330 Continuation of the same Subject. Bk. iv. 



fault whatever in the government, become deficient. 

 This failure must unavoidably produce great dis- 

 tress among the labouring classes of society; but 

 it is quite clear that no inference can be drawn 

 from this distress, that a radical change is required 

 in the government ; and the attempt to accomplish 

 such a change might only aggravate the evil. 



It has been supposed in this case, that the go- 

 vernment has in no respect by its conduct contri- 

 buted to the pressure in question, a supposition 

 which in practice perhaps will rarely be borne out 

 by the fact. It is unquestionably in the power of 

 a government to produce great distress by war 

 and taxation, and it requires some skill to distin- 

 guish the distress which is the natural result of 

 these causes, from that which is occasioned in the 

 way just described. In our own case unquestion- 

 ably both descriptions of causes have combined, 

 but the former in a greater degree than the latter. 

 War and taxation, as far as they operate directly 

 and simply, tend to destroy or retard the progress 

 of capita], produce, and population ; but during 

 the late war these checks to prosperity have been 

 much more than overbalanced by a combination 

 of circumstances which has given an extraordi- 

 nary stimulus to production. That for this over- 

 balance of advantages the country cannot be 

 considered as much indebted to the government, 

 is most certain. The government during the last 

 twenty-five years has shewn no very great love 

 either of peace or liberty ; and no particular eco- 

 nomy in the use of the national resources. It has 



