第17章

for’inhumanlymurdering’theirfellow-subjectsatLexingtonforthesolecrimeof’preferringdeathtoslavery。’Hewasimprisonedforthelibel，andthusbecameamartyrtothecause。Whenthecountryassociationswereformedin1780toprotestagainsttheabusesrevealedbythewar，Hornebecameamemberofthe’SocietyforConstitutionalInformation，’ofwhichMajorCartwright——afterwardstherevered，butrathertiresome，patriarchoftheRadicals——wascalledthe’father。’HorneTooke(ashewasnownamed)，bytheseandotherexhibitionsofboundlesspugnacity，becamealeaderamongthemiddle-classWhigs，whofoundtheirmainsupportamongLondoncitizens，suchasBeckford，TroutbeckandOliver；supportedtheminhislaterdays；

andaftertheAmericanwar，preferredPitt，asanadvocateofparliamentaryreform，toFox，thefavouriteofthearistocraticWhigs。HedenouncedtheFoxcoalitionministry，andinlateryearsopposedFoxatWestminster。The’SocietyforConstitutionalInformation’，wasstillextantintherevolutionaryperiod，andTooke，abluff，jovialcompanion，whohadbythistimegotridofhisclericalcharacter，oftentookthechairatthetavernswheretheymettotalksoundpoliticsovertheirport。Therevolutioninfusednewspiritintopolitics。InMarch1791(57*)Tooke’ssocietypassedavoteofthankstoPaineforthefirstpartofhisRightsofMan。NextyearThomasHardy，aradicalshoemaker，starteda’CorrespondingSociety。’Otherssprangupthroughoutthecountry，especiallyinthemanufacturingtowns。(58*)ThesesocietiestookPainefortheiroracle，andcirculatedhiswritingsastheirmanifesto。TheycommunicatedoccasionallywithHorneTooke’ssociety，whichmoreorlesssympathisedwiththem。TheWhigsoftheupperspherestartedthe’FriendsofthePeople’inApril1792，inordertodirectthediscontentintosaferchannels。Grey，SheridanandErskineweremembers；Foxsympathisedbutdeclinedtojoin；Mackintoshwassecretary；andSirPhilipFrancisdrewuptheopeningaddress，citingtheauthorityofPittandBlackstone，anddeclaringthatthesocietywished’nottochangebuttorestore。’(59*)Itremonstratedcautiouslywiththeothersocieties，andonlyexcitedtheirdistrust。Grey，asitsrepresentative，madeamotionforparliamentaryreformwhichwasrejected(May1793)bytwohundredandeighty-twotoforty-one。

LatermotionsinMay1797andApril1800showedthat，forthepresent，parliamentaryreformwasoutofthequestion。MeanwhiletheEnglishJacobinsgotupa’convention’

whichmetatEdinburghattheendof1793。Theverynamewasalarming：theleadersweretriedandtransported；thecrueltyofthesentencesandtheseverityofthejudges，especiallyBraxfield，shockedsuchmenasParrandJeffrey，andunsuccessfulappealsformercyweremadeinparliament。TheHabeasCorpusActwassuspendedin1794：HorneTookeandHardywerebotharrestedandtriedforhightreasoninNovember。AnEnglishjuryfortunatelyshoweditselflesssubservientthantheScottish；thejudgewasscrupulouslyfair：andbothHardyandHorneTookewereacquitted。Thesocieties，however，thoughtheywereencouragedforatime，wereattackedbyseveremeasurespassedbyPittin1795。The’FriendsofthePeople’ceasedtoexist。TheseizureofthecommitteeoftheCorrespondingSocietiesin1798putanendtotheiractivity。Areportpresentedtoparliamentin1799(60*)declaresthatthesocietieshadgonetodangerouslengths：theyhadcommunicatedwiththeFrenchrevolutionistsandwiththe’UnitedIrishmen’(founded1791)；

andsocietiesof’UnitedEnglishmen’and’UnitedScotsmen’hadhadsomeconcerninthemutiniesofthefleetin1797andintheIrishrebellionof1798。

Placesays，probablywithtruth，thatthedangerwasmuchexaggerated：butinanycase，anactforthesuppressionoftheCorrespondingSocietieswaspassedin1799，andputanendtothemovement。

Thissummaryissignificantofthestateofopinion，Thegenuineold-fashionedWhigdreadedrevolution，andguardedhimselfcarefullyagainstanyappearanceofcomplicity。Jacobinism，ontheotherhand，wasalwaysanexotic。SuchmenastheleadingNonconformistsPriestleyandPricewerefamiliarwiththespeculativemovementonthecontinent，andsympathisedwiththeenlightenment。

Youngmenofgenius，likeWordsworthandColeridge，imbibedthesamedoctrinesmoreorlessthoroughly，andtookGodwinfortheirEnglishrepresentative。

Thesamecreedwasacceptedbytheartisansinthegrowingtowns，fromwhomtheCorrespondingSocietiesdrewtheirrecruits。Buttherevolutionarysentimentwasnotsowidelyspreadasitsadherentshopedoritsenemiesfeared。TheBirminghammobof1791acted，withacertainunconscioushumour，onthesideofchurchandking。Theyhadperhapsaninstinctiveperceptionthatitwasanadvantagetoplunderonthesideoftheconstable。Infact，however，thegeneralfeelinginallclasseswasanti-Jacobin。Place，anexcellentwitness，himselfamemberoftheCorrespondingSocieties，declaresthattherepressivemeasuresweregenerallypopularevenamongtheworkmen。(61*)Theywerecertainlynotpenetratedwithrevolutionaryfervour。Haditbeenotherwise，therepressivemeasures，severeastheywere，wouldhavestimulatedratherthansuppressedthesocieties，and，insteadofsilencingtherevolutionists，haveprovokedarising。

AttheearlyperiodtheJacobinandthehome-bredRadicalmightcombineagainstgovernment。AmanifestooftheCorrespondingSocietiesbeginsbydeclaringthat’allmenarebynaturefreeandequalandindependentofeachother，’andarguesalsothatthesearethe’originalprinciplesofEnglishgovernment。’(62*)MagnaChartaisanearlyexpressionoftheDeclarationofRights，andthuspurereasonconfirmsBritishtradition。Theadoptionofacommonplatform，however，coveredaprofounddifferenceofsentiment。

HorneTookerepresentstheoldtypeofreformer。Hewasfullyresolvednottobecarriedawaybytheenthusiasmofhisallies。’Mycompanionsinastage，’

hesaidtoCartwright，’maybegoingtoWindsor：IwillgowiththemtoHounslow。

ButthereIwillgetout：nofurtherwillIgo，byGod！’(63*)WhenSheridansupportedavoteofsympathyfortheFrenchrevolutionists，TookeinsisteduponaddingariderdeclaringthecontentofEnglishmenwiththeirownconstitution。(64*)

Heoffendedsomeofhisalliesbyassertingthatthe’maintimbers’oftheconstitutionweresoundthoughthedry-rothadgotintothesuperstructure。

Hemaintained，accordingtoGodwin，(65*)thatthebestofallgovernmentshadbeenthatofEnglandunderGeorgeI。ThoughCartwrightsaidatthetrialthatHorneTookewastakento’havenoreligionwhatever，’hewas，accordingtoStephens，’agreatsticklerforthechurchofEngland’：andstoodupfortheHouseofLordsaswellasthechurchongroundsofutility。(66*)HealwaysridiculedPaineandthedoctrineofabstractrights，(67*)andtoldCartwrightthatthoughallmenhadanequalrighttoashareofproperty，theyhadnotarighttoanequalshare。HorneTooke’sRadicalism(Iusethewordbyanticipation)

wasthatofthesturdytradesman。Heopposedthegovernmentbecausehehatedwar，taxationandsinecures。Hearguedagainstuniversalsuffragewithequalpertinacity。Acomfortableoldgentleman，withagoodcellarofMadeira，andproudofhiswall-fruitinawell-tilledgarden，hadnodesiretoseeGeorgeIIIattheguillotine，andstilllesstoseeamobsupremeinLombardStreetorbanknotessupersededbyassignats。Hemightbejealousofthegreatnobles，buthedreadedmob-rule。Hecoulddenounceabuses，buthecouldnotdesireanarchy。HeissaidtohaveretorteduponsomeonewhohadboastedthatEnglishcourtsofjusticewereopentoallclasses：’SoistheLondontavern——toallwhocanpay。’(68*)ThatisinthespiritofBentham；andyetBenthamcomplainsthatHorneTooke’sdisciple，Burdett，believedinthecommonlaw，andreveredtheauthorityofCoke。(69*)Inbrief，thecreedofHorneTookemeant’liberty’foundedupontradition。Ishallpresentlynoticetheconsistencyofthiswithwhatmaybecalledhisphilosophy。Meanwhileitwasonlynaturalthatradicalsofthisvarietyshouldretirefromactivepolitics，havingsufficientlyburnttheirfingersbyflirtationwiththemorethorough-goingparty。Howtheycametolifeagainwillappearhereafter。

HorneTookehimselftookwarningfromhisnarrowescape。HestayedquietlyinhishouseatWimbledon。(70*)Therehedividedhistimebetweenhisbooksandhisgarden，andreceivedhisfriendstoSundaydinners。Bentham，Mackintosh，Coleridge，andGodwinwereamonghisvisitors。Coleridgecallshima’keenironman，’andreportsthathemadeabuttofGodwinashehaddoneofPaine。(71*)

PorsonandBoswellencounteredhimindrinkingmatchesandwerebothleftunderthetable。(72*)Thehousewasthusasmallcentreofintellectuallife，thoughthesymposiawerenotaltogethersuchasbecamephilosophers。HorneTookewasakeenandshrewddisputant，wellabletoimpressweakernatures。

Hisneighbour，SirFrancisBurdett，becamehispoliticaldisciple，andinlateryearswasacceptedastheradicalleader。TookediedatWimbledon18thMarch1812。

VI。INDIVIDUALISM

ThegeneraltendencieswhichIhavesofartriedtoindicatewillhavetobefrequentlynoticedinthecourseofthefollowingrages。Onepointmaybeemphasisedbeforeproceeding：amaincharacteristicofthewholesocialandpoliticalorderiswhatisnowcalledits’individualism。’Thatphraseisgenerallysupposedtoconveysomecensure。Itmayconnote，however，someofthemostessentialvirtuesthataracecanpossess。Energy，self-reliance，andindependence，astrongconvictionthataman’sfateshoulddependuponhisowncharacterandconduct，arequalitieswithoutwhichnonationcanbegreat。Theyaretheconditionsofitsvitalpower。TheyweremanifestedinahighdegreebytheEnglishmenoftheeighteenthcentury。Howfartheywereduetotheinheritedqualitiesoftherace，tothepoliticalorsocialhistory，ortoexternalcircumstances，Ineednotask。Theywerethequalitieswhichhadespeciallyimpressedforeignobservers。Thefierce，proud，intractableBritonwaselbowinghiswaytoahighplaceintheworld，andshowingavigournotalwaysamiable，butdestinedtobringhimsuccessfullythroughtremendousstruggles。Intheearlierpartofthecentury，VoltaireandFrenchphilosophersadmiredEnglishfreedomofthoughtandfreespeech，evenwhenitledtoeccentricityandbrutalityofmanners，andtobarbarisminmattersoftaste。Englishmen，consciousandproudoftheir’liberty，’werethemodelsofallwhodesiredlibertyforthemselves。Liberty，astheyunderstoodit，involved，amongotherthings，anassaultupontheoldrestrictivesystem，whichateveryturnhamperedtherisingindustrialenergy。Thisisthesenseinwhich’individualism，’

orthegospelaccordingtoAdamSmithlaissezfaire，andsoforthhasbeenspeciallydenouncedinrecenttimes。Withoutaskingatpresenthowfarsuchattacksarejustifiable，Imustbecontenttoassumethattheoldrestrictivesystemwasinitsactualformmischievous，guidedbyentirelyfalsetheories，andthegreatbarriertothedevelopmentofindustry。Thesamespiritappearedinpurelypoliticalquestions。’Liberty，’asisoftenremarked，maybeinterpretedintwoways，notnecessarilyconsistentwitheachother。itmeanssometimessimplythediminutionofthesphereoflawandthepoweroflegislators，or，again，thetransferencetosubjectsofthepoweroflegislating，and，therefore，notlesscontrol，butcontrolbyselfmadelawsalone。TheEnglishman，whowasinpresenceofnocentralisedadministrativepower，whoregardedtheGovernmentratherasreceivingRowerfromindividualsthanasdelegatingtheRowerofacentralbody，tooklibertymainlyinthesenseofrestrictinglaw。Governmentingeneralwasanuisance，thoughanecessity；andproperlyemployedonlyinmediatingbetweenconflictinginterests，andrestrainingtheviolenceofindividualsforcedintocontactbyoutwardcircumstances。