[clx. 351]

1822 July 14

Constitut. Code Rationale

Securities Counterforces

4 Legal Responsibility

5. Moral Responsibility

Evidence etc its necessity

Against such misdeeds, whether by the state of the law put or not put upon the footing of crime, against such misdeeds in the government /governors/ their instruments, favorites and dependents their misdoers /authors/ or protectors, the legal sanction with the corresponding legal tribunals /judicatories/ afford /refuse/ of course no /all/ redress: against all such misdeeds whatsoever redress if any is afforded, it is by the popular or moral sanction with its Public-Opinion Tribunal that it must be afforded.

To /An/ endeavour whatsoever be the means to destroy or to diminish the force of the Public Opinion Tribunal /weaken this counterforce/ is therefore an endeavour to give encrease to misrule with the misery of which it is productive to give encrease to injury in all shapes at the hands of individuals with the misery in all shapes of which it is productive - an endeavour to diminish the quantity of happiness in the community to encrease the quantity of suffering in the community. But, except what regards the quantity of the happiness or misery /suffering/ in question this is the worst that can be said of any the foulest crime imaginable whatsoever it be that experience observation or imagination can hold up to view