LETTER XCVIII,--TO JOHN ADAMS, September 28, 1787
TO JOHN ADAMS.
Paris, September 28, 1787.
Dear Sir,
I received your favor by Mr. Cutting, and thank you sincerely for the
copy of your book. The departure of a packet-boat, which always gives me
full employment for some time before, has only permitted me to look into
it a little. I judge of it from the first volume, which I thought formed
to do a great deal of good. The first principle of a good government,
is certainly a distribution of its powers into executive, judiciary, and
legislative, and a subdivision of the latter into two or three
branches. It is a good step gained, when it is proved that the English
constitution, acknowledged to be better than all which have preceded
it, is only better, in proportion as it has approached nearer to this
distribution of powers. From this, the last step is easy, to show by
a comparison of our constitutions with that of England, how much more
perfect they are. The article of Confederations is certainly worthy of
your pen. It would form a most interesting addition, to show, what has
been the nature of the Confederations which have existed hitherto, what
were their excellencies, and what their defects.
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