[xxxvi. 21]

1821. April 10 .

Financial

Remains, that source or mode of wasteful expenditure in the wholesale way which, howsoever congenial, is not essential, to the form of Government. These are - 1. unnecessary wars. 2. Distant, and thence preponderantly expensive, dependencies.

In a Representative Democracy, unnecessary wars against foreign adversaries can scarcely have existence. For the sake of profit to the supremely ruling body - the people, in whom is the power of appointment and removal with relation to the operatively ruling body - their representatives - it is not possible: but what none of them can avoid seeing, is - that, with reference to the utmost possible profit capable of being reaped at the expence of the people of any other state, the expenditure that must be made is not only /merely/ immediate and certain, but antecedent: as well as, in the ultimate result, greater. Upon their Representatives it is indeed that, in animmediate way, the engaging or not engaging in any such war would depend. But that which, as above, would be manifest to the least reflecting of the two portions of the community, viz. constituents, would be still more manifest to /in the eyes of/ the most reflecting of those same two bodies their Representatives: in their eyes accordingly, of the engaging in any such unnecessary war, non re-election, - that is, removal, and with disgrace, would be the certain consequence.

Remains, as a /Another/ conceivable cause of unnecessary war against foreign adversaries, irritation. But, if not for the commencement, for the continuance, of a war considered as being thus produced, what is necessary, is - that, in the breasts of the majority of the people, hatred of others should be more strong and efficient than love of self. For a small portion of time, and on the part of a small proportion of the people, such predominance is at any rate conceivable. But, for any considerable portion of time, on the part of the majority of such a people, the nature of man considered, it does not seem possible.