But, tospeakpracticallyanasacitizen, dunlikethosewhocallthemselvesnon-govenmmentmen, Iaskfor, notatonenogovernment, , andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit.
Afterall, thepracticalreasonwhy, whenthepowerisonceinthehandsofthepeople, amajorityarepermitted, andforalongperiodcontinue, toruleisnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright, norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority, , , butconscience? —inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable? Mustthecitizeneverforamoment, orintheleastdegree, resignhisconsciencetothelegislator? Whyhaseverymanaconsciencethen? Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst, , .
…
Theauthorityofgovernment, evensuchasIamwillingtosubmitto—forIwillcheerfullyobeythosewhoknowandcandobetterthanI, andinmanythingseventhosewhoneitherknownorcandosowell—isstillanimpureone: tobestrictlyjust, , fromalimitedmonarchytoademocracy, , suchasweknowit, thelastimprovementpossibleingovernment? Isitnotpossibletotakeastepfurthertowardsrecognizingandorganizingtherightsofman? TherewillneverbeareallyfreeandenlightenedStateuntiltheStatecomestorecognizetheindividualasahigherandindependentpower, fromwhichallitsownpowerandauthorityarederived, , andtotreattheindividualwithrespectasaneighbor; whichevenwouldnotthinkitinconsistentwithitsownreposeifafewweretolivealooffromit, notmeddlingwithit, norembracedbyit, , andsufferedittodropoffasfastasitripened, wouldpreparethewayforastillmoreperfectandgloriousState, whichIhavealsoimagined, butnotyetanywhereseen.
