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。