320 Letters between T. Mercer, cfg. 
-quiry, pretty tolerably for a Aranger: 
and FI am not a man to fall in love with 
the faults cr follies of the old or new go- «. 
vernment. You reaion as if I were run- 
ning a parallel between its former abufive 
government and the prefent tyranny. 
What had all this to do with the opinions 
I delivered in Parliament, which ran-a 
parallel between the liberty they might 
have had, and this frantic delufion. This 
is the way by which you blind and de- 
ceive yourfeif, and beat the air im your 
argument with me. Why do you in- 
firuct me on a ftate of the cafe which bas 
no exiitence? You know how to reafon 
very well. What moft of the newfpapers 
make me fay, I know not, nor do I 
much care. I don’t think, however, they 
have thus fiated me. There is a very 
fair abfira& of my fpeech printed in a little 
pamphlet, which I would fend you if it 
were worth putting you to the expence. 
To difcufs the affairs of France and its 
Revolution would require a volume, per- 
haps many volumes. Your general re- 
fleétions about revolutions may be right 
or wrong: they conclude nothing. I 
don’t find myfelf difpofled to controvert 
them, for I do not think they apply to 
the prefent affairsy nay, Iam fure they 
do not. I conceive you have got very 
imperfect aceounts of thefe tranfactions. 
I believe I am much more exactly in- 
formed of them. 
I am forry, indeed, to find that our 
evinions do differ effentially, fundamen- 
tally, and dre at the utmoft poffible dif- 
tance from each other, if L underftand 
you or myfeli clearly on this fubjeét.” 
Your freedom is far from difpleafing. to 
me; I love it; for I always with to know. 
the full of what its in the mind of the 
friend I converfe with. I give you mine 
as freely; and I hope I fhall offend you 
as little as you do me. I fhall bave no 
objeGiion to your fhewing my letter to as 
many as you pleafe. I have no fecrets 
with regard to the public. I have never 
fhrunk from oblequy ; and I have never 
courted popular applaufe. If I have met 
with any -fhare cf it, “non recepi fed 
vapui.’ Mo difference of opinion, how- 
ever, fhall hinder me from cultivating 
your friendfhip, while you permit me to 
do fe. Ihave not written this to difcufs 
thefe matters in a prolonged controverty (I 
with we may never (ay more about them), 
but to comply with your commands, which 
ever fhall have due weight with me. 
, Lam mof refpectfully, and 
Londen, molt affectionately your’s, 
Feoruary 265 17996 EDMD. BURKE. 
. 
&& the Rt. Hon. E. Burke. { May 1, 
Mr. Mercer’s Rejoinder. 
To the Right Hon. Edmund Burke. 
DEAR SIRy 
~ When I took the liberty of addrefing 
a letter to youon the fubject of the French 
Revolution, as difapproved and cenfured 
by you in the Englifh Houle of Commons, 
I was in no fort certain that you would 
favour me with any reply whatfoever, and 
much iefs did I expect you would honour 
me with fo full and copious an anfwer as 
that you have indulged me with. 
For this favour I reckon myfelf ex- 
tremely indebted to you, and I return you 
my moft fincere thanks for furnifhing me — 
with an occafion,, and, as it were, forcing 
me to re-examine thofe opinions (I. dare 
not call them principles, for in truth E 
think as modeftly, or even as meanly, of 
my own judgment and attainments as can 
be defired) of civil and veligious liberty, 
which I early imbibed, and which have 
been confirmed, and, I truft, improved. 
by the ftrength and refleétion of my riper 
years, aided by a little reading’ of fuch 
authors as are fuppofed to have writien 
the beft in our language on both fides of 
the queftion. 
The refult of this re-examination I 
fiall in this letter freely and candidly im- 
part to you, not with,a view to contro- 
verfy, nor in the hope of effecting any 
change in your fentiments, but merely to 
fhew (for this 1s my only motive) that 
you were addreffed on topics of great im- 
portance by a perfon who was not a total 
ftranger to the fubject. 
In. the letter you favoured me with, you 
fpeak of fentiments receiged from various 
carelefs converfations, and of doétrines 
adopted without reflection as to their end 
and tendency, to which you oppofe your 
own deep refearches, ripened by experience 
and obfervation. And certainly no man 
has a better right than you have to expe& 
that his opinions fhould be received with 
refpect, and weighed with candour. 
How far I may be entitled to be ranked 
with carelefs hearers and inattentive ob- 
fervers, will appear in the following 
lines: for I intend therein to lay open my 
whole fentiments, without the refervation 
or conccalment of any thing which may 
appear to me to be connected with the 
fubje€t. of our correfpondence. ; 
I was educated (if that term may be 
ufed where a profound erudition is want- 
ing) among thofe people, whole faft ate 
tachment to the principles of civil and re- 
ligious liberty has been at all times molt 
‘diftinguifhed, and a pretty extenfive in~ 
tercourle 
