thoughts on the present discontents-第4节

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looked　upon　as　synonymous；　but；　for　the　future；　Court　and
Administration　were　to　be　considered　as　things　totally　distinct。　　By
this　operation；　two　systems　of　Administration　were　to　be　formed：
one　which　should　be　in　the　real　secret　and　confidence；　the　other
merely　ostensible；　to　perform　the　official　and　executory　duties　of
Government。　　The　latter　were　alone　to　be　responsible；　whilst　the
real　advisers；　who　enjoyed　all　the　power；　were　effectually　removed
from　all　the　danger。

Secondly；　A　PARTY　UNDER　THESE　LEADERS　WAS　TO　BE　FORMED　IN　FAVOUR　OF
THE　COURT　AGAINST　THE　MINISTRY：　　this　party　was　to　have　a　large
share　in　the　emoluments　of　Government；　and　to　hold　it　totally
separate　from；　and　independent　of；　ostensible　Administration。

The　third　point；　and　that　on　which　the　success　of　the　whole　scheme
ultimately　depended；　was　TO　BRING　PARLIAMENT　TO　AN　ACQUIESCENCE　IN
THIS　PROJECT。　　Parliament　was　therefore　to　be　taught　by　degrees　a
total　indifference　to　the　persons；　rank；　influence；　abilities；
connections；　and　character　of　the　Ministers　of　the　Crown。　　By　means
of　a　discipline；　on　which　I　shall　say　more　hereafter；　that　body　was
to　be　habituated　to　the　most　opposite　interests；　and　the　most
discordant　politics。　　All　connections　and　dependencies　among
subjects　were　to　be　entirely　dissolved。　　As　hitherto　business　had
gone　through　the　hands　of　leaders　of　Whigs　or　Tories；　men　of　talents
to　conciliate　the　people；　and　to　engage　their　confidence；　now　the
method　was　to　be　altered；　and　the　lead　was　to　be　given　to　men　of　no
sort　of　consideration　or　credit　in　the　country。　　This　want　of
natural　importance　was　to　be　their　very　title　to　delegated　power。
Members　of　parliament　were　to　be　hardened　into　an　insensibility　to
pride　as　well　as　to　duty。　　Those　high　and　haughty　sentiments；　which
are　the　great　support　of　independence；　were　to　be　let　down
gradually。　　Point　of　honour　and　precedence　were　no　more　to　be
regarded　in　Parliamentary　decorum　than　in　a　Turkish　army。　　It　was　to
be　avowed；　as　a　constitutional　maxim；　that　the　King　might　appoint
one　of　his　footmen；　or　one　of　your　footmen；　for　Minister；　and　that
he　ought　to　be；　and　that　he　would　be；　as　well　followed　as　the　first
name　for　rank　or　wisdom　in　the　nation。　　Thus　Parliament　was　to　look
on；　as　if　perfectly　unconcerned　while　a　cabal　of　the　closet　and
back…stairs　was　substituted　in　the　place　of　a　national
Administration。

With　such　a　degree　of　acquiescence；　any　measure　of　any　Court　might
well　be　deemed　thoroughly　secure。　　The　capital　objects；　and　by　much
the　most　flattering　characteristics　of　arbitrary　power；　would　be
obtained。　　Everything　would　be　drawn　from　its　holdings　in　the
country　to　the　personal　favour　and　inclination　of　the　Prince。　　This
favour　would　be　the　sole　introduction　to　power；　and　the　only　tenure
by　which　it　was　to　be　held：　　so　that　no　person　looking　towards
another；　and　all　looking　towards　the　Court；　it　was　impossible　but
that　the　motive　which　solely　influenced　every　man's　hopes　must　come
in　time　to　govern　every　man's　conduct；　till　at　last　the　servility
became　universal；　in　spite　of　the　dead　letter　of　any　laws　or
institutions　whatsoever。

How　it　should　happen　that　any　man　could　be　tempted　to　venture　upon
such　a　project　of　Government；　may　at　first　view　appear　surprising。
But　the　fact　is　that　opportunities　very　inviting　to　such　an　attempt
have　offered；　and　the　scheme　itself　was　not　destitute　of　some
arguments；　not　wholly　unplausible；　to　recommend　it。　　These
opportunities　and　these　arguments；　the　use　that　has　been　made　of
both；　the　plan　for　carrying　this　new　scheme　of　government　into
execution；　and　the　effects　which　it　has　produced；　are　in　my　opinion
worthy　of　our　serious　consideration。

His　Majesty　came　to　the　throne　of　these　kingdoms　with　more
advantages　than　any　of　his　predecessors　since　the　Revolution。
Fourth　in　descent；　and　third　in　succession　of　his　Royal　family；　even
the　zealots　of　hereditary　right；　in　him；　saw　something　to　flatter
their　favourite　prejudices；　and　to　justify　a　transfer　of　their
attachments；　without　a　change　in　their　principles。　　The　person　and
cause　of　the　Pretender　were　become　contemptible；　his　title　disowned
throughout　Europe；　his　party　disbanded　in　England。　　His　Majesty　came
indeed　to　the　inheritance　of　a　mighty　war；　but；　victorious　in　every
part　of　the　globe；　peace　was　always　in　his　power；　not　to　negotiate；
but　to　dictate。　　No　foreign　habitudes　or　attachments　withdrew　him
from　the　cultivation　of　his　power　at　home。　　His　revenue　for　the
Civil　establishment；　fixed　（as　it　was　then　thought）　at　a　large；　but
definite　sum；　was　ample；　without　being　invidious；　his　influence；　by
additions　from　conquest；　by　an　augmentation　of　debt；　by　an　increase
of　military　and　naval　establishment；　much　strengthened　and　extended。
And　coming　to　the　throne　in　the　prime　and　full　vigour　of　youth；　as
from　affection　there　was　a　strong　dislike；　so　from　dread　there
seemed　to　be　a　general　averseness　from　giving　anything　like　offence
to　a　monarch　against　whose　resentment　opposition　could　not　look　for
a　refuge　in　any　sort　of　reversionary　hope。

These　singular　advantages　inspired　his　Majesty　only　with　a　more
ardent　desire　to　preserve　unimpaired　the　spirit　of　that　national
freedom　to　which　he　owed　a　situation　so　full　of　glory。　　But　to
others　it　suggested　sentiments　of　a　very　different　nature。　　They
thought　they　now　beheld　an　opportunity　（by　a　certain　sort　of
statesman　never　long　undiscovered　or　unemployed）　of　drawing　to
themselves；　by　the　aggrandisement　of　a　Court　faction；　a　degree　of
power　which　they　could　never　hope　to　derive　from　natural　influence
or　from　honourable　service；　and　which　it　was　impossible　they　could
hold　with　the　least　security；　whilst　the　system　of　Administration
rested　upon　its　former　bottom。　　In　order　to　facilitate　the　execution
of　their　design；　it　was　necessary　to　make　many　alterations　in
political　arrangement；　and　a　signal　change　in　the　opinions；　habits；
and　connections　of　the　greater　part　of　those　who　at　that　time　acted
in　public。

In　the　first　place；　they　proceeded　gradually；　but　not　slowly；　to
destroy　everything　of　strength　which　did　not　derive　its　principal
nourishment　from　the　immediate　pleasure　of　the　Court。　　The　greatest
weight　of　popular　opinion　and　party　connection　were　then　with　the
Duke　of　Newcastle　and　Mr。　Pitt。　　Neither　of　these　held　his
importance　by　the　NEW　TENURE　of　the　Court；　they　were　not；　therefore；
thought　to　be　so　proper　as　others　for　the　services　which　were
required　by　that　tenure。　　It　happened　very　favourably　for　the　new
system；　that　under　a　forced　coalition　there　rankled　an　incurable
alienation　and　disgust　between　the　parties　which　composed　the
Administration。　　Mr。　Pitt　was　first　attacked。　　Not　satisfied　with
removing　him　from　power；　they　endeavoured　by　various　artifices　to
ruin　his　character。　　The　other　party　seemed　rather　pleased　to　get
rid　of　so　oppressive　a　support；　not　perceiving　that　their　own　fall
was　prepared　by　his；　and　involved　in　it。　　Many　other　reasons
prevented　them　from　daring　to　look　their　true　situation　in　the　face。
To　the　great　Whig　families　it　was　extremely　disagreeable；　and　seemed
almost　unnatural；　to　oppose　the　Administration　of　a　Prince　of　the
House　of　Brunswick。　　Day　after　day　they　hesitated；　and　doubted；　and
lingered；　expecting　that　other　counsels　would　take　place；　and　were
slow　to　be　persuaded　that　all　which　had　been　done　by　the　Cabal　was
the　effect；　not　of　humour；　but　of　system。　　It　was　more　strongly　and
evidently　the　interest　of　the　new　Court　faction　to　get　rid　of　the
great　Whig　connections　than　to　destroy　Mr。　Pitt。　　The　power　of　that
gentleman　was　vast　indeed；　and　merited；　but　it　was　in　a　great　degree
personal；　and　therefore　transient。　　Theirs　was　rooted　in　the
country。　　For；　with　a　good　deal　less　of　popularity；　they　possessed　a
far　more　natural　and　fixed　influence。　　Long　possession　of
Government；　vast　property；　obligations　of　favours　given　and
received；　connection　of　office；　ties　of　blood；　of　alliance；　of
friendship　（things　at　that　time　supposed　of　some　force）；　the　name　of
Whig；　dear　to　the　majority　of　the　people；　the　zeal　early　begun　and
steadily　continued　to　the　Royal　Family；　all　these　together　formed　a
body　of　power　in　the　nation；　which　was　criminal　and　devoted。　　The
great　ruling　principle　of　the　Cabal；　and　that　which　animated　and
harmonised　all　their　proceedings；　how　various　soever　they　may　have
been；　was　to　signify　to　the　world　that　the　Court　would　proceed　upon
its　own　proper　forces　only；　and　that　the　pretence　of　bringing　any
other　into　its　service　was　an　affront　to　it；　and　not　a　support。
Therefore　when　the　chiefs　were　removed；　in　order　to　go　to　the　root；
the　whole　party　was　put　under　a　proscription；　so　general　and　severe
as　to　take　their　hard…earned　bread　from　the　lowest　officers；　in　a
manner　which　had　never　been　known　before；　even　in　general
revolutions。　　But　it　was　thought　necessary　effectually　to　destroy
all　dependencies　but　one；　and　to　show　an　example　of　the　firmness　and
rigour　with　which　the　new　system　was　to　be　supported。

Thus　for　the　time　were　pulled　down；　in　the　persons　of　the　Whig
leaders　and　of　Mr。　Pitt　（in　spite　of　the　services　of　the　one　at　the
accession　of　the　Royal　Family；　and