date

1819 Mar. 30 + + C To Erskine
1819 Mar. 30 + + C

To Erskine

Lett. I Plan

Conclusion

I Whig Merits

7

11

On this occasion, as on every other, so far as the state of my opinion will allow my representation of them to take a favourable direction, that direction it will always take with pleasure.

1. First then as to Whig Merits: Of these I see in Your Lordship’s account a good dozen. As yet a dozen and no more, but these a sample of the rest. Now for my poor opinion: of the […?] intimation has been given already. Good deeds all, or thereabouts: merits, none. Now as to the grounds of it. Merit, if in effect as well as in intention, it requires two things: service rendered, and sacrifice more or less made: sacrifice of immediate self-regarding interest. As to Merit in intention, that indeed may have place without actual service rendered. Now then as to Whigs. That of which, neither in these, nor in any other of their good deeds have I ever been able to discover any the least particle of, is this same sort of thing called self-sacrifice. So far as in their view of the matter, the pursuit of the people’s interest has coincided with that of the interest of the party, the party has pursued the people’s interest: in so far as, in their view of the matter, the pursuit of the people’s interest would have led their course into a direction adverse to the interest of the party, the direction pursued by it has been that which has been conducive to the interest of the party, adverse accordingly to the peoples interest.

Such being my opinion, yet do I not find myself necessitated – and, not being necessitated, neither am I disposed to decry and apply to my own use, and cast back upon your Lordship’s Whigs, any of the contents of the dark-coloured packet of Your Lordship’s flowers. If they have not been better, than others would have been – the Tories for example – in the same situation, yet neither have they been worse. Considering men in the abstract – whether taken in bodies or taken singly, conduct depends on situation, that is on the state of interests: on the state of their supposed interests; and thence, in so far as nothing appears to make an exception, on the state of their real interests. Such, my Lord, is my creed. This creed I have already confessed /justified/, and as above applied. This in a word entituled Plan of Parliamentary Reform &c A o 1817, to which I may have further occasion to make reference. But, the work having no eloquence in it, Your Lordship notwithstanding the scene it gave rise to in Honourable House, never knew of its existence: and now it is out of print.
Similar Items
  • Title: [[copyist’s hand] 1819 Mar. 21.]
    Description: [copyist’s hand]

    1819 Mar. 21.

    To Erskine

    Lett 1. Plan

    5.

    intention that indeed may have place without actual service rendered. How then as to Whigs. That of which neither in these nor in any other of their good deeds have I ever been able to discover the least particle of, is this same sort of a thing called self-sacrifice. So far as in their view of the matter, the | | pursuit of the people’s interest would have led their course into a direction adverse to the interest of the party, the direction pursued by it has been that which has been conducive to the interest of the party; adverse accordingly to the people’s interest.

    Such being my opinion, yet do I not find myself necessitated – and not being necessitated, neither am I disposed to seize and apply to my own use, and cast back upon your Lordship’s Whigs any of the contents of the dark coloured packet of your Lordship’s flowers. If they had not been better than others would have been – the Tories for example – in the same situation, yet neither have they been worse. Considering men in the abstract whether taken in bodies or taken singly, conduct depends on situation, that is on the state of interests: on the state of their supposed interests; and thence in so far as nothing appears to make an exception, on the state of their real interests. Such my Lord is my creed. This creed I have already confessed and as above applied. This in a work entitled Plan of Parliamentary Reform &c. A o 1817, to which I may have further occasion to make reference. But the work having no eloquence in it your Lordship notwithstanding the scene it gives rise to in Honourable House never knew of its existence: and now it is out of print.

    By
  • Title: [[copyist’s hand] 1819 Mar. 30.]
    Description: [copyist’s hand]

    1819 Mar. 30.

    To Erskine

    Lett 1. Plan

    4

    Remain the flowers laudatory or laudative. While beset by Athenian enemies, the band of Spartans occupied the Island of Sphagne as sheep do a butcher’s cellar a paste imported by drivers without | | served them for daily bread. In this Sphagne I see Brooke’s. Substantials removed, remains the desert. In the Chair the Whig Lord High Chancellor: before him the sweet compound in a lofty pile: how much in flowers, how much in letters, gingerbread consecrated by the name of Parliament let the Confectioners declare. On the right, Earl Grey; on the left, M r Perry. The noble and learned chairman indefatigable, serving out to right and left the Whig | | Sceptre in one hand, dice-box in the other, concealed from profane men by a cloak of his own words the rest written in a manner quite unintelligible.

    On this occasion as on every other, so far as the real state of my opinion will allow my representation of them to take a favourable direction, that direction it would always take with pleasure

    1. First then as to Whig merits. Of these I see in your Lordship’s account a good dozen. As yet a dozen and no more but these a sample of the rest. Now for my poor opinion. Of the opinion intimation has been given already. Good deeds all or thereabouts: merits none. Now as to the grounds of it. Merit if in effect as well as in intimation, it requires two things: service rendered, and sacrifice more or less made: sacrifice of immediately self regarding interest. As to merit

    in
  • Title: [1819 Apr. 13 + + To Erskine]
    Description: 1819 Apr. 13 + +

    To Erskine

    Lett. II Whig Merits

    1

    16

    Well, my Lord I have told Your Lordship where merits are not: I will now tell you where they are. Direct instruction commences the work of instruction: contrast perfects it.

    Merits are not in Your Lordship’s “great body” of the Parliamentary Whigs: they are in the 3883, against whom these Whigs, with their Tory helpmates prevailed on the Westminster Hustings in March 1819.

    In the “great body” of Your Lordship’s Clients, pretensions abundant: good deeds: unavoidable and uncostly not a few: merits, none. In the 3883 – “in the miserable little junto” – “in the Rump who administer Westminster in the in the name of Sir Francis Burdett” [*] ... there it is that merits may be seen – seen in an abundance by which I am the more astonished the more I think of it:- seen by those whose eyes allow them, not only to see merits, but to see them where they are. In that miserable little junto, would you see labour without profit – labour with expence instead of profit – would you even uncalculable loss – would you see in a word see self-sacrifice? there you may see self-sacrifice: there you may see what a may look for, till his eyes water, and not find it, in Your Lordship’s calumniated Whigs of England (p. 9 l. 1.) in your Lordship’s band of patriots (p. 7. l. 9) in your Lordship’s “men of honour, manliness and wisdom” (p. 13. l. 29) in Your Lordship’s “men of true wisdom” (p. 23 l. 11) – in your Lordship’s men who follow the dictates “of a pure and honest sense of duty, conscious of their talents and their honest disposition” (p 24. l. 15) in your Lordship’s “acknowledged possessors of the highest sense of honour” (p. 24 l. 24) in your Lordship’s “enlightened and independent men” (p. 30. l. 12.) and so forth.

    “Shade of Hampden! look down, and in a host of Tradesmen and Shop-keepers, behold thy yet living and altogether worthy successor”. [+] Such was the exclamation called forth by the contemplation of the merits of these my fellow citizens of Westminster – of such their merits as in the year 1817 had already manifested themselves. Now in 1819, do I see any reason for lowering this voice? No: I see encreased reason for raising it.

    [*] Morn. Chron. 11 March 1819

    [+] Parl. Cat. Introd p cxxix