Butthesecondhead，thatofanationestablishingaparticularfamilywithhereditarypowers，doesnotpresentitselfasdespotismonthefirstreflection；butifmenwillpermitasecondreflectiontotakeplace，andcarrythatreflectionforwardbutoneremoveoutoftheirownpersonstothatoftheiroffspring，theywillthenseethathereditarysuccessionbecomesinitsconsequencesthesamedespotismtoothers，whichtheyreprobatedforthemselves。Itoperatestoprecludetheconsentofthesucceedinggenerations；
andthepreclusionofconsentisdespotism。
Whenthepersonwhoatanytimeshallbeinpossessionofagovernment，orthosewhostandinsuccessiontohim，shallsaytoanation，Iholdthispowerin\'contempt\'ofyou，itsignifiesnotonwhatauthorityhepretendstosayit。Itisnorelief，butanaggravationtoapersoninslavery，toreflectthathewassoldbyhisparent；andasthatwhichheightensthecriminalityofanactcannotbeproducedtoprovethelegalityofit，hereditarysuccessioncannotbeestablishedasalegalthing。
Inordertoarrivetoamoreperfectdecisiononthishead，itwillbepropertoconsiderthegenerationwhichundertakestoestablishafamilywithhereditarypowers，apartandseparatefromthegenerationswhicharetofollow；andalsotoconsiderthecharacterinwhichthefirstgenerationactswithrespecttosucceedinggenerations。
Thegenerationwhichfirstselectsaperson，andputshimattheheadofitsgovernment，eitherwiththetitleofking，oranyotherdistinction，actsitsownchoice，beitwiseorfoolish，asafreeagentforitself。
Thepersonsosetupisnothereditary，butselectedandappointed；andthegenerationwhosetshimup，doesnotliveunderanhereditarygovernment，butunderagovernmentofitsownchoiceandestablishment。Werethegenerationwhosetshimup，andthepersonsosetup，toliveforever，itnevercouldbecomehereditarysuccession；andofconsequence，hereditarysuccessioncanonlyfollowonthedeathofthefirstparties。
Asthereforehereditarysuccessionisoutofthequestionwithrespecttothefirstgeneration，wehavenowtoconsiderthecharacterinwhichthatgenerationactswithrespecttothecommencinggeneration，andtoallsucceedingones。
Itassumesacharacter，towhichithasneitherrightnortitle。Itchangesitselffromalegislatortoatestator，andaffectstomakeitswill，whichistohaveoperationafterthedemiseofthemakers，tobequeaththegovernment；anditnotonlyattemptstobequeath，buttoestablishonthesucceedinggeneration，anewanddifferentformofgovernmentunderwhichitselflivedItself，asisalreadyobserved，livednotunderanhereditarygovernment，butunderagovernmentofitsownchoiceandestablishment；anditnowattempts，byvirtueofawillandtestament，（whichithasnotauthoritytomake），totakefromthecommencinggeneration，andallfutureones，therightsandfreeagencybywhichitselfacted。
But，exclusiveoftherightwhichanygenerationhastoactcollectivelyasatestator，theobjectstowhichitappliesitselfinthiscase，arenotwithinthecompassofanylaw，orofanywillortestament。
Therightsofmeninsocietyareneitherdevisable，nortransferable，norannihilable，butaredescendibleonly；anditisnotinthepowerofanygenerationtointerceptfinallyandcutoffthedescent。Ifthepresentgeneration，oranyother，aredisposedtobeslaves，itdoesnotlessentherightofthesucceedinggenerationtobefree:wrongscannothavealegaldescent。WhenMr。Burkeattemptstomaintain，thattheEnglishnationdidattheRevolutionof1688，mostsolemnlyrenounceandabdicatetheirrightsforthemselves，andforalltheirposterityforever；hespeaksalanguagethatmeritsnotreply，andwhichcanonlyexcitecontemptforhisprostituteprinciples，orpityforhisignorance。
Inwhateverlighthereditarysuccession，asgrowingoutofthewillandtestamentofsomeformergeneration，presentsitself，itisanabsurdity。
AcannotmakeawilltotakefromBthepropertyofB，andgiveittoC；
yetthisisthemannerinwhich（whatiscalled）hereditarysuccessionbylawoperates。
Acertainformergenerationmadeawill，totakeawaytherightsofthecommencinggeneration，andallfutureones，andtoconveythoserightstoathirdperson，whoafterwardscomesforward，andtellsthem，inMr。
Burke\'slanguage，thattheyhavenorights，thattheirrightsarealreadybequeathedtohim，andthathewillgovernincontemptofthem。Fromsuchprinciples，andsuchignorance，GoodLorddelivertheworld！\"
ThehistoryoftheEnglishParliamentfurnishesanexampleofthiskind；
andwhichmeritstoberecordedasbeingthegreatestinstanceoflegislativeignoranceandwantofprinciplethatistobefoundinanycountry。Thecaseisasfollows:
TheEnglishParliamentof1688，importedamanandhiswifefromHolland，WilliamandMary，andmadethemKingandQueenofEngland。Havingdonethis，thesaidParliamentmadealawtoconveythegovernmentofthecountrytotheheirsofWilliamandMary，inthefollowingwords:\"We，theLordsSpiritualandTemporal，andCommons，do，inthenameofthepeopleofEngland，mosthumblyandfaithfullysubmitourselves，ourheirsandposterities，toWilliamandMary，theirheirsandposterities，forever。\"Andinasubsequentlaw，asquotedbyEdmundBurke，thesaidParliament，inthenameofthepeopleofEnglandthenliving，bindsthesaidpeople，theirheirsandposterities，toWilliamandMary，theirheirsandposterities，totheendoftime。
Itisnotsufficientthatwelaughattheignoranceofsuchlaw-makers；
itisnecessarythatwereprobatetheirwantofprinciple。TheConstituentAssemblyofFrance，1789，fellintothesameviceastheParliamentofEnglandhaddone，andassumedtoestablishanhereditarysuccessioninthefamilyoftheCapetsasanactoftheConstitutionofthatyear。
Thateverynation，forthetimebeing，hasarighttogovernitselfasitpleases，mustalwaysbeadmitted；butgovernmentbyhereditarysuccessionisgovernmentforanotherraceofpeople，andnotforitself；andasthoseonwhomitistooperatearenotyetinexistence，orareminors，soneitheristherightinexistencetosetupforthem，andtoassumesucharightistreasonagainsttherightofposterity。
Ihereclosetheargumentsonthefirsthead，thatofgovernmentbyhereditarysuccession；andproceedtothesecond，thatofgovernmentbyelectionandrepresentation；or，asitmaybeconciselyexpressed，representativegovernment，incontradistinctiontohereditarygovernment。
Reasoningbyexclusion，ifhereditarygovernmenthasnotarighttoexist，andthatithasnotisprovable，representativegovernmentisadmittedofcourse。Incontemplatinggovernmentbyelectionandrepresentation，weamusenotourselvesininquiringwhenorhow，orbywhatright，itbegan。
Itsoriginiseverinview。Manishimselftheoriginandtheevidenceoftheright。Itappertainstohiminrightofhisexistence，andhispersonisthetitledeedAlexanderHamiltonwrote，in1775:\"Thesacredrightsofmankindarenottoberummagedforamongoldparchmentsormustyrecords。TheyarewrittenaswithasunbeaminthewholevolumeofhumannaturebythehandofDivinityitself，andcanneverbeerasedorobscuredbymortalpower。\"
Thetrueandonlytruebasisofrepresentativegovernmentisequalityofrights。Everymanhasarighttoonevote，andnomoreinthechoiceofrepresentatives。Therichhavenomorerighttoexcludethepoorfromtherightofvoting，orofelectingandbeingelected，thanthepoorhavetoexcludetherich；andwhereveritisattempted，orproposed，oneitherside，itisaquestionofforceandnotofright。Whoishethatwouldexcludeanother？Thatotherhasarighttoexcludehim。
