date

1820. Octr 19 Spanish liberticide measures
1820. Octr 19 Spanish liberticide measures 13 Letter 2. Public Discussion 13

 These pages 13. 14, 15. 16. 17. were not employed in terminis in the Letter

(2) sent. In the letter were contained Substituted paragraphs written from the

marginals. Of the original brouillon one sheet is a sheet of marginals by J.C

with amendments by J.B.

The distinction between the principles of an undespotic and a despotic government

is simply this: – that according to the principles of an undespotic government

some eventual faculty of resistance and consequent change in government should

purposely be left to the body of the people. Nor is this faculty by any means

inconsistent with the existence of a government: on the contrary it is

indispensably necessary to good government. For, by the force of habit

commencing with birth and strengthened by continual observation of the direction

taken by all rewards and punishments, the natural disposition of the people

every where is to contiune at all times in a state of obsequiousness to the will

of all persons sharing in the exercise of the powers of government. In every

country but that of the United States misrule in all shapes has at all times had

place to an enormous extent and in every country it has never the less with

extremely few exceptions continued its course without resistance.

In this state of things, nothing less than the extremity of misrule can ever

excite as towards the government any such degree of disaffection as shall be

productive either of the subversion of it, or of any such endeavours at

subversion or effectual resistance to particular measures, as can be followed by

any considerable mischief to the person or property of individuals.
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  • Title: [1820 Octr. 19 Spanish liberticide measures]
    Description: 1820 Octr. 19 Spanish liberticide measures 17 Letter 2. Public Discussion 17

    Mr Goreli makes no distinctions: at one crush he suppresses and for ever all

    free meetings of the people howsoever modified. Mr Goreli acts consistently –

    the government his endeavours are employed to organize and support is a despotic

    one: he will have no eventual faculty of resistance no possibility of resistance

    to misrule be it ever so consummate no relief to misery from misrule be it ever

    so excruciating: he will have no free communication of ideas on political

    subjects he will have no instruction no excitation no concert between man and

    man any where for any such purpose.

    Mr Goreli acts consistently; consistently with his principles in regard to

    government: whether with any that he avows I know not: assuredly with the

    principles he acts upon: assuredly consistently with the attainment of the

    object towards which this measure of his tends, the establishment of despotism:

    principles directly the reverse /the direct reverse/ of those which the

    Constitutional Code has set up, and to the giving effect to which the system of

    representation ordained by it is directed.

    Mr Goreli has not yet proposed a law abolishing the whole system of Election

    meetings. He need not: should this proposed law of his be established and be

    productive of its declaredly intended effect, they will be of no use to the

    people of whom those meetings if held will be composed, and whose interests they

    were intended to support and serve: in those meetings there will be neither

    excitation nor instruction: and to the production of any good effect both are

    necessary: at the meeting itself there will be no time for any thing like

    adequate instruction: indeed by the Constitutional Code itself (Article | |) all

    such use of the time appointed for Election is prohibited: at the time of such

    meeting there can not be any such instruction: and it is Mr Goreli’s care that

    there shall not be any at any other time.
  • Title: [1820. Octr 19 Spanish liberticide]
    Description: 1820. Octr 19

    Spanish liberticide measures

    14

    Letter 2. Public Discussion

    14

    It is upon this principle alone that the /what/ change distinguished in England by the name of the Revolution ever was or ever could or can be justified. It is upon this principle alone that the late change (by whatever name called /call it Revolution or whatever else/) in Spain can be justified. No such past change can therefore be justified but upon that principle of eventual resistance by which all future Revolutions in case of like exigency are justified. It is therefore of the essence of every government that is not despotic, to foresee, and not only tolerate but cherish, a disposition to eventual resistance. For this purpose two instruments are necessary to be kept in activity /operation/ – instruction and excitation: instruction that the people may be in possession of apt and adequate notions relative to the demand and means for /of/ such eventual resistance: excitation that a disposition may be kept on foot, ready at all times upon the intervention of an adequate occasion to be converted into act. Now Of this instruction and this dispostion is the use confined to the opposing to misrule when arrived at an intolerable altitude /screwed up to an intolerable height/ that sweeping remedy which is applied by a Revolutionary change. For the disposition can not be kept alive, without manifesting on the part of the people a force of such a magnitude as to operate as a check to each instance of attempted or meditated misrule, and that to a greater or less degree serve for the prevention of it.
  • Title: [1820. Octr. 19 Spanish liberticide measures]
    Description: 1820. Octr. 19 Spanish liberticide measures 16 Letter 2. Public discussion 16

    Confined to a single spot or to a small number spots in the whole territory of

    the state – confined to a single portion of time – to a single day in the year

    or to a small number of days – confined to days of casually occurrence and not

    capable of being fixt to the purpose of ensuring preparation and attendance such

    meetings would be contributory in no better than but a precarious and inadequate

    degree to the conjunct purpose of instruction and excitation. For the same cause

    /reason that/ this state of preparation for eventual resistance is necessary in

    /on the part of/ any one /place/ portion of the population it is necessary in

    /on the part of/ every other, for the same cause /reason/ that it is necessary

    at any one portion of time it is necessary at every other.

    To the exclusion of despotism a perpetual state of preparation for eventual

    resistance is therefore necessary; and to this perpetual state of preparation

    for eventual resistance not only a state of general appropriate instruction and

    excitation, but a universal and perpetual faculty of concert on the part of the

    people is necessary.

    {In a word To this state of preparation jealousy – perpetual and unrelenting

    jealousy – is necessary: a jealousy by the absence of which one of two things –

    either an absolute ignorance of the nature of man, or a desire that the

    government should be despotic, and the real happiness of the subject many made a

    compleat sacrifice of to the real or imaginary happiness of the ruling few is

    conclusively evidenced.