date

1821 Oct. 27 B ? ┴ To Toreno
1821 Oct. 27 B ? ┴

To Toreno

3 o

Letter VII Religion

§ Positions on priestly influence

Divide[?]? 1

1

On this subject /[…?]/ the subject of priestly influence having once touched upon it, and seen at the same time what is done in relation to it in the Constitutional and the proposed Penal Code /both Codes/, I know not how to avoid submitting to you some of my own notices in relation to this subject /it/, before I speak of those by which the arrangements I see in those several Codes in relation to this same subject My notions on this subject stand expressed in the following propositions

1. In so far as either in the way /by means/ of punishment or by means of reward a government gives any support to priestly influence it produces the effect is preponderantly or rather purely mischievous.

2. In so far for the support so given punishment is employed the character of the government is tyrannical.

3. In so far as for the support so given reward is employed the government is predatory, wasteful corrupt and corruptive. In a representative government, the effect is to corrupt the peoples representatives: to engage them in a confederacy with the temporal rulers for the promotion of the particular interest of the confederacy to the sacrifice of the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Of the matter of reward The whole mass is the fruit of depredation, the expenditure of it is so much waste, and this waste , with or without design on the part of those by whom it is thus employed, operates on the people’s representatives with a corruptive effect

4. In alliance with government, receiving support from it and giving support to it priestly influence operates by the whole amout of it in opposition to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the people.

5. If to an absolute Monarchy having an Ecclesiastical , a limited Monarchy limited by a Representative body be substituted, the priestly order will of course, so long as any chance of restoration for the old despotism appears be ardent in their endeavours to promote it, and will thereby be in a state of hostility with the new Government and the people.
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  • Title: [1821 Oct. 27 To Toreno 3 o]
    Description: 1821 Oct. 27

    To Toreno

    3 o

    Letter VII Religion

    §. Positions on priestly influence

    2

    2

    6. But supposing the new limited Government to maintain itself and the hope of seeing the old absolute government at an end, if /so long as/ under the new government the matter of reward be, as /though it be/ ever so small a quantity at the disposal of /any one of/ the rulers, the influence of the priesthood will be employed in supporting the particular interest of those same rulers and enabling and encouraging them to make the sinister sacrifice abovementioned.

    7. One of the mischiefs of Monarchical government wherever established, whether absolute or limited, is the confederacy it has formed with priestly influence: giving support to it both by punishment and reward and receiving support from it in return

    8. In a Representative Democracy, it is natural that no such confederacy be formed: and if none such have place, priestly influence to prevent it from being noxious coercion by the power of government is not in any shape necessary: free discussion in speech and writing is quite sufficient

    9. When to an absolute one[?] Monarchy in strict confederacy with an established priesthood has been succeeded by a representative and thence limited one in such sort that the priesthood is in a state of hostility with it, it may be matter of necessity or at least of use to employ punishment for defence against such hostility. But in the demand thus created for penal support by punishment can never be lacking, the laws by which the government provides for itself such support ought never to be other than temporary.
  • Title: [1821 Oct. 27 To Toreno 3 o]
    Description: 1821 Oct. 27

    To Toreno

    3 o

    Letter VII Religion

    §. Positions on priestly influence

    3

    3

    10. When at the same time a government is continuing[?] to priestly influence when in a state of hostility to itself a vast body of support in the way of reward, it is curious to observe it occupied at the same time in defending itself against hostility on the part of the power thus supported and for such its defence employing the power of punishment. It is by misapplication of the matter of reward that misapplication of the matter of punishment is rendered necessary. Do away both reward and punishment, every thing is peace and tranquillity.

    11. When for some time after the substitution of limited and representative to absolute Monarchy If by means of the matter of corruption, inseparable from the existence of Monarchy, in a limited representative Monarchy, the other rulers are occupied in conjunction or not in conjunction in corrupting the representatives of the people the other rulers for the promotion of their separate and sinister interest are using their endeavours to suppress /for the suppression of/ public discussion, during this state of things the opposition /hostility/ of the priestly code to the old government may in an indirect way be of use to the people: namely by strengthening the dependence of the government upon the people: the people behold in these enemies of its /their/ causes[?] a sort of temporary friends. But this sort of service, is rendered not by but against the good will of those by whom it is rendered. And it can never be any other than short lived as well as temporary. When through despair of seeing the restoration of the old Government, the body in question submitts to and enters[?] such confederacy with the rulers of the new Government, its effects on the greatest happiness of the greatest number become purely mischievous.
  • Title: [1821 Sept. 22 New placed §.5 To Toreno]
    Description: 1821 Sept. 22 New placed §.5

    To Toreno

    1 o & 2 o

    Letter VII Religion

    §.5 Mischievous people

    priestly support to Government

    6 {5}

    5 3

    5 o

    But in proportion as at the expence of the greatest number it committs this waste, the government is—were it only by so doing—a bad government: nor in favour of /for/ any thing which it has ever done or can do towards diminishing this waste can it produce any justification but one which not only in that character but in that of an obligation will continue to apply, so long as there continues a particle of the pretious matter in question /continues/ unrestrained that could be resumed consistently with the regard due to the comfort of those individuals whose comfort forms as large a portion of the comfort of the same number of any other individuals does.

    A government in which, at the expence of the greatest happiness of the greatest number, wast in this or any other shape is committed, is in proportion to the quantity of this waste a corrupt and corruptive government. This being the case whatever exertions are by or on behalf of the greatest number made in the view of diminishing the quantity and influence of the /this/ corresponding corruption will be conducive /subservient/ to the interests of the /such/ greatest number; and will be so, /so it will be,/ notwithstanding any opposition made to it by the government /ruling few/ for the time being, and notwithstanding whatever opposition made in consequence to their power. Such[?], in this case /on this supposition,/ whatsoever evil effect is produced by the application of the influence of the priesthood to the business of government (meaning always temporal government)—is produced—not by opposition made, but by support given, to the supposed comparatively bad government.