1820 Feb. 19

Radicalism not dangerous

III Experience

II Ireland.

Radicalism - its origin?

Factitious dignity

King and President

25

13

3

Look now - if you can endure thus to sink - look if so much splendor as you have just seen /been seeing/ has not blinded you - look to the place men of the people possessing some /considerable/ powers possessing no attributes the man who has sense to worship him sense to flatter him sense to utter lies to pour forth for him without ceasing the tribute of unblushing mendacity for his honour and his glory, the President of Congress. No Majesty has he: no […?], no nor so much as Lordship. Palpable as is the deficiency, in what are the people over whom he presides in what is he himself the worse for it? When did he even thank any of them for cutting any others of them to pieces? To whom against whom did he will he or can he ever call for vengeance? Good people so long as you keep your thoughts to yourselves you can not be cut to pieces for thinking, think of these things. There is a time for all things. It is already a time for thoughts. The time for action, peradventure it may one day come.

King and President - look at them together. On the one hand you see /have/ Most Excellent Sovereign power and dignity on the other hand you have incessant labour, perfect responsibility, unavoidable appropriate probity preeminent intellectual aptitude approved talent cheap and […?] /indefatigable/ service. The Monarch looks down upon the people and calls them his subjects - The President looks up to them and calls them Fellow Citizens. The Monarch has been taught /learnt/ from his cradle to think the people were made for him, and hears every body around him say, so they were, the President knows that it is by the people that he was made what he is and that he can no longer be while he is thus in their judgment he is fit to be so.