date

1820 Feb. 19 Radicalism not dangerous
1820 Feb. 19

Radicalism not dangerous

III Experience

II Ireland.

Radicalism - its origin?

Factitious dignity

*22

Apply it from top to bottom. Conjoined with office the purpose and supposed or pretended use of factitious dignity is to secure respect to office. Apply it /the/ from top to bottom. The more the respect is paid to the man’s office, the less the respect that is deserved by the man who bears it. Be it what it may that a man desires to have, that which he can obtain without sacrifice, he will not make self-sacrifice for the obtainment of it.

Money power factitious dignity - the more a man has of them: the more he wants of them /leaner[?] is his hunger for them/. Thus far so much the worse for himself. But under matchless constitutions, the more he /a man/ has of any one of them the more he is able to get if always at the expence of the people, of the elements /political instruments/ of felicity in that sense as well as all the other shapes. And This - need it be said? is so much the worse for the poor people.

Seeing this men were not ashamed /deterred by shame/ to say - the more power the more virtue the more money the more virtue the more dignity meaning always that which is lump of wax or by a ribbon by a tap of the shoulder, the more dignity the more virtue. Yes Property is probity: in sound there is little difference, in substance none. Money is virtue: power is virtue: factitious dignity is virtue. Behold here the real tread of which the only sincere and real worship is bestowed.

Seeing this men there are who are not ashamed indeed who is it that /where will you see him who/ is ashamed to say Give to each man as much of all these supports to righteousness as he has an appetite for, as you have no righteousness. The daughters of Danaus says the Greek fable /pagan[?] history/ - the Daughters of Danaus and not without good cause are kept by pouring water in hell till they have kept for a certain time in a state of constant fulness a tub the bottom of which has more cavity than wood in it.
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  • Title: [1820 Feb. 19 Radicalism not dangerous]
    Description: 1820 Feb. 19

    Radicalism not dangerous

    III. Experience

    II. Ireland

    Radicalism - its origin 3

    3 Factitious dignity

    2

    2

    2

    22

    11

    Take this then for a /one/ universal rule - The more power a man has the worse is the use which he is disposed and likely to make of it.

    Take this then for another. The man who has power the more money he has along with it the more power he has in that /this/ other shape and therefore the more money he has with his power the worse is the use which he is likely say rather which he is sure to make of both.

    As it is in the highest so is it in each inferior sphere. The more a man has of this compound /[…?] political froth /whipt syllabub// the worse it is for himself in one sense, and for the whole nation /people/ he belongs to in another.

    thus It is a truth that will bear sifting that will stand examination.

    Apply it to these joint-manufacturers of Statute law - the Lords: the Lord whose seat is in that House of which whatsoever the nature be the title is said by God-given will […?] be Right Honourable.

    Apply it to those sole manufacturers of Common Law the Judges of this land - those revered persons who all of them in number equal some of them in sanctity emulate the Apostles: men who - such is the power of royal wax - turn from indiscriminating defenders of right and every[?] been transfigured into lovers and dispensers of the purest virtue: and when the constitution and give effect to a system of persecution require no more than trust & drew[?] words said have been said by one of them: to […?] to it the powers of these dependent instances[?] of the Monarch, & that of the Monarch himself, fortified /strengthened/ by that of his Lords and that of his Commons.

    Apply it to the Lords Temporal: In majorem gentium[?] those potentates whose attribute is honour emanating from the seat of […?] Godship. Behold it rising in stages pyramid wise one above another lessening in extent encreasing in honour till it rises till at its highest stage it is raised to such a pitch of purity and perfection that royalty itself does not disdain to mix with it.
  • Title: [1820 Feb. 19 Radicalism not dangerous]
    Description: 1820 Feb. 19

    Radicalism not dangerous

    III. Experience

    II. Ireland

    Radicalism - its origin

    Factitious dignity

    2

    2

    2

    21

    10

    That by this means he is really enabled to give the more effect to his will is alas! but too true: as true as /no less true than/ it is, that in the nature of man and things it is not in the nature of man in that situation to entertain a will the effect of which in proportion as it has any will not be to render so much the worse the condition of the people.

    But whence is it that by this means he is enabled thus to give effect to his especially pernicious will? Only by keeping up and maintaining in your mind error - most pernicious error in your minds. /by imposing upon you/ /by deceiving you/ by deluding you/ /by/

    Look then to those who never cease to call for money money wrung out of the peoples necessities[?] by taxes /taxation/, for the support of this factitious and pernicious dignity. Call upon them to answer - press them with this dilemma. Do you believe that what you say? is true? then where is your understanding /common sense/?: do you know it to be false? then where is your honesty.

    Oh but the answer is ready. An answer there is and it is the only one. This is matchless Constitution! these are English institutions!
  • Title: [1820 Feb. 19 Radicalism not dangerous]
    Description: 1820 Feb. 19

    Radicalism not dangerous

    III. Experience

    II. Ireland

    Radicalism - its origin

    Factitious dignity

    20

    9

    This immense mass of the instruments of felicity thus poured into his coffers is it so much as professed /pretended/, that it has for its object the rendering him any better than he would be without it? No: this is not so much as pretended. He is, even without it he is already as good as any man can be: better than any other man be who is not thus pampered: to render him such his power, his power is of itself sufficient: what the money is of use for what the money is necessary for is to cause him to be deemed to be - deemed to be by the people in general - by the people who are thus […?] to pamper him deemed to be as good as he really is: or at any deemed to be as near to that mark as by such means they can be brought to believe him to be.

    Oh silly people! such of you as really are thus deluded how long will you suffer yourselves to be thus deluded? /so to be?/

    It has been proved - proved beyond all power of contestation - that by every particle of the matter with which he is thus pampered a man /man/ in that situation is rendered so much the worse. Yet in the making this application of the money, the object is - to produce and keep up in your minds the pernicion[?] that by every particle of it he is either rendered so much the better, or at any rate rendered the more able being already so fearfully[?] working to render your condition better than it would be otherwise. Such is the object: and alas! such has hitherto been the effect.