defpotifm in one
nation, would become an anarchy in the other
According to this doctrine, a nation that fItfers
government to exercife any power, to make
even road out of the funds of its treafury,
when they themtelves are better fitted for the
talk, TO far deferveS to loie the name of free
dom.
In fact, if we would be whmlical in our foe
culation, we might lay down geometrical
,cale ofpolitical power, on one iide of which YOU
might expreis the different degrees of know
ledge, virtue and Complicated ftnefs which re-
tides in the individuals: On the other, YOU
might place the different degrees Of power,
which iliould then belong TO the government.
When we entered into a view of particular
countries, we ihou,d of cour:e have to afcer-
tain Erit the copdtion of the people to find
'''Ni P'SS VA 'ii~ AS"1S, anu iSc WIIdt u6pi Oh
government was commemorate to it. If the
country had iuch a form, it might be called
free according to the doctrine Of Scion for tho
1t was not the freett Ill itteif, it was the freet
they could well bear. All above that point in
the fcale, would be dcfpotifn all below wouls,
be anarchy and the degree of the attention
or fall would determine the point of defpotifm
or anarchy, into which the nation was plunget.
How blefed are the American people, that their
vigilance and virtue are concentrate to the
freedom of their government How blencd
are they in occupying the lowef point on the
tcale of power !