them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and defigns of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every difguife it may afTume; and knowing it, to defeat its views. In every government on earth is fome trace of human weaknefs, fome germ of corruption and degeneracy, which cunning will difcover, and wickednefs in- fenfibly open, cultivate and improve.
Every government degenerates when trufted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themfelves therefore are its only fafe depofitories. And to render even [ 291 1 them fafe, their minds muft be improved to a certain degree. This indeed is not all that is neceflary, though it be eflen- tially neceflary. An amendment of our conflitution muft here come in aid of the public education. The influence over government mufl: be fliared among all the people. If every individual which com- pofes their mafs participates of the ulti- mate authority, the government will be fafe; becaufe the corrupting the w^hole mafs will exceed any private refources of wealth: and public ones cannot be provided but by levies on the people. In this cafe every man would have to pay his own price. The government of Great-Britain has been corrupted, becaufe but one man in ten has a right to vote for members of parliament. The fellers of the government therefore get nine- tenths of their price clear. It has been thought that corruption is refl:rained by confining the right of fuffrage to a few of the wealthier of the people: but it would be more eff'eftually reflrained by an extenfion of that right to fuch numbers as would bid defiance to the means of corruption.
Laftly, it is propofed, by a bill in this revifal, to begin a public library and gal- k>-y, by laying out a certain fum annually in books, paintings, and ftatues.