وحتى أيسر السبل التي تتلقى بها أمة ما سيدا أجنبيا، بالزواج أو بالوصية، ليس مما يشرف الشعب شرفا عظيما، بل إنها لتفرض أن الشعب مما يمكن أن يصرف أمره - كما هي الحال في مهر أو في وصية - حسب هوى حكامه ومصلحتهم.

وحيث لا تعترض القوة مجرى الحوادث، ويجرى انتخاب، فما حقيقة هذا الانتخاب الذي يهللون له؟ إنه إما أن يكون التقاء نفر قليل من عظماء الرجال يقضون في الأمر نيابة عن المجموع، ولا يسمحون بصوت يعارض، أو أن يكون غضبة جمهور يضلله رئيس عصابة قد لا يكون معروفا لاثني عشر شخصا من بين ذلك الجمهور كله، ولا يدين بصعوده إلا إلى سلاطته أو إلى ما قد اعترى زملاءه من نزوة طارئة.

أفتكون هذه الانتخابات المهوشة - ومع ذلك فقلما تحدث - من قوة السلطة بحيث تكون الأساس الشرعي الوحيد لكل حكومة وكل ولاء؟ «في العقد الابتدائي» (النص الكامل موجود في مجموعة مقالات أخلاقية وسياسية لهيوم نشرها فردريك واتكنز بعنوان «هيوم: نظريته السياسية».) ص198-200

OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT

Almost all the governments which exist at present, or of which there remains any record in story, have been grounded originally either on usurpation or conquest, or both, without any pretence of a fair consent or voluntary subjection of the people. when an artful and bold man is placed at the head of an army or faction, it is often easy for him by employing sometimes violence, sometimes false pretences, to establish his dominion over a people a hundred times more numerous than his partisans. He allows no such open communication that his enemies can know, with certainty, their number or force. He gives them no leisure to assemble together in a body to oppose him. Even all those who are the instruments of his usurpation may wish his fall; but their ignorance of each other’s intention keeps them in awe, and is the sole cause of his security. By such arts as these, many governments have been established; and this is all the original 'contract’ which they have to boast of.

The face of the earth is continually changing, by the increase of small kingdoms into great empires, by the dissolution of great empires into smaller kingdoms, by the planting of colonies, by the migration of tribes, Is there anything discoverable in all these events, but force and violence? Where is the mutual agreement or voluntary association so much talked of?

Even the smoothest way by which a nation may receive a foreign master, by marriage or a will, is not extremely honourable for the people; but supposes them to be disposed of, like a dowry or a legacy, according to the pleasure or interest of their rulers.

But where no force interposes, and election takes place, what is this election so highly vaunted? It is either the combination of a few great men, who decide for the whole, and will allow of no oppositions, or it is the fury of a multitude that follow a seditious ringleader, who is not known, perhaps, to a dozen among them, and who owes his advancement merely to his own impudence, or to the momentary caprice of his follows.

Are these disorderly elections, which are rare too, of such mighty authority as to be the only lawful foundation of all government and allegiance?

Of The Original Contract, (Hume, Theory of Politics, ed. Frederick Watkins) pp. 198-200

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