1823 Feb. 12.

Greek Constitution J.B's Opinion as to it

Introduction

Good points in Greek Constit

The constitutive power © i.e. the power of choosing those by whom all operative power in all its degrees commencing with the supreme shall be exercised. The exclusion put on this occasion upon so large a part perhaps the largest part of the existing population is at present it should seem necessary /an unavoidable/ arrangement but it is a highly deplorable one. It entails upon the country the existing schism /division/, reversing only the situation /position/ of the condivident parties /races/. It places the Turks under the Greeks the Helots were in under the Spartans in the situation that in France the Protestants /in France/ were in under the Catholics, in Ireland the Catholics under the Protestants in the Anglo©American United States the Blacks under the Whites. In no country can any such schism have place but the /in point of/ morality and felicity both races are, in howsoever different ways /shapes/ sufferers by it: the oppressors as well as the oppressed.

To lessen the opposition of interests © to bring them to coincidence as speedily as is consistent with security should therefore be an object of constant care and endeavour

For this purpose the first arrangement in time and importance will be the communicating to the subject race the right of concurring in the right of concurring in the election of the functionaries invested with the supreme Operative power. So long as the faculty of being invested with a share in the supreme Operative power is confined to the ruling race it has nothing to apprehend from the participation above mentioned.

In England /the English Constitution/ this edulcorative has been employed of late years without any bad effect and with very considerable good effect.Á Á