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1820 Feb. 20
Radicalism not dangerous
III Experience
II Ireland.
Radicalism - its origin
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Applied to a form of government, {or to other objects,} the epithets good and bad are terms of reference: they are employable and continually employed in each of two senses which in pace[?] of continual misconception and correspondent misconduct require to be carefully distinguished. These two senses correspond to /are determined by/ the objects which on such an occasion may be in view: these objects are in the first place, that which is or ought to be the end of government the greatest happiness of the greatest number; in the next place other forms of government considered as means which are or ought to be employed and directed to that same end. According as the one or the other of these so perfectly distinct objects is the object referred to, these two terms opposite as they are in form, may with perfect truth and equally perfect sincerity be applied to the same subject, and even with reference to the same time.
The English Constitution {I say} is bad. With reference to what is it bad? Answer With reference to the only true and proper end /In respect of the end/ of government. This same constitution is at the same time good. With reference to what constitution? Answer with reference to all other constitutions which have no democracy in them, and all constitutions which have no democracy in their mixture. Well then where Constitutions are the object of reference, is it good in every instance? Oh no: it is not good but bad, with reference to such constitutions which are purely democratical: such constitutions as have neither Monarchy nor Aristocracy in their mixture: It is bad with reference to that which itself might be and would be if it had more of democracy in its mixture: it is bad in proportion to that quantity /those forms/ of power in it which belongs /belong/ to Monarchy or /and those which belong to/ Aristocracy while in democracy they have no place. In a word in respect of and in proportion to the sum of those parts by which it is distinguished from pure democracy meaning always representative democracy: being the only form of democracy which on a scale susceptible of permanency is susceptible of influence.
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Title: [1819 Oct. 13 Parl. Reform Bill]Description: 1819 Oct. 13 Parl. Reform Bill Reasons Prel. Obs. §.2 Electors who 3 Here it may be observed – but under the Constitution as it stands it may be said /says somebody/ neither is it Monarchical ascendancy, nor Aristocratical ascendancy, nor the ascendancy of Monarchy and Aristocracy (that has place) but the ascendancy of Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy conjoined that has place – and accordingly it may be asked the ascendancy of Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy conjoined as under the Constitution as it stands is it incompatible with good Government. The answer here too is in the affirmative. See another N o in the Appendix N o | | Title Aristocracy and Democracy conjoined as under the Constitution as it stands is incompatible with good Government. [marginal heading:] Superseded {But even admitting that these forms are every one of them incompatible with good government, it will not absolutely follow it may be said either that Democracy or Democratical ascendancy in any form or at any rate in the form of radical reform as you present it or in one word radicalism is preferable and eligible. For any government, how bad so ever is better than none. And under /of/ radicalism as you present it would not the effect be the destruction of government, and there with the destruction of every good thing which it is the use of government to preserve?} Here the answer is in the negative. See another N o in the Appendix. N o | |. Title Radicalism not dangerous.
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Title: [1820 Feb. 20 Necessity of Radicalism]Description: 1820 Feb. 20 Necessity of Radicalism proved from the Radical Principles of Constitutional Law Heads proposed 1 Topics 20 Feb. 1820 { §.1. Governors interest every where opposite to governed’s d o – self regard g interest predominate: one requires maximum of inequality the other of equality §.2. This applied to the several repeated instruments of falsity, not dependent upon common self. 1 in the case of Monarchy: 2 In the case of Aristocracy. 3 In the case of Democracy §.3. Opposite to the assumption made by all advocates of all governments but democratical – by writers in general – The notion a vulgar error – the dissemination of it a fallacy 1 Causes of the error and correspondent fallacy §.5.2 Consequences in regard to 1. Political Institutions promoting misconduct in all public functionaries: by sinister application of the 3 Sanctions §.6. – 2 – National intellectual strength and moral purity. §.7. Practical result. 1. In new communities representative democracy 2. In Britain, democratic ascendancy §.8. Course to be taken for counteracting the effect of the vulgar error and correspondent fallacy} {§.4. Origin of the vulgar error and correspondent fallacy} {Title proposed 20 Feb. 1820 Necessity of Radicalism proved from the radical principles on the field of Constitutional law, as deduced from experience. Ch.1.* Equality – its subservience to general felicit[?] §.1. + Sole justifiable end of government – greatest happiness of the greatest number §.2. Maximum of equality the tendency measu} §.1. Sole justifiable all-comprehensive end of government – greatest happiness of greatest number §.2. Distinguishable particular ends, subsistence abundance equality, security – their relation to each other. See Dum.[?] Princip. §.3. Subsistence and security obtained, equality the leading means of happiness – happiness so far as depends on things exterior to man, is in proportion to it §.3. Means of {happiness} /{felicity}/ exterior to a mans self, d o interior: - exterior, the d o instrument of felicity. §.4. Instruments of felicity 1. Common to governors and governed: 1 matter of wealth (i.e. of subsistence and abundance) and 2. natural power §.5. Instruments of felicity created and reserved to themselves by government 1 factitious dignity. 2 privileged vengeance. 3 factitious ease. §.6. Maximum Equality in respect of wealth in so far as consistent with security and abundance – its subserviency to general felicity. §.7. Equality in respect of power, its subserviency to general felicity abstraction made of the effects on government §.8. Equality in respect of the powers by which government is constituted – its subserviency /necessity/ to good government. (Reasons follow.) Sole good form of government representative Democracy. §.9. Cause of the bad side[?] of every other form of government. Necessity of predominance of self-regarding interest over social in every human breast: consequent propensity in governors to engross as much as possible the whole mass of the exterior instruments of felicity, at the expence of the governed. §.10. Consequence – under every form of government, sacrifice of the interest of the governed to their own carried by the governors to the highest pitch possible. Effect of the corresponding propensity since[?] on the severally[?] part[?] of govern. what? §.11/ 2/. Use made by them if to this purpose of the several sanctions or sources of inducement by which human conduct is influenced and determined: viz. 1 the physical. 2. the retributive. 3. the political including the legal. 4. the popular or moral: 5. the sympathetic. 6. the super-human or religious.} §. 13 Opposite Assumption made {to the opposite of fact} by all governors, and their supporters in every government but a democracy. – its absurdity and extravagance vulgar error contained in it. – fallacy employed in the dissemination of it. 1820 Feb. 20 Necessity of Radicalism proved from the Radical Principles of Constitutional Law – Heads proposed 2 §. 14 Causes of the rise and predominance of this error – craft on the one part intellectual weakness on the other §. 15 Consequences of this error – means by which it produces misconduct on the part of governor, infelicity on the part of the governed. §. 16 In all contests between governors and governed, the greatest pox[?] only blames his […?] on the part of the governors. §. 17 Application made of the error in the case of the English Constitution – ways in which it produces misconduct in necessary official situations – depradation – oppression – waste. §.17* Continuation – Ways in which it gives birth to needless useless and pernicious situations – religious establishments §. 18 Blindness /Insincerity/ and mental weakness produced by it in all minds of the Representative democracy and democratic ascendancy – democracy the sole eligible government in a new-formed state – democratic ascendancy preferable in the United Kingdom – why § 20 Objections to representative democracy and democratic ascendancy, their futility – confutation given to them by experience. See Radicalism not dangerous. §.21 Course to be taken for eradicating the radical /vulgar/ error the prevalence of which is thus incompatible with good government. Inserenda 24 Feb. 1820 § In a mixt Monarchy, corruption is effectual, inseparable and all-pervading. §.18* or 13*. Groundless and ridiculous laudation and adulation produced by it (Every thing most religious – Portraits in the Liturgy like Portraits and Plans and Views in old Chronicles §.17* English Constitution By what accidents the good there is in it was produced. King and Barons found more[?] money could be got from people by cajolement than force. King and Barons mutually called on the people. When nothing could be done without people’s representatives – they found it necessary to let in Lords – they and Lords to let in People’s representatives for a share of the plunder. §. Of Distant Dependencies sure effect preponderate evil in the governing and governed states. Yet by accident the only good form of government was the result of Colonization §.9*. or[?] Every man[?] has its price no more than are imperfect rudiments of the essential[?] […?] §. For the same reason that English mixt Monarchy is good as compared with pure Monarchy it is bad as compared with Repres. ve Democracy Inseparable from such mixture is the growing worse and worse. §. Among the power rulers a universal error or pretence is that {for} the[?] political power[?] men are exempted from moral obligation: that by such hands whatever is done is right.. On this need[?] /ground/ the language of England can not be outstretched /outstripped/ by the language of Spain. §.21. If each Monarch & Aristocrat is in the right in maintaining[?] the inequity each individual of the subject many is not the less in the right in endeavouring to release himself from under it: he is not only […?] to himself but to all others who are in his case. § Nobilitas sola atque unica virtus.
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Title: [1819 Aug. 25 Fallacies 3 Ch | | Cause]Description: 1819 Aug. 25 Fallacies 3 Ch | | Cause and Obstacle Confounders Considered in respect of their conduciveness to an end objects of any kind may be termed good or bad either with reference solely to the end, or with reference to and in comparison with one another, but still with reference to the end. The English Constitution, in the opinion of Englishmen, with few if any exceptions, has been regarded as better with reference to the end in question than that of any other Government ever known, laying out of the question the recently established governments of the several American United States: in particular better than any one /other/ of the European Monarchies. Upon examination, upon the distinction made between causes on the one hand, and uninfluencing circumstances and obstacles on the other, this persuasion will /would/ it is believed be fully confirmed. receive full confirmation. But in proportion as these circumstances are distinguished by which it is rendered better superior and more conducive to the end than are the Constitutions of those several Monarchies in that same proportion will it be seen to be inferior as compared with that of any one of the United American States. Ask the cause or reason what the Constitution of the English Government is better than that of any one of those Monarchies, the answer can be no other than this /to this question there can be but /can not be more than/ one answer/ - namely that in /under/ the English Constitution the great body of the people /the people/ have some share, while /whereas/ in those other Governments, the people either have no share at all or have not so good a share.
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