on a firm bafis, who did not mean to expend his blood and fubftance for the wretched purpofe of I i changing this m after for that, but to place the powers of governing him in a pluraUty of hands of his own choice, fo that the corrupt will of no one man might in fu- ture opprefs him, muft ftand confounded and difmayed when he is told, that a con- fiderable portion of that plurality had mediated the furrender of them into a fmgle hand, and, in lieu of a limited monarchy, to deUver him over to a def- potic one I How muft we find his efforts and facrifices abufed and baffled, if he may ftill by a fmgle voce be laid proftrate at the feet of one man! In God's name from whence have they derived this power? Is it from our ancient laws? None fuch can be produced. Is it from any principle in our new conftitution exprefled or implied?
Every lineament imprefled or implied, is in full oppofition to it. Its fundamental principle is, that the ftate ihall be governed as a commonwealth. It provides a republican organization, profcribes under the name of prerogative the exercife of all powers undefined by the laws; places on this bafis the whole fyftem of our laws;