1821. April 27.

First Lines

Constitutional

Under an absolute Monarchy, the Constitutional branch of the law has for its sole actual end, the greatest happiness of the one individual in whose hands, without division, the whole of the supreme operative power is lodged.

For decency sake the end, thus actually and exclusively pursued, is not the end professed and declared to be pursued. For the designations of the end actually pursued, a mixt regard for decency and conciseness substitutes, on each occasion, one or another of a small assortment of phrases: preservation of order, preservation of legitimacy, for example.

Under a limited monarchy, the constitutional branch of law has, for its actual object a more complex object: viz. the greatest happiness of the Monarch, coupled with, and limited by, the greatest happiness of the conjunctly of subordinately ruling few, by whose respective powers the limitations, that are applied to the power of the Monarch, are applied.