1823 Feb 25 Greece. J.B. to Greek Legislators Five trials etc 4. Revenge

As by the words ”hatred• and ”contempt• respectively no determinate degree of

the respective emotions affections and passions respectively indicated by them

respectively is marked out, nor consequently any degree how slight and gentle so

ever excluded, hence it is that to take for the subject of discussion any one

existing arrangement of government in the country in question or any one act

performed by any of the individuals by /among/ whom the powers of government are

exercised /shared/, and at the same time to hold it up to view in the character

of one by the contemplation of which a sentiment of disapprobation with the view

of a change has been produced to do this without doing that by which a tendency

to produce hatred at least towards those by whom the supposed pernicious

arrangement is supported or the supposed pernicious act been exercised, is

plainly impossible.

Meantime of any observation made whether in oral discourse or in writing on the

established arrangements or incidental acts and measures of those by whom the

powers of government are exercised the only possible use is the diminution of

the quantity of evil which in this or that shape has place in this or that

instance the indication of this or that arrangement or this or that practice in

the character of a proper object of disapprobation, on this or that account on

each occasion mentioned: and thus doing that in relation to which its tendency

to bring the government or the governors one or both into hatred and contempt

can not consistently with truth be denied.

This being considered to interdict under penalties all public discussion of the

measures of government and to interdict by the like penalties every thing that

has a tendency to bring the government and governors into hatred and contempt

are thenceforth but two different names for exactly the same thing.