date

1822 Nov. 4 Tripoli. Securities against Misrule
1822 Nov. 4 Tripoli. Securities against Misrule Preliminary Explanations ?.2.

Remedy - Publicity 1. Subjects

This influence with its several possible degrees it may seem may be laid out of

the account altogether, for of the persons on whom by possibility it is capable

of being exercised, the only persons here in question are the Members of the

political community in question - considered in their character of members of

the Public Opinion Tribunal belonging to it. Thus accordingly when considered in

a general point of view for the most part does the matter stand. One part

however there remains in relation to which the sort of influence in question is

capable of having a distinct operation. The suffrages suppose of all the members

of this tribunal take the same direction: they being all of them pronounced in

condemnation of the oppressive act in question. Thus far as between suffrage and

suffrage it makes no difference which was the result of a self-formed opinion

which of them the result of an opinion derived from the influence exercised on

the mind in question by that of some other member exercised whether on will or

on understanding, or on both together. But, though, by the supposition the

direction taken by /in which/ the suffrages /act/ is the same, and the ultimate

number of them, by what cause so ever produced, is the number in question, yet

the degrees of energy with which, upon occasion, they may respectively be

disposed to act in conformity to those same suffrages may be to any amount

different: and in each case this degree of energy may be greater or less

according to the nature and force /energy/ of the influence received.
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  • Title: [1822 Nov.4 Tripoli Securities against Misrule]
    Description: 1822 Nov.4 Tripoli Securities against Misrule Preliminary Explanations ?.2.

    Remedy, Publicity 1. Subjects

    3. Suffrages. Understand by suffrages, the opinions produced in the minds of the

    several Members of this same tribunal by the cognizance of the several

    transgressions. The degree of publicity as applied to persons taking cognizance

    of the several transgressions will be as the number of these suffrages.

    Note that in the number of the members of this same tribunal is included the

    number of all those on whose obedience as well the effect of the several

    tutelary /salutary/ /general/ ordinances by which vexation is prohibited, as

    also of any particular acts or particular ordinances in consequence of which any

    acts of vexation and oppression are performed /exercised/ in violation and

    transgression of those same general and salutary ordinances. Power on the one

    part is constituted by and is greater or less in proportion to obedience on the

    other. It is in the direct ratio of the obedience, and in the inverse ratio of

    resistance. But the greater the number of the members of the whole community to

    whom the existence of an act of oppression has been made known, the greater is

    the number of those by whom on the occasion of an endeavour to exercise other

    acts of a similar nature, supposing the past act notified to them not only may

    obedience be withholden, but resistance opposed.

    Rule. Abstraction made of the several degrees of influence possessed - influence

    of understanding on understanding and influence of will on will included, the

    actual power of the Public Opinion Tribunal will be as the number of the

    suffrages actually declared in the minds of the several members: its power, as

    supposed by other persons, and in particular the several /head functionary and

    other/ functionaries to whose transgressions it is the object of this Security

    to oppose a check, will be as the number of the suffrages which they expect to

    find formed and delivered.
  • Title: [1822 Nov. 4 Tripoli. Securities against]
    Description: 1822 Nov. 4

    Tripoli. Securities against Misrule

    Preliminary Explanations

    ?.2. Remedy. Publicity

    1. Subjects

    Note that to the simplify the conception, the direction taken by the suffrages in question is on this occasion supposed to be in the instance of every one of them the same. But as by the supposition the subject of these suffrages is in every instance some act of oppression, exercised by the Sovereign on individuals, there is nothing in this supposition in any considerable degree forced and likely to be wide of the truth /that seems likely to be in any very considerable degree wide of the truth./
  • Title: [1822 Nov. 10 Tripoli - Securities against]
    Description: 1822 Nov. 10 Tripoli - Securities against Misrule 30 Preliminary Explanations

    ?. Remedy Publicity III. Suffrages

    Editor is more[?] than[?] even[?] Greek Orator or Jewish prophet

    On the miscellaneousness of matter does Newspaper depend for his influence

    Originally it had not any such object - only to make known facts not to pass

    judgment on conduct.

    In a Representative Government at any rate in a Representative Democracy, with

    the exception of the function of the principal Minister, more important is the

    function /greater is the importance/ of this unofficial functionary than of any

    official one: more important, that is to say in particular /particularly/ to the

    great purpose here in question - that of making application of the power of the

    Public Opinion Tribunal in by far the most beneficial and the highest character

    of a check upon misrule. By the Prime Minister impulse is given to the machinery

    of the political sanction: by the Editor of the prime popular Newspaper, to that

    of the social sanction Of this superiority /superiority/ the causes are 1. in

    each individual instance /occasion/ the greater the number of the suffrages by

    /on/ which on each occasion the motions made by this representative of the

    people are taken for their ground, the motions made by this unofficial

    representative compared with those made by any official representative, but 2.

    more particularly the constancy and continuity of action which has place in this

    case - a constantly and continuity in which /sources of influence in respect of

    which/ no official representative limited as his motions and discourses are to

    particular and scattered occasions and scattered points of time, can hold

    comparison.