Thoughts on civil liberty, on licentiousness, and faction/Section 19
SECT.XIX.
A fourth Mark of Licentiousness and Faction.
THE Patrons of Faction would endeavour to delude and inflame an ignorant and licentious Populace against their legal Governors."
A blind and unprincipled Populace have ever been the most effectual Engines of Sedition: And above all, Those of the Capital, being near to the grand Scene of political Contention, must ever be a ready and dangerous Engine in the Hands of Licentiousness and Faction.
But in a Nation like this, to make the Populace of the Capital a more successful Instrument of Sedition, a Degree of Art would be necessary. For it appears above, that the People of this Kingdom, and the Populace of its Cities, are of a Character essentially opposite to each other: That the one is collectively knowing and upright; the other, collectively ignorant and immoral.[1]—The first Step, therefore, that Faction would take, as the surest Method for Success, would be to confound the one with the other; and dignify "the Clamour of the Populace," by stiling it "the Voice of the People."
The Fury of such a Populace, thus awakened by Vanity, Vice, and Ignorance, would arise in a Variety of Shapes.
If an Order of the Senate should be given for the Burning of a Paper legally declared seditious; such a Populace would be incited to rescue it from the Fire: And they who had thus incited them would boast, that it was rescued by the Hands of "the People."
Every talking Demagogue, who should oppose the Measures of Government, would be artfully and indiscriminately obtruded on such an ignorant Populace, as a Patriot or a Heroe. And They who had thus obtruded him would boast, that he was the Favourite of "the People."
Every distinguished Friend to the Measures of Government would be artfully obtruded on such a Populace, as the Enemy of his Country: And They who had thus obtruded him would boast, that he was the Detestation of "the People."
Every Act of the Legislature, which contradicted the Passions or partial Interests of such a Populace or their Leaders, would be branded by them, as arbitrary and oppressive: And they would boast, that it was branded by the Voice of "the People."
If daily or periodical Papers of Intelligence were circulated from the Capital through the Nation, and These were open to the Admission of every Thing which private Pique, Passion, or Interest, might suggest; they would of Course become the general Repositories of popular Slander: And as Malice is always more eager to accuse, than injured Innocence to defend, these Slanders would often seem to preponderate in the public Ear: And hence, would be boasted by Those who raised them, as the prevailing Voice of "the People."
Thus, hatched by Licentiousness, Faction would attain to its enormous Growth: The unprincipled among the Great would form the Head, the unprincipled among the Populace would form the Body, of this rapacious Monster.
- ↑ See above, Sect. xiii.