Novanglus, and Massachusettensis

John Adams primary

passage 75 of 279 · (75/240)

in brief

He contests the claim from “law of nations” that colonies become part of the state, and instead points to Greek and Roman practices where colonies were effectively distinct or granted civic liberties without blanket authority.

should be represented in the third estate, the democratical branch of the constitution. How many millions of acres in America, how many thousands of wealthy landholders, have no representatives there.

But let these "best writers" say what they will, there is nothing in the law of nations, which is only the law of right reason, applied to the conduct of nations, that requires that emigrants from a state that should continue, or be made a part of the state.

The practice of nations has been different. The Greeks planted colonies, and neither demanded nor pretended any authority over them, but they became distinct independent commonwealths.

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topics: forms of government · natural law and higher law · rights and liberties

Novanglus, and Massachusettensis · John Adams · 1774–1775