Buttheordinaryloveofourcountryinvolvestwothings:acertainreverencefortheformofgovernmentactuallyestablished，andanearnestdesiretorendertheconditionofourfellow-citizensassafe，respectable，andhappy，aspossible。Itisonlyintimesofpublicdiscontentandfactionthatthesetwoprinciplesmaydrawdifferentways，andleadtodoubtwhetherachangeintheconstitutionmightnotbemostconducivetothegeneralhappiness。Insuchtimes，theleadersofthediscontentedpartyoftenpropose\"tonew-modeltheconstitution，andtoalter，insomeofitsmostessentialparts，thatsystemofgovernmentunderwhichthesubjectsofagreatempirehaveenjoyedperhapspeace，security，andevenglory，duringthecourseofseveralcenturiestogether。\"Anditmayrequirethehighesteffortofpoliticalwisdomtodeterminewhenarealpatriotoughttosupportandtrytore-establishtheauthorityoftheoldsystem，andwhenheoughttogivewaytothemoredaring，butoftendangerous，spiritofinnovation。
Nothing，indeed，ismorefataltothegoodorderofsocietythanthepolicyof\"amanofsystem，\"whoissoenamouredofhisownidealplanofgovernmentastobeunabletosufferthesmallestdeviationfromanypartofit，andwhoinsistsuponestablishingandestablishingallatonce，andinspiteofallopposition，whateverhisideamayseemtorequire。
Suchamanerectshisownjudgmentintothesupremestandardofrightandwrong，andfancieshimselftheonlywiseandworthymaninthecommonwealth。
\"Itisuponthisaccountthatofallpoliticalspeculatorssovereignprincesarebyfarthemostdangerous。Thisarroganceisperfectlyfamiliartothem。Theyentertainnodoubtoftheimmensesuperiorityoftheirownjudgment……andconsiderthestateasmadeforthemselves，notthemselvesforthestate。\"
Itisotherwisewiththerealpatriot，withthemanwhosepublicspiritispromptedaltogetherbyhumanityandbenevolence。He\"willrespecttheestablishedpowersandprivilegesevenofindividuals，andstillmorethoseofthegreatordersandsocietiesintowhichthestateisdivided。Thoughheshouldconsidersomeofthemasinsomemeasureabusive，hewillcontenthimselfwithmoderating，whatheoftencannotannihilatewithoutgreatviolence。Whenhecannotconquertherootedprejudicesofthepeoplebyreasonandpersuasion，hewillnotattempttosubduethembyforce，butwillreligiouslyobservewhatbyCiceroisjustlycalledthedivinemaximofPlato，nevertouseviolencetohiscountry，nomorethantohisparents。