thoughts on the present discontents-第7节

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as　some　proof　of　the　credit　of　Ministers；　and　some　means　of
increasing　their　strength。　　To　prevent　this；　the　persons　so　advanced
are　directed　in　all　companies；　industriously　to　declare；　that　they
are　under　no　obligations　whatsoever　to　Administration；　that　they
have　received　their　office　from　another　quarter；　that　they　are
totally　free　and　independent。

When　the　Faction　has　any　job　of　lucre　to　obtain；　or　of　vengeance　to
perpetrate；　their　way　is；　to　select；　for　the　execution；　those　very
persons　to　whose　habits；　friendships；　principles；　and　declarations；
such　proceedings　are　publicly　known　to　be　the　most　adverse；　at　once
to　render　the　instruments　the　more　odious；　and　therefore　the　more
dependent；　and　to　prevent　the　people　from　ever　reposing　a　confidence
in　any　appearance　of　private　friendship；　or　public　principle。

If　the　Administration　seem　now　and　then；　from　remissness；　or　from
fear　of　making　themselves　disagreeable；　to　suffer　any　popular
excesses　to　go　unpunished；　the　Cabal　immediately　sets　up　some
creature　of　theirs　to　raise　a　clamour　against　the　Ministers；　as
having　shamefully　betrayed　the　dignity　of　Government。　　Then　they
compel　the　Ministry　to　become　active　in　conferring　rewards　and
honours　on　the　persons　who　have　been　the　instruments　of　their
disgrace；　and；　after　having　first　vilified　them　with　the　higher
orders　for　suffering　the　laws　to　sleep　over　the　licentiousness　of
the　populace；　they　drive　them　（in　order　to　make　amends　for　their
former　inactivity）　to　some　act　of　atrocious　violence；　which　renders
them　completely　abhorred　by　the　people。　　They　who　remember　the　riots
which　attended　the　Middlesex　Election；　the　opening　of　the　present
Parliament；　and　the　transactions　relative　to　Saint　George's　Fields；
will　not　be　at　a　loss　for　an　application　of　these　remarks。

That　this　body　may　be　enabled　to　compass　all　the　ends　of　its
institution；　its　members　are　scarcely　ever　to　aim　at　the　high　and
responsible　offices　of　the　State。　　They　are　distributed　with　art　and
judgment　through　all　the　secondary；　but　efficient；　departments　of
office；　and　through　the　households　of　all　the　branches　of　the　Royal
Family：　　so　as　on　one　hand　to　occupy　all　the　avenues　to　the　Throne；
and　on　the　other　to　forward　or　frustrate　the　execution　of　any
measure；　according　to　their　own　interests。　　For　with　the　credit　and
support　which　they　are　known　to　have；　though　for　the　greater　part　in
places　which　are　only　a　genteel　excuse　for　salary；　they　possess　all
the　influence　of　the　highest　posts；　and　they　dictate　publicly　in
almost　everything；　even　with　a　parade　of　superiority。　　Whenever　they
dissent　（as　it　often　happens）　from　their　nominal　leaders；　the
trained　part　of　the　Senate；　instinctively　in　the　secret；　is　sure　to
follow　them；　provided　the　leaders；　sensible　of　their　situation；　do
not　of　themselves　recede　in　time　from　their　most　declared　opinions。
This　latter　is　generally　the　case。　　It　will　not　be　conceivable　to
any　one　who　has　not　seen　it；　what　pleasure　is　taken　by　the　Cabal　in
rendering　these　heads　of　office　thoroughly　contemptible　and
ridiculous。　　And　when　they　are　become　so；　they　have　then　the　best
chance；　for　being　well　supported。

The　members　of　the　Court　faction　are　fully　indemnified　for　not
holding　places　on　the　slippery　heights　of　the　kingdom；　not　only　by
the　lead　in　all　affairs；　but　also　by　the　perfect　security　in　which
they　enjoy　less　conspicuous；　but　very　advantageous；　situations。
Their　places　are；　in　express　legal　tenure；　or　in　effect；　all　of　them
for　life。　　Whilst　the　first　and　most　respectable　persons　in　the
kingdom　are　tossed　about　like　tennis　balls；　the　sport　of　a　blind　and
insolent　caprice；　no　Minister　dares　even　to　cast　an　oblique　glance
at　the　lowest　of　their　body。　　If　an　attempt　be　made　upon　one　of　this
corps；　immediately　he　flies　to　sanctuary；　and　pretends　to　the　most
inviolable　of　all　promises。　　No　conveniency　of　public　arrangement　is
available　to　remove　any　one　of　them　from　the　specific　situation　he
holds；　and　the　slightest　attempt　upon　one　of　them；　by　the　most
powerful　Minister；　is　a　certain　preliminary　to　his　own　destruction。

Conscious　of　their　independence；　they　bear　themselves　with　a　lofty
air　to　the　exterior　Ministers。　　Like　Janissaries；　they　derive　a　kind
of　freedom　from　the　very　condition　of　their　servitude。　　They　may　act
just　as　they　please；　provided　they　are　true　to　the　great　ruling
principle　of　their　institution。　　It　is；　therefore；　not　at　all
wonderful；　that　people　should　be　so　desirous　of　adding　themselves　to
that　body；　in　which　they　may　possess　and　reconcile　satisfactions　the
most　alluring；　and　seemingly　the　most　contradictory；　enjoying　at
once　all　the　spirited　pleasure　of　independence；　and　all　the　gross
lucre　and　fat　emoluments　of　servitude。

Here　is　a　sketch；　though　a　slight　one；　of　the　constitution；　laws；
and　policy；　of　this　new　Court　corporation。　　The　name　by　which　they
choose　to　distinguish　themselves；　is　that　of　KING'S　MEN；　or　the
KING'S　FRIENDS；　by　an　invidious　exclusion　of　the　rest　of　his
Majesty's　most　loyal　and　affectionate　subjects。　　The　whole　system；
comprehending　the　exterior　and　interior　Administrations；　is　commonly
called；　in　the　technical　language　of　the　Court；　DOUBLE　CABINET；　in
French　or　English；　as　you　choose　to　pronounce　it。

Whether　all　this　be　a　vision　of　a　distracted　brain；　or　the　invention
of　a　malicious　heart；　or　a　real　faction　in　the　country；　must　be
judged　by　the　appearances　which　things　have　worn　for　eight　years
past。　　Thus　far　I　am　certain；　that　there　is　not　a　single　public　man；
in　or　out　of　office；　who　has　not；　at　some　time　or　other；　borne
testimony　to　the　truth　of　what　I　have　now　related。　　In　particular；
no　persons　have　been　more　strong　in　their　assertions；　and　louder　and
more　indecent　in　their　complaints；　than　those　who　compose　all　the
exterior　part　of　the　present　Administration；　in　whose　time　that
faction　has　arrived　at　such　a　height　of　power；　and　of　boldness　in
the　use　of　it；　as　may；　in　the　end；　perhaps　bring　about　its　total
destruction。

It　is　true；　that　about　four　years　ago；　during　the　administration　of
the　Marquis　of　Rockingham；　an　attempt　was　made　to　carry　on
Government　without　their　concurrence。　　However；　this　was　only　a
transient　cloud；　they　were　hid　but　for　a　moment；　and　their
constellation　blazed　out　with　greater　brightness；　and　a　far　more
vigorous　influence；　some　time　after　it　was　blown　over。　　An　attempt
was　at　that　time　made　（but　without　any　idea　of　proscription）　to
break　their　corps；　to　discountenance　their　doctrines；　to　revive
connections　of　a　different　kind；　to　restore　the　principles　and
policy　of　the　Whigs；　to　reanimate　the　cause　of　Liberty　by
Ministerial　countenance；　and　then　for　the　first　time　were　men　seen
attached　in　office　to　every　principle　they　had　maintained　in
opposition。　　No　one　will　doubt；　that　such　men　were　abhorred　and
violently　opposed　by　the　Court　faction；　and　that　such　a　system　could
have　but　a　short　duration。

It　may　appear　somewhat　affected；　that　in　so　much　discourse　upon　this
extraordinary　party；　I　should　say　so　little　of　the　Earl　of　Bute；　who
is　the　supposed　head　of　it。　　But　this　was　neither　owing　to
affectation　nor　inadvertence。　　I　have　carefully　avoided　the
introduction　of　personal　reflections　of　any　kind。　　Much　the　greater
part　of　the　topics　which　have　been　used　to　blacken　this　nobleman　are
either　unjust　or　frivolous。　　At　best；　they　have　a　tendency　to　give
the　resentment　of　this　bitter　calamity　a　wrong　direction；　and　to
turn　a　public　grievance　into　a　mean　personal；　or　a　dangerous
national；　quarrel。　　Where　there　is　a　regular　scheme　of　operations
carried　on；　it　is　the　system；　and　not　any　individual　person　who　acts
in　it；　that　is　truly　dangerous。　　This　system　has　not　risen　solely
from　the　ambition　of　Lord　Bute；　but　from　the　circumstances　which
favoured　it；　and　from　an　indifference　to　the　constitution　which　had
been　for　some　time　growing　among　our　gentry。　　We　should　have　been
tried　with　it；　if　the　Earl　of　Bute　had　never　existed；　and　it　will
want　neither　a　contriving　head　nor　active　members；　when　the　Earl　of
Bute　exists　no　longer。　　It　is　not；　therefore；　to　rail　at　Lord　Bute；
but　firmly　to　embody　against　this　Court　party　and　its　practices；
which　can　afford　us　any　prospect　of　relief　in　our　present　condition。

Another　motive　induces　me　to　put　the　personal　consideration　of　Lord
Bute　wholly　out　of　the　question。　　He　communicates　very　little　in　a
direct　manner　with　the　greater　part　of　our　men　of　business。　　This
has　never　been　his　custom。　　It　is　enough　for　him　that　he　surrounds
them　with　his　creatures。　　Several　imagine；　therefore；　that　they　have
a　very　good　excuse　for　doing　all　the　work　of　this　faction；　when　they
have　no　personal　connection　with　Lord　Bute。　　But　whoever　becomes　a
party　to　an　Administration；　composed　of　insulated　individuals；
without　faith　plighted；　tie；　or　common　principle；　an　Administration
constitutionally　impotent；　because　supported　by　no　party　in　the
nation；　he　who　contributes　to　destroy　the　connections　of　men　and
their　trust　in　one　another；　or　in　any　sort　to　throw　the　dependence
of　public　counsels　upon　private　will　and　favour；　possibly　may　have
nothing　to　do　with　the　Earl　of　Bute。　　It　matters　little　whether　he
be　the