Ch. vi. the Principal Cause of P overt ij, 8^x. 327 



prevail in society ; and the advantage which 

 governments had been able to take, and indeed 

 had been compelled to take, of this confusion, to 

 confirm and strengthen their power. I cannot 

 help thinking therefore, that a knowledge gene- 

 rally circulated, that the principal cause of want 

 and unhappiness is only indirectly connected with 

 government, and totally beyond its power di- 

 rectly to remove, and that it depends upon the 

 conduct of the poor themselves, would, instead 

 of giving any advantage to governments, give a 

 great additional weight to the popular side of the 

 question, by removing the dangers with which 

 from ignorance it is at present accompanied, and 

 thus tend, in a very powerful manner, to promote 

 the cause of rational freedom. 



