332 Continuation of the same Subject. Bk. iv. 



But it must be allowed that full advantage has 

 been taken by the popular orators and writers of 

 a crisis which has given them so much power. 

 Partly from ignorance, and partly from design, 

 every thing that could tend to enlighten the la- 

 bouring classes as to the real nature of their situ- 

 ation, and encourage them to bear an unavoidable 

 pressure with patience, has been either sedulously 

 kept out of their view, or clamorously reprobated; 

 and every thing that could tend to deceive them, 

 to aggravate and encourage their discontents, and 

 to raise unreasonable and extravagant expecta- 

 tions as to the relief to be expected from reform, 

 has been as sedulously brought forward. If under 

 these circumstances the reforms proposed had 

 been accomplished, it is impossible that the people 

 should not have been most cruelly disappointed ; 

 and under a system of universal suffrage and 

 annual parhaments, a general disappointment of 

 the people would probably lead to every sort of 

 experiment in government, till the career of change 

 was stopped by a military despotism. The warm- 

 est friends of genuine liberty might justly feel 

 alarmed at such a prospect. To a cause conducted 

 upon such principles, and likely to be attended 

 with such results, they could not of course, con- 

 sistently with their duty, lend any assistance. 

 And if with great difficulty, and against the sense 

 of the great mass of petitioners, they were to 

 effect a more moderate and more really useful re- 

 form, they could not but feel certain that the un- 

 avoidable disappointment of the people would be 



