60 are bound in justice not to stretch it beyond its proper limits. Is not Yes, Athenians, I repeat it, you yourselves are the contrivers of your own ruin. Lives there a man who has confidence enough to deny it? Let him arise, and assign, if he can, any other cause of the success and 5 prosperity of Philip-" But," you reply, "what Athens may have lost in reputation abroad, she has gained in splendour at home. Was there ever a greater appearance of prosperity; a greater face of plenty? the city enlarged? Are not the streets better paved, 10 houses repaired and beautified ?"-Away with such trifles! Shall I be paid with counters? An old square new vamped up! a fountain! an aqueduct! are these acquisitions to brag of? Cast your eye upon the magistrate under whose ministry you boast these precious 15 improvements. Behold the despicable creature, raised, all at once, from dirt to opulence; from the lowest obscurity to the highest honours. Have not some of these upstarts built private houses and seats, vying with the most sumptuous of our public palaces? And how have 20 their fortunes and their power increased, but as the commonwealth has been ruined and impoverished? To what are we to impute these disorders, and to what cause assign the decay of a state so powerful and flourishing in past times? The reason is plain. The 25 servant is now become the master. The magistrate was then subservient to the people; all honours, dignities, and preferments, were disposed by the voice and favour of the people; but the magistrate, now, has usurped the right of the people, and exercises an arbitrary 30 authority over his ancient and natural lord. You, miserable people !-the meanwhile, without money, without friends,--from being the ruler, are become the servant; from being the master, the dependant: happy that these governors, into whose hands you have thus resigned your 35 own power, are so good and so gracious as to continue your poor allowance to see plays. Believe me, Athenians, if recovering from this lethargy, you would assume the ancient freedom and spirit of your fathers--if you would be your own soldiers and 40 your own commanders, confiding no longer your affairs in foreign or mercenary hands-if you would charge yourselves with your own defence, employing abroad, for the public, what you waste in unprofitable pleasures at home-the world might once more behold you making 45 a figure worthy of Athenians.-" You would have us, then, (you say,) do service in our armies in our own persons; and, for so doing, you would have the pensions we receive in time of peace, accepted as pay in time of war. Is it thus we are to understand you ?"-Yes, Athenians, 50 'tis my plain meaning. I would make it a standing rule, that no person, great or little, should be the better for the public money, who should grudge to employ it for the public service. Are we in peace? the public is charged with your subsistence. Are we in war, or un55 der a necessity, as at this time, to enter into a war? let your gratitude oblige you to accept, as pay in defence of your benefactors, what you receive, in peace, as mere bounty. Thus, without any innovation--without altering or abolishing any thing but pernicious novelties, 60 introduced for the encouragement of sloth and idleness --by converting only for the future, the same funds, for the use of the serviceable, which are spent, at present, upon the unprofitable, you may be well served in your armies--your troops regularly paid--justice duly 65 administered--the public revenues reformed and increased-and every member of the commonwealth rendered useful to his country, according to his age and ability, without any further burden to the state. 29* 80. Brougham's Speech, on the speech made by the Duke of York in the house of Lords, on the Catholic question, which his Lordship concluded by saying I am determined, to whatever censure or obloquy I may be exposed by making this declaration, to persevere in my opposition to these claims, SO HELP ME GOD." 66 Will any man tell me that he has now confident hopes of the Catholic question? We are told that we are not to try the question of the 40s. freeholders on its own merits, but that the measure is expedient, because it will 5 ensure the passing of the Catholic Bill. This argument might have been used twenty-four hours ago, but does any man believe, after what has passed, that the enactment of this measure will be sure to carry the Catholic Bill? What earthly security have I, that if I abandon 10 my privileges and my duty as a legislator, by voting for this measure in the dark, I shall even have the supposed compensation, for this abandonment and betrayal of my duty, the passing of the Catholic Bill? I repeat, that this might have been urged as an argument two or 15 three days ago; but does any man really believe now that the Catholic Bill will pass? Does any man believe that the ominous news of this day, which has gone forth to England and Ireland, will not ring the knell of despair in the ears of the Catholics? I am not an enemy 20 to consistency of action; I do not condemn the candid expression of sincere conviction; I do not even complain of the violence of zeal, or censure the promulgation of honest obstinacy, however erroneous; but when I behold those manly feelings darkened by ignorance 25 and inflamed by prejudice, and blinded by bigotry, I will not hesitate to assert, that no monarch ever came to the throne of these realms in such a spirit of direct and predetermined, and predeclared, hostility to the opinions and wishes of the people. I repeat, then, that when 30 that event* shall have taken place, it will be impossible to carry the question of emancipation; nay, that its suc * The accession of the Duke of York, who was heir apparent to the throne. cess is even at present surrounded by doubt and danger, while such opposition is brewing against it in such a quarter. Instead of a majority of twenty-seven mem35 bers of this house, to save the empire from convulsion, which, within the last twenty four hours, has become ten thousand times more petrifying to the imagination; I believe nothing can save Ireland--nothing can preserve the tranquillity of Ireland and save England from 40 new troubles, but a large increase of the majority on the question. Now, then, is the time to carry it or not for years--and even now you can carry it only by an overwhelming majority of this House. This is the hour of its good fortune. This reign-the present reign, is the crit45 ical moment of its probable success.-The time may pass quickly by you the glorious opportunity may soon be lost. After a little sleeping, and a little debating, and a little sitting upon these benches, and a little folding of your arms, and a short, passing space of languid procras50 tination, the present auspicious occasion will have disappeared, and the dominion of bigotry and despotism will come in all its might upon our slumberings, like an armed man in the night, and destroy the peace of Ireland, and endanger the safety of England, and threaten 55 the liberties of the general Empire.-But God forbid that such a time may ever arrive! Yet, if it is destined to come upon us, late and far, far distant from us be the ill-omened crisis. If I were a lover of discord--Sir, I am not a lover of discord--and those perhaps who con60 sider me so, are only not lovers of discord, because they prefer, to what they call discord and commotion, the solitude, which absolute, unthinking obedience pays to unmitigated despotism. I respect all men's consciences. God forbid that I should not give to their honest differ65 ences of opinion that toleration which I challenge for myself. I have said that a want of conscientious honesty and frankness is the last charge which I would bring against any man either within these walls or out of doors; but I have lived long enough to know that 70 most antagonists, provided they be not honest, enlightened men, are very often the most perverse and pertinacious antagonists, and that all hopes of reclaiming them 80. Brougham's Speech, on the speech made by the Duke of York in the house of Lords, on the Catholic question, which his Lordship concluded by saying "I am determined, to whatever censure or obloquy I may be exposed by making this declaration, to persevere in my opposition to these claims, SO HELP ME GOD." Will any man tell me that he has now confident hopes of the Catholic question? We are told that we are not to try the question of the 40s. freeholders on its own merits, but that the measure is expedient, because it will 5 ensure the passing of the Catholic Bill. This argument might have been used twenty-four hours ago, but does any man believe, after what has passed, that the enactment of this measure will be sure to carry the Catholic Bill? What earthly security have I, that if I abandon 10 my privileges and my duty as a legislator, by voting for this measure in the dark, I shall even have the supposed compensation, for this abandonment and betrayal of my duty, the passing of the Catholic Bill? I repeat, that this might have been urged as an argument two or 15 three days ago; but does any man really believe now that the Catholic Bill will pass? Does any man believe that the ominous news of this day, which has gone forth to England and Ireland, will not ring the knell of despair in the ears of the Catholics? I am not an enemy 20 to consistency of action; I do not condemn the candid expression of sincere conviction; I do not even complain of the violence of zeal, or censure the promulgation of honest obstinacy, however erroneous; but when I behold those manly feelings darkened by ignorance 25 and inflamed by prejudice, and blinded by bigotry, I will not hesitate to assert, that no monarch ever came to the throne of these realms in such a spirit of direct and predetermined, and predeclared, hostility to the opinions and wishes of the people. I repeat, then, that when 30 that event* shall have taken place, it will be impossible to carry the question of emancipation; nay, that its suc *The accession of the Duke of York, who was heir apparent to the throne. |