Thoughts on civil liberty, on licentiousness, and faction/Section 24

 

SECT.XXIV.

 

Of a second Remedy.

 

THE next Remedy, which can effectually aid the Firmness of the Prince, must be the Steadiness of the Minister, in discouraging, as far as in him lies, the Inroads of Venality and Corruption.

This is a large Topic, and fitter for a Book than a Section: However, what is most essential to the present Subject may be briefly touched on.

A plausible Objection, then, is here to be obviated: For a late Writer hath very calmly and systematically attempted to prove the universal and unconditional Necessity of political Corruption, in all free Governments.^[1]

What follows is the Foundation of his Argument. "All human Government is the Offspring of Violence and Corruption; and must inherit the Imperfection of both its Parents.^[2]" "All Governments must be administered by the same Violence and Corruption, to which they are indebted for their Origin.^[3]" "Corruption (therefore) must always increase in due Proportion to the Decrease of arbitrary Power; since where there is less Power to command Obedience, there must be more Bribery to purchase it; or there can be no Government carry'd on at all.^[4]"

Such is the Sum of this Gentleman's Argument: To which, the following Observations are offered, as a Reply.

There have been two different Pictures given of Man, by different Writers, diametrically opposite to each other. By some, the human Species hath been represented as a natural Society of Angels; by others, as a Crew of Devils. Both these Representations have arisen from a partial View of Mandkind: One Party regarding his social Qualities only; the other overlooking These, and fixing on the Appetites which are commonly called the selfish.

Were Mankind of the first of these Characters, they would need no Law: Were they of the latter, no Law could unite or bind them. The Truth is, they are a Mixture of Both. As they have the several Modes of Self-Love, for the Preservation of the Individual; so, by proper Culture, they gain Habits of Benevolence, Religion, social Prudence, the Love of honest Reputation, and sometimes even a Regard for the general Welfare of the Society to which they belong. As these social Passions and Regards are strong or weak, frequent or uncommon; the Character of a Nation is good or bad, honest or corrupt, upright or profligate. A Variety of Proofs hath been given of these different Degrees of moral Character, in the preceding Parts of this Essay.^[5]

But that we may not seem to build on a Principle which this Author admits not, we hear him virtually declaring all This himself in another Part of his Book. "Here He (Man) has an Opportunity given him of improving or debasing his Nature, in such a Manner as to render himself fit for a Rank of higher Perfection and Happiness; or to degrade himself to a State of greater Imperfection and Misery.^[6]" Again, he speaks of a Reformation of Manners, as a Thing practicable: And recommends it, as the only Remedy for political Evil.^[7]

But while he treats of the absolute Necessity of political Corruption, all the better Part of Man is hid; his Imperfections and Vices alone are set in View. During the Progress of this Argument, if it deserves that Name, we hear of nothing but "such imperfect and vicious Creatures as Men, tyrannizing over others as imperfect and vicious as themselves:^[8]" We have nothing presented to us, but "Pride, Avarice, and Cruelty on one Side; Envy, Ignorance, and Obstinacy on the other; Injustice and Self-Interest on both.^[9]" In a Word, Mankind are represented as an abandoned and incurable Race, utterly void of all good Qualities; and such as "must be always bribed or beat into Obedience.^[10]"

Here, then, this Maxim of the absolute and unconditional Necessity of Political Corruption appears in all its Nakedness and Deformity: For it is founded on "the supposed incurable Wickedness of Man:" An Error too glaring to need a Confutation; and which there is still the less Occasion to confute, because this Author himself admits the contrary.

It follows then, that his leading Proposition is as false in itself, as it is pernicious to Society, that "Corruption must always increase in due Proportion to the Decrease of arbitrary Power:" Because Virtue and Religion, upright Manners and Principles, properly instilled, may much better supply Corruption's Place.^[11]

On this Foundation, therefore, it appears, that every upright Minister ought, as far as possible, to check the Progress of Corruption: And tho' at Times he may be embarassed, and under a political Necessity of yielding; 'tis clearly both his Duty and his Interest to oppose this dangerous and encroaching Spirit, in the leading Outlines of his public Conduct.

It is his Duty; both because Corruption can only flourish on the Ruins of Virtue and Religion, good Morals and Principles, without which public Liberty is essentially destroy'd; and because Corruption tends inevitably and invariably to weaken the public Administration of Government, by filling every high Department with the Venal, the Ignorant, the Selfish, the Dishonest.^[12]

It is both his Duty and Interest; because Licentiousness, and its Attendants, Venality and Faction, are of an insatiable Appetite. The more the Venal are fed, they grow more importunate: If you gorge one of These to the full, and thus lay him to sleep; ten will rise in his Place, every one more clamourous than the first.

The Minister, therefore, both in Consideration of his own Peace, and the public Welfare, ought as far as possible, to obviate this Evil in its Beginnings; fortify Himself, as well as the State, with the Honest, the Firm, and the Capable; resist, to the utmost, the exorbitant Demands of Venality: Thus Faction will either bark itself asleep; or die despairing.

1. See a free Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Evil, Let. v.
2. Origin of Evil, p. 128.
3. Ib. p. 129.
4. Ib. p. 135.
5. See above, Sect. vii, &c.
6. Origin of Evil, p. 93.
7. Ib. 149.
8. Origin of Evil, p. 126.
9. Ib.
10. Ib. p. 130.
11. Were it necessary to pursue this Gentleman through all the Windings of his political Labyrinth, and trace him to the End of his Course, where he suddenly starts up in the Form of a severe Moralist; there could not, perhaps, be exhibited a more striking Instance of Self-Contradiction, in the whole Compass of literary Debate.—At present I shall only remark, that this Essay was published in the Year 1757, at a Time when the System of political Corruption much needed some Kind of Apology, because its fatal Effects began to glare too strongly upon the Nation to be longer doubted. Hence, though we should not inquire "who the Author is," we may give a shrewd Guess, "what political School he was bred in."
12. See Estimate, Part ii.