It is,
however, very likely, and is one of the dangers of a controlling
assembly, that it may be lavish of powers, but afterwards interfere
with their exercise; may give power by wholesale, and take it back
in detail, by multiplied single acts of interference in the business
of administration. The evils arising from this assumption of the
actual function of governing, in lieu of that of criticising and
checking those who govern, have been sufficiently dwelt upon in the
preceding chapter. No safeguard can in the nature of things be
provided against this improper meddling, except a strong and general
conviction of its injurious character.
The other negative defect which may reside in a government, that
of not bringing into sufficient exercise the individual faculties,
moral, intellectual, and active, of the people, has been exhibited
generally in setting forth the distinctive mischiefs of despotism.
As between one form of popular government and another, the advantage
in this respect lies with that which most widely diffuses the exercise
of public functions; on the one hand, by excluding fewest from the
suffrage; on the other, by opening to all classes of private citizens,
so far as is consistent with other equally important objects, the
widest participation in the details of judicial and administrative
business; as by jury trial, admission to municipal offices, and
above all by the utmost possible publicity and liberty of
discussion, whereby not merely a few individuals in succession, but
the whole public, are made, to a certain extent, participants in the
government, and sharers in the instruction and mental exercise
derivable from it.
Pages:
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131