[clxvii. 86]

1821 March 22

Rid Yourselves

Anti Constitut.

Corruptive influence

Public Credit has mitigated despotism: but promotes the establishment of it by corruption

In a word in every Government in which in addition to a set of functionaries dependent on the people, there is another set not dependent on but independent of the people, the power of the people over those Agents who were originally their dependents will be nullified /overpowered/ /overborne/ by that power which is out of their dependence

A government thus mixt of this mixt kind has therefore within its texture the seeds of certain dissolution. Pure Monarchy and pure representative democracy, these are the only forms of government which in their texture and barring accidents are capable of maintaining /continuing/ their existence to the end of time: pure monarchy if the light of [...?] /[...?] improvement/ be effectually excluded from it: pure representative democracy under and by the virtue of such light.

Spaniards the government which in virtue of the auspicious change is yours is still of the mixt kind: and, purification apart, is doomed to perish, and to perish by the means of corruptive influence.

I shall not on the present occasion enter into those details which would be necessary to the giving /presenting/ to you /bringing to your view/ a compleat as well as correct and clear account of the nature and irresistible force of this same political poison corruptive influence. On the present occasion this topic comes in only as it were by a side wind: since the effect of the Ultramarian claim is - not to give existence to this political poison, but only to give encrease /addition/ to the quantity and efficiency of it, and acceleration to the destructive effect of it.