INTRODUCTION ?O THE JOURNAL 



the people to surrender to them the fruits of their industry ; 

 and, in addition, a body existing under the garb of religion, almost 

 as despicable in point of character, and still more malignant. 



859. I could not have died in peace, leaving my children the 

 slaves of such a set of beings ; and, I could not live in peace, 

 knowing that, at any hour, I might die and so leave my family. 

 Therefore, I resolved, like the Lark in the fable, to remove my 

 brood, which was still more numerous than that of the Lark. 

 While the war was going on between England and America, I 

 could not come to this country. Besides, I had great affairs to 

 arrange. In 1816, having made my preparations, I set off, not 

 with my family : for, that I did not think a prudent step. It was 

 necessary for me to see what America really was. I, therefore, 

 came for that purpose. 



860. I was well pleased with America, over a considerable part 

 of which I travelled. I saw an absence of human misery. I saw 

 a government taking away a very, very small portion of men s 

 earnings. I saw ease and happiness and a fearless utterance of 

 thought every where prevail. I saw laws like those of the old 

 laws of England, every where obeyed with cheerfulness and held 

 in veneration. I heard of no mobs, no riots, no spies, no 

 transportings, no hangings. I saw those very Irish, to keep whom 

 in order, such murderous laws exist in Ireland, here good, 

 peaceable, industrious citizens. I saw no placemen and 

 pensioners, riding the people under foot. I saw no greedy 

 Priesthood, fattening on the fruits of labour in which they had 

 never participated, and which fruits they seized in despite of the 

 people. I saw a Debt, indeed, but then, it was so insignificant a 

 thing ; and, besides, it had been contracted for the people s use, 

 and not for that of a set of tyrants, who had used the money to 

 the injury of the people. In short, I saw a state of things, precisely 

 the reverse of that in England, and very nearly what it would be 

 in England, if the Parliament were reformed. 



861. Therefore, in the Autumn of 1816, I returned to England 

 fully intending to return the next spring with my family and 

 whatever I possessed of the fruits of my labours, and to make 

 America my country and the country of that family. Upon my 

 return to England, however, I found a great stir about Reform : 

 and, having, in their full force, all those feelings, which make our 

 native country dear to us, I said, at once, &quot; my desire is, not to 

 &quot; change country or countrymen, but to change slavery for 

 &quot; freedom : give me freedom here, and here I ll remain.&quot; These 

 are nearly the very words that I uttered to Mr. COBBETT, when 

 first introduced to him, in December, 1816, by that excellent man, 

 MAJOR CARTWRIGHT. Nor was I unwilling to labour myself in the 

 cause of Reform. I was one of those very Delegates, of whom 

 the Borough-tyrants said so many falsehoods, and whom SIR 

 FRANCIS BURDETT so shamefully abandoned. In the meeting of 

 Delegates, I thought we went too far in reposing confidence in 



