No Aggression

2. Is not limitation of government, except for relatively short periods, impossible? Will not the predatory instincts of some men, which government is designed to suppress, eventually appear in the agents selected to do the suppress ing? These instincts, perhaps, are inseparable' companions of power. As a private citizen, the predatory person is only one among millions. As an agent of government he be comes one over millions. If there be criminals among us, what is to keep them from gaining and using the power of government? Neither theory nor experience have, so far, supplied me with reassuring answers. Let me repeat: Organized violence, though limited bet ter than ever before, characterized early America. In 14 addition, a horrible infraction of the American theory appeared in the institution of slavery. But, because these instances of the principle of violence were so minor as compared with the total energy, the people prospered bet ter than had other peoples. Perhaps it was too good to be true.