1820 Feb. 19

Radicalism not dangerous

III Experience

II Ireland.

Radicalism - its origin?

Factitious dignity

*22

Apply it from top to bottom. Conjoined with office the purpose and supposed or pretended use of factitious dignity is to secure respect to office. Apply it /the/ from top to bottom. The more the respect is paid to the man’s office, the less the respect that is deserved by the man who bears it. Be it what it may that a man desires to have, that which he can obtain without sacrifice, he will not make self-sacrifice for the obtainment of it.

Money power factitious dignity - the more a man has of them: the more he wants of them /leaner[?] is his hunger for them/. Thus far so much the worse for himself. But under matchless constitutions, the more he /a man/ has of any one of them the more he is able to get if always at the expence of the people, of the elements /political instruments/ of felicity in that sense as well as all the other shapes. And This - need it be said? is so much the worse for the poor people.

Seeing this men were not ashamed /deterred by shame/ to say - the more power the more virtue the more money the more virtue the more dignity meaning always that which is lump of wax or by a ribbon by a tap of the shoulder, the more dignity the more virtue. Yes Property is probity: in sound there is little difference, in substance none. Money is virtue: power is virtue: factitious dignity is virtue. Behold here the real tread of which the only sincere and real worship is bestowed.

Seeing this men there are who are not ashamed indeed who is it that /where will you see him who/ is ashamed to say Give to each man as much of all these supports to righteousness as he has an appetite for, as you have no righteousness. The daughters of Danaus says the Greek fable /pagan[?] history/ - the Daughters of Danaus and not without good cause are kept by pouring water in hell till they have kept for a certain time in a state of constant fulness a tub the bottom of which has more cavity than wood in it.