ying, that a state of society is the natural state of man. Wherever we
find a settlement of men, we find also some appearance of government. The
state of government is therefore as natural to mankind as a state of
society. Government and society appear to be co-eval. The most rude and
artless form of government is probably the most ancient. This we find to
be practised among the Indian tribes in America. With them the whole
authority of government is vested in the whole tribe. Individuals depend
upon their reputation of valour and wisdom to give them influence. Their
government is genuinely democratical. This was probably the first kind of
government among mankind, as we meet with no mention of any other kind,
till royalty was introduced in the person of Nimrod. Immediately after
that time, the Asiatick nations seem to have departed from the simple
democracy, which is still retained by their American brethren, and
universally adopted the kingly form. We do indeed meet with some vague
rumors of an aristocracy in India so late as the time of Alexander the
Great. But such stories are altogether uncertain and improbable. For in
the time of Abraham, who lived about sixteen hundred years before
Alexander, all the little nations mentioned in the Mosaick history appear
to be governed by kings. It does not appear from any accounts of the
Asiatick kingdoms that they have practised at all upon the idea of a
limited monarchy. The whole power of society has been delegated to the
kings; and though they may be said to have constitutions of government,
because the succession to the crown is limited by certain rules, yet the
people are not benefitted by their constitutions, and enjoy no share of
civil liberty. The first attempt to reduce republicanism to a system,
appears to be made by Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. This
government stood a considerable time, about five centuries, till in a
frenzy the people demanded a king, that they might resemble the nations
about them. They were dissatisfied with their judges, and instead of
changing the administration, they madly changed their constitution.
However they might flatter themselves with the idea, that an high-spirited
people could get the power back again when they pleased; they never did
get it back, and they fared like the nations about them. Their kings
tyrannized over them for some centuries, till they fell under a foreign
yoke. This is the history of that nation. With