In truth, the abuses of monarchy had so much filled all the space of political contemplation, that we imagined everything republican which was not monarchy. We had not yet penetrated to the mother principle, that governments are republican only in proportion as they embody the will of their people, and execute it. Hence, our first constitutions had really no leading principles in them. But experience and reflection have but more and more confirmed me in the particular importance of the equal representation then proposed.

Summary

This quote explains how, in the past, the concept of republicanism was often misunderstood. People associated republicanism with anything that was not monarchy due to the previous abuses of monarchy. However, the quote suggests that true republicanism is not just the absence of monarchy, but rather a government that reflects and executes the will of its people. The speaker acknowledges that early constitutions lacked clear principles, but emphasizes that equal representation of the people was crucial. Through experience and reflection, the speaker has come to believe in the significant importance of this idea.