improvement of society.  But they often survive when they have become an oppression and a hindrance which cannot be cast off decisively, but by an impulse—­rising either from the absolute knowledge of good and great men,—­or from the partial insight which is given to superior minds, though of a vitiated moral constitution,—­or lastly from that blind energy and those habits of daring which are often found in men who, checked by no restraint of morality, suffer their evil passions to gain extraordinary strength in extraordinary circumstances.  By any of these forces may the tyranny be broken through.  We have seen, in the conduct of our Countrymen, to what degree it tempts to weak actions,—­and furnishes excuse for them, admitted by those who sit as judges.  I wish then that we could so far imitate our enemies as, like them, to shake off these bonds; but not, like them, from the worst—­but from the worthiest impulse.  If this were done, we should have learned how much of their practice would harmonize with justice; have learned to distinguish between those rules which ought to be wholly abandoned, and those which deserve to be retained; and should have known when, and to what point, they ought to be trusted.—­But how is this to be?  Power of mind is wanting, where there is power of place.  Even we cannot, as a beginning of a new journey, force or win our way into the current of success, the flattering motion of which would awaken intellectual courage—­the only substitute which is able to perform any arduous part of the secondary work of ’heroic wisdom;’—­I mean, execute happily any of its prudential regulations.  In the person of our enemy and his chieftains we have living example how wicked men of ordinary talents are emboldened by success.  There is a kindliness, as they feel, in the nature of advancement; and prosperity is their Genius.  But let us know and remember that this prosperity, with all the terrible features which it has gradually assumed, is a child of noble parents—­Liberty and Philanthropic Love.  Perverted as the creature is which it has grown up to (rather, into which it has passed),—­from no inferior stock could it have issued.  It is the Fallen Spirit, triumphant in misdeeds, which was formerly a blessed Angel.

If then (to return to ourselves) there be such strong obstacles in the way of our drawing benefit either from the maxims of policy or the principles of justice:  what hope remains that the British Nation should repair, by its future conduct, the injury which has been done?—­We cannot advance a step towards a rational answer to this question—­without previously adverting to the original sources of our miscarriages; which are these:—­First; a want, in the minds of the members of government and public functionaries, of knowledge indispensible for this service; and, secondly, a want of power, in the same persons acting in their corporate capacities, to give effect to the knowledge which individually they possess.—­Of