Butthecaseistotallydifferentwithrespecttotheinstitutionofcivilgovernment，organizedonthesystemofrepresentation。Suchagovernmenthascognizanceofeverything，andofeverymanasamemberofthenationalsociety，whetherhehaspropertyornot；and，therefore，theprinciplerequiresthateveryman，andeverykindofright，berepresented，ofwhichtherighttoacquireandtoholdpropertyisbutone，andthatnotofthemostessentialkind。
Theprotectionofaman\'spersonismoresacredthantheprotectionofproperty；andbesidesthis，thefacultyofperforminganykindofworkorservicesbywhichheacquiresalivelihood，ormaintaininghisfamily，isofthenatureofproperty。Itispropertytohim；hehasacquiredit；
anditisasmuchtheobjectofhisprotectionasexteriorproperty，possessedwithoutthatfaculty，canbetheobjectofprotectioninanotherperson。
Ihavealwaysbelievedthatthebestsecurityforproperty，beitmuchorlittle，istoremovefromeverypartofthecommunity，asfarascanpossiblybedone，everycauseofcomplaint，andeverymotivetoviolence；
andthiscanonlybedonebyanequalityofrights。Whenrightsaresecure，propertyissecureinconsequence。Butwhenpropertyismadeapretenseforunequalorexclusiverights，itweakenstherighttoholdtheproperty，andprovokesindignationandtumult；foritisunnaturaltobelievethatpropertycanbesecureundertheguaranteeofasocietyinjuredinitsrightsbytheinfluenceofthatproperty。
Nexttotheinjusticeandill-policyofmakingpropertyapretenseforexclusiverights，istheunaccountableabsurdityofgivingtomeresoundtheideaofproperty，andannexingtoitcertainrights；forwhatelseisatitlebutsound？Natureisoftengivingtotheworldsomeextraordinarymenwhoarriveatfamebymeritanduniversalconsent，suchasAristotle，Socrates，Plato，etc。Theyweretrulygreatornoble。Butwhengovernmentsetsupamanufactoryofnobles，itisasabsurdasifsheundertooktomanufacturewisemen。Hernoblesareallcounterfeits。
Thiswax-workorderhasassumedthenameofaristocracy；andthedisgraceofitwouldbelessenedifitcouldbeconsideredonlyaschildishimbecility。
Wepardonfopperybecauseofitsinsignificance，andonthesamegroundwemightpardonthefopperyoftitles。Buttheoriginofaristocracywasworsethanfoppery。Itwasrobbery。Thefirstaristocratsinallcountrieswerebrigands。Thoseoflatertimes，sycophants。
ItisverywellknownthatinEngland（andthesamewillbefoundinothercountries），thegreatlandedestatesnowheldindescentwereplunderedfromthequietinhabitantsattheConquest。Thepossibilitydidnotexistofacquiringsuchestateshonestly。Ifitbeaskedhowtheycouldhavebeenacquired，noanswerbutthatofrobberycanbegiven。Thattheywerenotacquiredbytrade，bycommerce，bymanufactures，byagriculture，orbyanyreputableemployment，iscertain。
Howthenweretheyacquired？Blush，aristocracy，tohearyourorigin，foryourprogenitorswerethieves。TheyweretheRobespierresandtheJacobinsofthatday。Whentheyhadcommittedtherobbery，theyendeavoredtolosethedisgraceofitbysinkingtheirrealnamesunderfictitiousones，whichtheycalledtitles。Itiseverthepractiseoffelonstoactinthismanner。
Theyneverpassbytheirrealnames。
Asproperty，honestlyobtained，isbestsecuredbyanequalityofrights，soill-gottenpropertydependsforprotectiononamonopolyofrights。
Hewhohasrobbedanotherofhisproperty，willnextendeavortodisarmhimofhisrights，tosecurethatproperty；forwhentherobberbecomesthelegislatorhebelieveshimselfsecure。ThatpartoftheGovernmentofEnglandthatiscalledtheHouseofLords，wasoriginallycomposedofpersonswhohadcommittedtherobberiesofwhichIhavebeenspeaking。
Itwasanassociationfortheprotectionofthepropertytheyhadstolen。
Butbesidesthecriminalityoftheoriginofaristocracy，ithasaninjuriouseffectonthemoralandphysicalcharacterofman。Likeslaveryitdebilitatesthehumanfaculties；forasthemindboweddownbyslaverylosesinsilenceitselasticpowers，so，inthecontraryextreme，whenitisbuoyedupbyfolly，itbecomesincapableofexertingthem，anddwindlesintoimbecility。Itisimpossiblethatamindemployeduponribandsandtitlescaneverbegreat。Thechildishnessoftheobjectsconsumestheman。
Itisatalltimesnecessary，andmoreparticularlysoduringtheprogressofarevolution，anduntilrightideasconfirmthemselvesbyhabit，thatwefrequentlyrefreshourpatriotismbyreferencetofirstprinciples。
Itisbytracingthingstotheiroriginthatwelearntounderstandthem:
anditisbykeepingthatlineandthatoriginalwaysinviewthatweneverforgetthem。
Aninquiryintotheoriginofrightswilldemonstratetousthatrightsarenotgiftsfromonemantoanother，norfromoneclassofmentoanother；
forwhoishewhocouldbethefirstgiver，orbywhatprinciple，oronwhatauthority，couldhepossesstherightofgiving？
Adeclarationofrightsisnotacreationofthem，noradonationofthem。Itisamanifestoftheprinciplebywhichtheyexist，followedbyadetailofwhattherightsare；foreverycivilrighthasanaturalrightforitsfoundation，anditincludestheprincipleofareciprocalguaranteeofthoserightsfrommantoman。As，therefore，itisimpossibletodiscoveranyoriginofrightsotherwisethanintheoriginofman，itconsequentlyfollows，thatrightsappertaintomaninrightofhisexistenceonly，andmustthereforebeequaltoeveryman。
Theprincipleofanequalityofrightsisclearandsimple。Everymancanunderstandit，anditisbyunderstandinghisrightsthathelearnshisduties；forwheretherightsofmenareequal，everymanmustfinallyseethenecessityofprotectingtherightsofothersasthemosteffectualsecurityforhisown。
Butif，intheformationofaconstitution，wedepartfromtheprincipleofequalrights，orattemptanymodificationofit，weplungeintoalabyrinthofdifficultiesfromwhichthereisnowayoutbutbyretreating。Wherearewetostop？Orbywhatprinciplearewetofindoutthepointtostopat，thatshalldiscriminatebetweenmenofthesamecountry，partofwhomshallbefree，andtherestnot？
Ifpropertyistobemadethecriterion，itisatotaldeparturefromeverymoralprincipleofliberty，becauseitisattachingrightstomerematter，andmakingmantheagentofthatmatter。Itis，moreover，holdinguppropertyasanappleofdiscord，andnotonlyexcitingbutjustifyingwaragainstit；forImaintaintheprinciple，thatwhenpropertyisusedasaninstrumenttotakeawaytherightsofthosewhomayhappennottopossessproperty，itisusedtoanunlawfulpurpose，asfire-armswouldbeinasimilarcase。
Inastateofnatureallmenareequalinrights，buttheyarenotequalinpower；theweakcannotprotectthemselvesagainstthestrong。Thisbeingthecase，theinstitutionofcivilsocietyisforthepurposeofmakinganequalizationofpowersthatshallbeparallelto，andaguaranteeof，theequalityofrights。Thelawsofacountry，whenproperlyconstructed，applytothispurpose。
Everymantakesthearmofthelawforhisprotectionasmoreeffectualthanhisown；andthereforeeverymanhasanequalrightintheformationofthegovernment，andofthelawsbywhichheistobegovernedandjudged。