1819 Mar. +

To Erskine

Lett. 3. Peoples Errors

Influence

15

11

Under these circumstances, what then, my Lord, can the people have any reason to think – what ought they to say of these their sometimes pretended, sometimes not so much as pretended, friends? Almost every other part of the representation of the United kingdom – almost every other part of the whole number of seats – the Whigs share with the Tories, share it by means of that matter of corruptive influence, which is alike dear to both: that matter, sooner than part with a portion of which, they would in the memorable words ascribed to Lord Henry Petty, “make a stand”: sooner, for such is the nature of man, see the whole people perish, were it not that, for the comfort of those who eat the fat of the land, the labour of those who produce it is so unhappily indispensable.

This distinction – and, my Lord, is it either an untrue or an unimportant one? – this distinction between the two sorts of influence, the salutary and the poisonous – it has been before the public for these two years: two years has it been courting the honour of Your Lordship’s notice: two years have your Lordship’s eyes bee fast closed against it. And why thus closed against it? Even because, if these noble and learned eyes had been open to it, and with the assurance that the eyes of all expectable readers would be open to it likewise, no such “Defence of the Whigs” nor any defence of any such of any such characters could have found a hand to write it.

Forcing a man to act thus or thus in that in the acting of which he ought to be free, is not this tyranny? If so, then if the Tories are tyrants, the Whigs are no less so. This, my Lord, is it vague vituperation? is it rhetoric? No, my Lord, it is definition: it is strict logic; or there is in such language any where.

“But how can it be helped?” Oh, my Lord, nothing easier. Let suffrages be but secret, they can not but be free. No suffrage that is secret can be otherwise than free. Of suffrages that are not small indeed in comparison is the number of those that can be free.