It is wholly
composed of hereditary property and hereditary distinction, and
made, therefore, the third of the legislature and, in the last
event, the sole judge of all property in all its subdivisions. The
House of Commons, too, though not necessarily, yet in fact, is
always so composed, in the far greater part. Let those large
proprietors be what they will- and they have their chance of being
amongst the best- they are, at the very worst, the ballast in the
vessel of the commonwealth. For though hereditary wealth and the
rank which goes with it are too much idolized by creeping sycophants
and the blind, abject admirers of power, they are too rashly
slighted in shallow speculations of the petulant, assuming,
short-sighted coxcombs of philosophy. Some decent, regulated
preeminence, some preference (not exclusive appropriation) given to
birth is neither unnatural, nor unjust, nor impolitic.
IT is said that twenty-four millions ought to prevail over two
hundred thousand. True; if the constitution of a kingdom be a
problem of arithmetic. This sort of discourse does well enough with
the lamp-post for its second; to men who may reason calmly, it is
ridiculous. The will of the many and their interest must very often
differ, and great will be the difference when they make an evil
choice. A government of five hundred country attornies and obscure
curates is not good for twenty-four millions of men, though it were
chosen by eight and forty millions, nor is it the better for being
guided by a dozen of persons of quality who have betrayed their
trust in order to obtain that power.
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