BEST MEANS OF ENLIGHTENING AND IMPROVING THE PEOPLE. 501 



opposites;"* and therefore, as the writer just quoted reasons, will turn 

 the scale when parties are otherwise equal nay, sometimes even against 

 superior advantages in other respects : of which the establishment of 

 Christianity, and the Reformation, are signal instances. 



The plain truth (and the whole truth, too) appears to he as follows : 

 first, it is from the LIBERAL party alone (or chiefly, which prac- 

 tically amounts to just the same thing) that any good can be expected ; 

 and therefore the first political object of every good and wise man must 

 be, to strengthen that party in every possible way of course we mean, 

 in every lawful way ; under which designation we do not include 

 threatening a death's head and cross-bones to whoever shall oppose us 

 nor making false statements or misrepresentations of any kind nor 

 " speaking evil of dignities" nor using coarse and vituperative language 

 on any subject. Happily, too, those means of advancing a cause which 

 are condemned by conscience and propriety, are the very ones that, in 

 the opinion of all sensible people, are the most calculated to injure it. 



The above assertion, however, even after this limitation, may appear 

 to some to require both explanation and proof. These shall readily be 

 given if asked for ; but as the number of those who need them are pro- 

 bably very few, it is of more importance at present to supply those who 

 are sufficiently convinced of it with such practical advice as they need, 

 and especially to point out to them the errors which they are most con- 

 cerned to avoid. It may perhaps be well to add this much of explana- 

 tion that " strengthening the liberal party" does not mean promoting 

 only such persons to places of office and dignity, for it may happen (for 

 reasons to be given afterwards) that such places will sometimes, and 

 even often, be better filled by those of opposite principles, especially in 

 the church and the law : but it means putting actual power of effecting 

 measures of good or evil into good and safe hands : as, for instance, in 

 choosing members of Parliament, and all who are to be entrusted with 

 irresponsible power. That this much ought to be done, needs no other 

 proof than the unquestionable fact (which even their enemies cannot deny), 

 that the liberal party are the most disinterested and patriotic, the most 

 ready always to sacrifice their private interests to the public good, and to 

 look on the whole of society as one large community or family, of which 

 he has his own private interests and pursuits, yet owes a duty to the 

 whole ; and, above all, their system leaves a proper sphere of action and 

 enjoyment for every individual of that community ; while the opposite 

 party are in general each thinking only of himself, and looking on all 

 other individuals as mere machines ; and their system proceeds on the 

 principle, that the injury of the many is necessary to the gain of the few. 

 Thus (a fact deserving notice), the whole tribe of swindlers, gamblers, 

 forgers, robbers, murderers, and other outcasts of society, belong to the 

 latter class, and will always diminish in proportion as right liberal prin- 

 ciples have the ascendancy. 



Yet even this rule is not without an exception : for it may happen 

 that those who have the best intentions may be disposed to act so ab- 

 surdly, that it may even be better to transfer power into worse but 

 wiser hands, just as in a dangerous voyage it may be beiter to give the 

 guidance of a vessel to an utterly selfish and unprincipled person, who 



* Butler's Analogy. 



