1819 Apr. 3 +

To Erskine

IV. Peoples Errors

1

2

In regard to each of these alledged errors I must now take leave to submitt to Your Lordship a few words of observation.

1 Alledged Error I. Representing “the whole body of the Whigs as “an unprincipled faction”.

Observations. On this occasion, the error, if any, consists in the use of these two words. Paw-paw words I should be inclined to call them, could I be assured that by the late Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain neither these words nor any correspondent ones were ever used. The words themselves, no: at any rate not used by him against the people: for the people, being too low to be capable of having principles, they are too low to be charged with want of principles: and as to “ faction” – to wit /meaning/ a bad party – the people, such is their humiliation, neither are themselves party, nor exists there any such thing as a formed a party, which they dare look to and speak of as being theirs. But that in the above reported list of Your Lordship’s dark-coloured rhetorical flowers, flowers might be found, not less dark on him than these, is what I should not expect to be called upon by Your Lordship to deny. “Wicked men – Gangs of distracted men – rash, ignorant and mischievous men”. Here If on the one side we have the “Olivier”, on the other (it should seem) we have the “Roland”: If on the one side we have the “ pot”, on the other side we have the “kettle”.