[…?] June 1811 6

Abdication

Corrupts […?] aims[?] at[?] an innovation

1

The /A/ curious circumstance is - that all this mischief - all this corruption all this idleness - is an innovation: a most rank /manifest/ and undeniable innovation. {Comparatively speaking it is but of yesterday.}

Not that with /upon/ me, I must confess, this passes for an argument /a distinct grievance - a consideration/ worth attending to. With me the mere novelty of any evil is not of itself any addition to the mischievousness of it. If so it be that our ancestors /forefathers/ were in this or that respect or upon the whole, absolutely or comparatively speaking ill governed, not with me is this any reason why we should not be well governed, as well governed, and to the end of time as much better and better governed, as it is in our power to be.

But so it is - and for such as to all matters of government and legislation is the state of general imbecillity and ignorance in which this system of misgovernment has succeeded in keeping the public mind - so it is, that the novelty of a remedy is received; but too extensively received as a sufficient argument for the continuance of a disease, and be it ever so good, a man dares scarce open his lips /mouth/ in favour of one /any set of/ arrangement, without coming[?] at the same time with proof, or something that is to pass for proof, that there was a time in which it actually had place, and that restoration not innovation, is the proper appellation /appellative/ for it.