1820 Feb. 18

Radicalism not dangerous

III. Experience

II. Ireland

Radicalism its origin

Quantity possessed is no power

9

{7}

1

As in the breast of every man to whose conception the objects have presented themselves the desire of possessing in an unlimited quantity the aggregate mass of the reputed instruments of felicity has place, so, in every situation, proportioned to the means belonging to him /at his command/ is the quantity actually possessed by him. In Hindostan, according not to speak of so many other countries, the Monarch while there was one was sole proprietor of all the whole quantity of wealth in the immoveable shape in the whole country: of that wealth to the possessor of which as such, belonged, wherever he could find it all wealth in every other shape. At present that Monarch has for his successor the President of the /an imaginary/ Board of Controul whose throne is in Whitehall: the Directors of the East India Company in Leadenhall Street giving their signature to orders, and on each occasion the Whitehall Monarch either adopting them or substituting what others he pleases. Under the Asiatic Monarch the consequence was on the part of the inhabitants a state of such insecurity and misery as admitted not of any thing beyond it: and under the European Monarch, if ever in the midst of his more important occupations /labours/ or /and/ amusements it has occurred to him to bestow a thought on the subject, his endeavours if any , to improve the /ameliorate that/ condition of the people, of those 60 millions of immediately besides 40 millions of indirectly miserables, have hitherto most notoriously and uncontrovertibly and /not to say/ even confessedly been unsuccessful been productive of little if any success.

In England under its matchless constitution, this same state of things had place during the reign of the founder of it, William the Conqueror, this same state of things had place with relation to by far the greatest portion of the whole mass: and for the doing away of all exceptions, such preparation as could be made by the language of power /by language in the mouth/ was made by the judicial and official instruments of that best of Kings and it is with undissembled satisfaction that that same language is repeated from Blackstone by their existing successors.