1819 Dec. 4

Bentham’s Radical &c

Prelim

II Necessity

2 Means

Continued

Of the two courses so dramatically opposite, and both so deplorably disastrous I pretend not to fore[…?] or to be so much as able to conjecture /mark by/ which will be pursued. On this subject it would be a task too painful, considering how compleatly it would be unprofitably to set about forcing so much as a wish.

Thus much known may be said, and without much expence on the article of reflection that should the immediately mischievous cause be the course pursued those who got up the Manchester tragedy and those who have supported it by their approval will have themselves to thank for it: should any of their wives and their children share the fate of the victims of that day these wives and these children will have their husbands and their fathers to thank for it.

Two things seem to me in my view of the matter to be alike impossible: - for the exasperated part of the subject many to defend themselves in bodies against those that will be so sure to be set upon them by the ruling few: and for the obnoxious part of the ruling few to defend themselves individually against the separate attacks that seem so likely to be made upon them by the exasperated part /portion/ of the subject many.

{Ask the sentiments /affections/ of hatred and contempt that the Christianity of consecrated sinecurists /[…?]/ and their patrons can give birth to, or the eloquence of rage give utterance to - all the cries of seditious blasphemy, damn Atheist miscreant Atheist will not guard either the male in the female the adult in the youthful bosom against the bullet from a pistol, or a table knife sharpened into a dagger by despair and retaliation.}