1820 Feb. 19

Radicalism not dangerous

III Experience

II Ireland

Radicalism - its origin?

Factitious dignity

King and President

23

12

1

Look here to the King /Monarch/ of Great Britain and Ireland! Look there to the President of the United States! Say then, which of the two is likely to be best disposed to do his utmost towards the bettering the condition of the people.

Look first to the Monarch: to the omnipresent all benevolent all-beneficent omnipresent impeccable all perfect immortal all powerful, irresponsible arbiter of our destiny, the fountain of all honour and all justice. + This political Emmanuel - this God with us - this factitious English God so much nearer to the true God than ever Greek or Roman God was, this idols of flesh and blood who made him? by whom is it that he was made? by whom but by yourselves. By your obedience you make his power - by your tongues and pens saying to him Lord most gracious most religious most excellent majesty and so forth you make his factitious dignity: by your money while /by that money for the many of which/ so many are starving you give to that factitious dignity the support that is said to be so necessary to it. And wherefore /for what/ is it that you do so? for fear of being embowelled or hanged, or banished, or imprisoned or fined or seeing your houses gutted, or being shot or cut to pieces. But for those motives /inducements/ motive of this complexion and this force, how long would that prostration that prostration of will at least if not of understanding last, that prostration which is necessary to so much /all this/ obedience /obsequiousness/ on the one part to so much /all this/ power and dignity on the other. To you the question is addressed: but it is so only for forms sake. The answer is given by other hands, it is given in by the Vote for the eleven thousand additional wielders of those musquets and sabres without which by the declaration of Blackstone’s earthly God he would not be secure in the throne which under the terror of these visitations your hands have /never cease[?] to/ built for him:

+  Refer to and perhaps quote Blackstone.