thoughts on the present discontents-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


to　see　themselves　opposed　by　the　natural　instruments　of　their
office。　　With　the　loss　of　their　dignity；　they　lose　their　temper。　　In
their　turn　they　grow　troublesome　to　that　Cabal；　which；　whether　it
supports　or　opposes；　equally　disgraces　and　equally　betrays　them。　　It
is　soon　found　necessary　to　get　rid　of　the　heads　of　Administration；
but　it　is　of　the　heads　only。　　As　there　always　are　many　rotten
members　belonging　to　the　best　connections；　it　is　not　hard　to
persuade　several　to　continue　in　office　without　their　leaders。　　By
this　means　the　party　goes　out　much　thinner　than　it　came　in；　and　is
only　reduced　in　strength　by　its　temporary　possession　of　power。
Besides；　if　by　accident；　or　in　course　of　changes；　that　power　should
be　recovered；　the　Junto　have　thrown　up　a　retrenchment　of　these
carcases；　which　may　serve　to　cover　themselves　in　a　day　of　danger。
They　conclude；　not　unwisely；　that　such　rotten　members　will　become
the　first　objects　of　disgust　and　resentment　to　their　ancient
connections。

They　contrive　to　form　in　the　outward　Administration　two　parties　at
the　least；　which；　whilst　they　are　tearing　one　another　to　pieces；　are
both　competitors　for　the　favour　and　protection　of　the　Cabal；　and；　by
their　emulation；　contribute　to　throw　everything　more　and　more　into
the　hands　of　the　interior　managers。

A　Minister　of　State　will　sometimes　keep　himself　totally　estranged
from　all　his　colleagues；　will　differ　from　them　in　their　counsels；
will　privately　traverse；　and　publicly　oppose；　their　measures。　　He
will；　however；　continue　in　his　employment。　　Instead　of　suffering　any
mark　of　displeasure；　he　will　be　distinguished　by　an　unbounded
profusion　of　Court　rewards　and　caresses；　because　he　does　what　is
expected；　and　all　that　is　expected；　from　men　in　office。　　He　helps　to
keep　some　form　of　Administration　in　being；　and　keeps　it　at　the　same
time　as　weak　and　divided　as　possible。

However；　we　must　take　care　not　to　be　mistaken；　or　to　imagine　that
such　persons　have　any　weight　in　their　opposition。　　When；　by　them；
Administration　is　convinced　of　its　insignificancy；　they　are　soon　to
be　convinced　of　their　own。　　They　never　are　suffered　to　succeed　in
their　opposition。　　They　and　the　world　are　to　be　satisfied；　that
neither　office；　nor　authority；　nor　property；　nor　ability；　eloquence；
counsel；　skill；　or　union；　are　of　the　least　importance；　but　that　the
mere　influence　of　the　Court；　naked　of　all　support；　and　destitute　of
all　management；　is　abundantly　sufficient　for　all　its　own　purposes。

When　any　adverse　connection　is　to　be　destroyed；　the　Cabal　seldom
appear　in　the　work　themselves。　　They　find　out　some　person　of　whom
the　party　entertains　a　high　opinion。　　Such　a　person　they　endeavour
to　delude　with　various　pretences。　　They　teach　him　first　to　distrust；
and　then　to　quarrel　with　his　friends；　among　whom；　by　the　same　arts；
they　excite　a　similar　diffidence　of　him；　so　that　in　this　mutual　fear
and　distrust；　he　may　suffer　himself　to　be　employed　as　the　instrument
in　the　change　which　is　brought　about。　　Afterwards　they　are　sure　to
destroy　him　in　his　turn；　by　setting　up　in　his　place　some　person　in
whom　he　had　himself　reposed　the　greatest　confidence；　and　who　serves
to　carry　on　a　considerable　part　of　his　adherents。

When　such　a　person　has　broke　in　this　manner　with　his　connections；　he
is　soon　compelled　to　commit　some　flagrant　act　of　iniquitous　personal
hostility　against　some　of　them　（such　as　an　attempt　to　strip　a
particular　friend　of　his　family　estate）；　by　which　the　Cabal　hope　to
render　the　parties　utterly　irreconcilable。　　In　truth；　they　have　so
contrived　matters；　that　people　have　a　greater　hatred　to　the
subordinate　instruments　than　to　the　principal　movers。

As　in　destroying　their　enemies　they　make　use　of　instruments　not
immediately　belonging　to　their　corps；　so　in　advancing　their　own
friends　they　pursue　exactly　the　same　method。　　To　promote　any　of　them
to　considerable　rank　or　emolument；　they　commonly　take　care　that　the
recommendation　shall　pass　through　the　hands　of　the　ostensible
Ministry：　　such　a　recommendation　might；　however；　appear　to　the　world
as　some　proof　of　the　credit　of　Ministers；　and　some　means　of
increasing　their　strength。　　To　prevent　this；　the　persons　so　advanced
are　directed　in　all　companies；　industriously　to　declare；　that　they
are　under　no　obligations　whatsoever　to　Administration；　that　they
have　received　their　office　from　another　quarter；　that　they　are
totally　free　and　independent。

When　the　Faction　has　any　job　of　lucre　to　obtain；　or　of　vengeance　to
perpetrate；　their　way　is；　to　select；　for　the　execution；　those　very
persons　to　whose　habits；　friendships；　principles；　and　declarations；
such　proceedings　are　publicly　known　to　be　the　most　adverse；　at　once
to　render　the　instruments　the　more　odious；　and　therefore　the　more
dependent；　and　to　prevent　the　people　from　ever　reposing　a　confidence
in　any　appearance　of　private　friendship；　or　public　principle。

If　the　Administration　seem　now　and　then；　from　remissness；　or　from
fear　of　making　themselves　disagreeable；　to　suffer　any　popular
excesses　to　go　unpunished；　the　Cabal　immediately　sets　up　some
creature　of　theirs　to　raise　a　clamour　against　the　Ministers；　as
having　shamefully　betrayed　the　dignity　of　Government。　　Then　they
compel　the　Ministry　to　become　active　in　conferring　rewards　and
honours　on　the　persons　who　have　been　the　instruments　of　their
disgrace；　and；　after　having　first　vilified　them　with　the　higher
orders　for　suffering　the　laws　to　sleep　over　the　licentiousness　of
the　populace；　they　drive　them　（in　order　to　make　amends　for　their
former　inactivity）　to　some　act　of　atrocious　violence；　which　renders
them　completely　abhorred　by　the　people。　　They　who　remember　the　riots
which　attended　the　Middlesex　Election；　the　opening　of　the　present
Parliament；　and　the　transactions　relative　to　Saint　George's　Fields；
will　not　be　at　a　loss　for　an　application　of　these　remarks。

That　this　body　may　be　enabled　to　compass　all　the　ends　of　its
institution；　its　members　are　scarcely　ever　to　aim　at　the　high　and
responsible　offices　of　the　State。　　They　are　distributed　with　art　and
judgment　through　all　the　secondary；　but　efficient；　departments　of
office；　and　through　the　households　of　all　the　branches　of　the　Royal
Family：　　so　as　on　one　hand　to　occupy　all　the　avenues　to　the　Throne；
and　on　the　other　to　forward　or　frustrate　the　execution　of　any
measure；　according　to　their　own　interests。　　For　with　the　credit　and
support　which　they　are　known　to　have；　though　for　the　greater　part　in
places　which　are　only　a　genteel　excuse　for　salary；　they　possess　all
the　influence　of　the　highest　posts；　and　they　dictate　publicly　in
almost　everything；　even　with　a　parade　of　superiority。　　Whenever　they
dissent　（as　it　often　happens）　from　their　nominal　leaders；　the
trained　part　of　the　Senate；　instinctively　in　the　secret；　is　sure　to
follow　them；　provided　the　leaders；　sensible　of　their　situation；　do
not　of　themselves　recede　in　time　from　their　most　declared　opinions。
This　latter　is　generally　the　case。　　It　will　not　be　conceivable　to
any　one　who　has　not　seen　it；　what　pleasure　is　taken　by　the　Cabal　in
rendering　these　heads　of　office　thoroughly　contemptible　and
ridiculous。　　And　when　they　are　become　so；　they　have　then　the　best
chance；　for　being　well　supported。

The　members　of　the　Court　faction　are　fully　indemnified　for　not
holding　places　on　the　slippery　heights　of　the　kingdom；　not　only　by
the　lead　in　all　affairs；　but　also　by　the　perfect　security　in　which
they　enjoy　less　conspicuous；　but　very　advantageous；　situations。
Their　places　are；　in　express　legal　tenure；　or　in　effect；　all　of　them
for　life。　　Whilst　the　first　and　most　respectable　persons　in　the
kingdom　are　tossed　about　like　tennis　balls；　the　sport　of　a　blind　and
insolent　caprice；　no　Minister　dares　even　to　cast　an　oblique　glance
at　the　lowest　of　their　body。　　If　an　attempt　be　made　upon　one　of　this
corps；　immediately　he　flies　to　sanctuary；　and　pretends　to　the　most
inviolable　of　all　promises。　　No　conveniency　of　public　arrangement　is
available　to　remove　any　one　of　them　from　the　specific　situation　he
holds；　and　the　slightest　attempt　upon　one　of　them；　by　the　most
powerful　Minister；　is　a　certain　preliminary　to　his　own　destruction。

Conscious　of　their　independence；　they　bear　themselves　with　a　lofty
air　to　the　exterior　Ministers。　　Like　Janissaries；　they　derive　a　kind
of　freedom　from　the　very　condition　of　their　servitude。　　They　may　act
just　as　they　please；　provided　they　are　true　to　the　great　ruling
principle　of　their　institution。　　It　is；　therefore；　not　at　all
wonderful；　that　people　should　be　so　desirous　of　adding　themselves　to
that　body；　in　which　they　may　possess　and　reconcile　satisfactions　the
most　alluring；　and　seemingly　the　most　contradictory；　enjoying　at
once　all　the　spirited　pleasure　of　independence；　and　all　the　gross
lucre　and　fat　emoluments　of　servitude。

Here　is　a　sketch；　though　a　slight　one；　of　the　constitution；　laws；
and　policy；　of　this　new　Court　corporation。　　The　name　by　which　they
choose　to　distinguish　themselves；　is　that　of　KING'S　MEN；　or　the
KING'S　FRIENDS；　by　an　invidious　exclusion　of　the　rest　of　his
Majesty's　most　loyal　and　affectionate　subjects。　　The　whole　system；
comprehending　the　exterior　and　interior　Administrations；　is　commonly
called；　in　the　technical　language　of　the　Court；　DOUBLE　CABINET；　in
French　or　English；　as　you　choose　to　pronounce　it。

Whether　all　this　be　a　vision　of　a　distracted　brain；　or　the　invention
of　a　malicious　heart；　or　a　real　faction　in　the　country；　must　be
judged　by　the　appearances　which　things　have　worn　for　eight　years
past。　　Thus　far　I　am　certain；　that　there　is　not　a　single　public　man；
in　or　out　of　office；　who　has　not；　at　some　time　or　other；　borne
testimony　to　the　truth　of　what　I　have　now　related。　　In　particular；
no　persons　have　been　more　strong　in　their　assertions；　and　louder　and
more　indecent　in　their　complaints；　than　those　who　compose　all　the
exterior　part　of　the　present　Administration；　in　whose　time　that
faction　has　arrived　at　such　a　height　of　power；　and　of　boldness　in
the　use　of　it；　as　may；　in　the　end；　perhaps　bring　about　its　total
destruction。

It　is　true；　that　about　four　years　ago；　during　the　administration　of
the　Marquis　of　Rockingham；　an　attempt　was　made　to　carry　on
Government　withou