THE NATURE AND CAUSES OE
584 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OE
took pleasure in recording and magnifying events, ni * vthey flattered themselves, they had been considerable ac ^How obstinately the city of Paris upon that occasion deten^itself, what a dreadful famine it supported, rather than smit to the best, and afterward to the most beloved, of alFrench kings, is well known. The greater part of the cit* z ’or those who governed the greater part of them, fought in ^fence of their own importance, which they foresaw ' vaS e ,at an end whenever the ancient government should v 6established. Our colonies, unless they can be induced tosent to a union, are very likely to defend themselves ag® ^the best of all mother countries, as obstinately as the c*;Paris did against one of the best of kings
The idea of representation was unknown in ancient
tid eS :
of
When the people of one state were admitted to the rig^citizenship in another, they had no other means of exerc^jjthat right but by coming in a body to vote and deliberatethe people of that other state. The admission of the g'*’ ea c j,part of the inhabitants of Italy to the privileges of RoiU aI1 ^tizens, completely ruined the Roman republic. Itlonger possible to distinguish between who was and vvR° ginot a Roman citizen. No tribe could know its own inen0 ^jje5A rabble of any kind could be introduced into theassed^ eof the people, could drive out the real citizens, and d ^upon the affairs of the republic as if they themselves , ^been such. But though America were to send fifty ° 1 ' f $e
" i d' s '
new representatives to parliament, the door-keeper
house of commons could not find any great difficulty 111tinguishing between who was and who was not a W 6 * 11 r j]yThough the Roman constitution, therefore, was nece f s u a ly>ruined by the union of Rome with the allied states °* t j 0 nthere is not the least probability that the British const* j g ,would be hurt by the union of Great Britain with l* er j e tednies. That constitution, on the contrary, would be con*P jjjyby it, and seems to be imperfect without it. The ass ^which deliberates and decides concerning the affairs o* ^)jtpart of the empire, in order to be properly informed*certainly to have representatives from every part of d- jjffi'this union, however, could be easily effectuated, or tl* ia yoi*iculties and great difficulties might not occur in the exeI do not pretend. I have yet heard of none, howeveD ,jot
appear insurmountable. The principal, perhaps, &cl ^ 0 pi-from the nature of things, but from the prejudices an