21 Jan y. 1810

Parl y. Reform

Ch.2.

'. Influence

4

This however is a salvo: and not to be employed but in case of necessity, and /viz/ for defence against gainsayers.

When the persons you have to do with are persons whom /whose obsequiousness/ you may depend, as being in the character of obsequious more disposed to acquiesce /[...?]/ in what you say, before such company /auditors/ or with a view to such readers you may go on to indulge yourself in your panegyrics without reserve. Where the ground is thus prepared, you come at last to the observation that notwithstanding all this some persons there are weak enough to suppose or insincere enough to affect to suppose in a constitution such as ours that influence is unnecessary or even pernicious.

All this while there is one sort of influence which indeed is necessary, and another which so far from being necessary is pernicious. But so long as nobody makes /takes/ the distinction, and in the instance of every person who fails of making the distinction you succeed in impressing the persuasion that all influence without any distinction is necessary. At the same time Should any such suspicion present itself to any person as that there is a sort of influence which instead of being /is not/ necessary but is pernicious, still, so unless it has happened to him to [...?] upon the exact line of distinction, he does /gives/ not give you much trouble. On his part he observes that there is a sort of influence which is undue: on your part you accede to the /his/ observation. Your fallacy remains still unexposed: and he and you part good friends.