"Liberty, like equality, is a word more used than understood. Perfect and absolute liberty is incompatible with the existence of society, as equality of condition. It is impracticable in a state of nature even, since, without the protection of law, the strong would oppose and enslave the weak. We are then to understand by liberty, merely such a state of social compact as permits the members of a community to lay no more restraints on themselves, than are required by their real necessities, and obvious interests. To this definition may be added, that it is a requisite of-liberty, that the body of a nation should retain the power to modify its institutions, as circumstances shall require."