WHITINGS OF DR. SMITH.

LXXIX

ment. The only infallible criterion of the excel-lence of any conflitution is to be found in the de-tail of its municipal code; and the value whichwife men let on political freedom, arifes chieflyfrom the facility it is fuppofed to afford, for theintroduftion of those legiflative improvementswhich the general interefts of the community re-commend. — I cannot help adding, that the ca-pacity of a people to exercise political rights withutility to themfelves and to their country, presup-poses a diffusion of knowledge and of good morals,which can only result from the previous operationof laws favorable to indullry, to order, and tofreedom.

Of the truth of these remarks, enlightened poli-ticians seem now to be in general convinced; forthe moft celebrated works which have been produ-ced in the different countries of Europe , duringthe lalt thirty years, by Smith , Quesnai , Tur­ got , Campomanes, Beccaria, and others, haveaimed at the improvement of society,—not by de-lineating plans of new conftitutions, but by en-lightening the policy of aflual legislators. Suchspeculations, while they are more essentially andmore extensively useful than any others, have notendency to unhinge eftabliffied inftitutions, or toinflame the pafhons of the multitude. The im-provements they recommend are to be effected bymeans too gradual and flow in their operation, to