Cont. Edwards 9-4-46 560957 THE CRAFTSMAN. N° 356. SATURDAY, April 28, 1733. IR Walter Raleigh observes, that there are few or none great with Kings, who have not used their Power to opprefs; who have not grown infolent and hateful to the People; yea, infolent to those Princes, who advanced Them. Doctor Prideaux goes farther, and makes it a Doubt, whether the Benefit, which the World receives from Government, be jufficient to make Amends for the Calamities, which it juffers from the Follies, Mistakes and Male-Administration of Thole, who manage it. Thefe melancholy Obfervations of two fuch excellent Writers arofe, no Doubt, from those frequent Inftances of tyrannical and oppreffive Governors, which occurr'd to Them in their hiltorical Refearches. The Truth of them hath been already illuftrated by feveral particular Examples in the Course of thefe Papers, and might be corroborated by a Multitude of other Inftances, which abound in the Hiftories of all Nations; but That would be a needless Trouble at present, and I chufe to make VOL. XI. A fome fome general Remarks on this Propenfity of Men in Power to opprefs the People. There is not a more demonftrable Propofition in Eu'clid than this Maxim in Politicks, that the Happiness of the Governors and the Governed is reciprocal; especially in free Countries; and yet, I know not by what Fatality it happens, the former feldom think Themselves ealy in their Administration, unless the latter yield an abfolute and implicit Obedience to all their Measures. This creates a Diffidence between Them, and hath often ended in the most fatal Confequences to Both. It hath been a Queftion, much agitated of late, whether the Misfortunes of Nations, in general, have been more owing to the unreasonable Jealoufies of the People, or to the provoking Infolencies and Oppreffions of Thofe in Authority. To fpeak impartially on this Head, it ought to be allow'd that Both have been often to blame, and involved their Country in irretriveable Calamities; but I think it evident from Hiftory that Governors have commonly been the Aggreffors, and led the Way to publick Confufions. The Body of the People, who fubfift upon Trade and Industry, are naturally flow in their Refentments; and, being unable to difcern Dangers at a Distance, are not eafily work'd up into Oppofition; but when They are thoroughly exafperated, and fee Oppreffion ftaring Them full in the Face, They are apt to grow violent, and fometimes run into dangerous Extremes. There is fomething fo bewitching in Power, that We cannot wonder to fee Governors ufing all their Endeavours to extend it; but as the Happiness of the People depends on keeping it within due Bounds, I cannot forbear fufpecting fome ill Defign in any private Man, who becomes an Advocate for the Enlargement of Power, in a free Country, whatever Regard He may pretend, at the fame Time, for popular Liberty. As I was dipping, this Morning, into Cato's Letters, I found fome Remarks there, fo appofite to my my prefent Purpose, that I fhall take the Liberty to quote them. * "When We hear any fort of Men complain, as "fome fort of Men do frequently complain, that the "CROWN wants Power; We fhould ask Them, whe"ther They mean over Themselves? And if They an"fwer, no; as certainly They will, if They speak “Truth; We may farther ask Them, why They fhould judge for Themselves any more than Others; "or claim to Themselves a Liberty and an Exemption, "which They will not allow to Others? The Truth "is; They, who complain thus, do only want to "increase the Power of the Crown, because by it their “-own would be increased, and other Advantages acquired. "The Fox in the Fable, wanting to rob an Hen"rooft, or do fome fuch Prank, humbly befought Ad"mittance and House-Room only for his Head; but "when He got in his Head, his whole Body prefently "follow'd; and Courts, more crafty, as well as more "craving, than that defigning Animal, have fcarce "ever got an Inch of Power, but They have ftretch'd "it to an Ell; and when They have got in but a Finger, their whole Train hath follow'd. Pififtratus, "having procured from the City of Athens fifty Fel"lows, arm'd only with Cudgels, for the Security of "his Perfon from falfe and lying Dangers, improved "Them into an Army, and by it enflaved that free. "State. And I have read fomewhere of the States of a 66 65 66 Country, who, having wildly granted to their "Prince a Power of raifing Money by his own Autho rity, in Cafes of great Neceffity; every Cafe ever "afterwards was a Cafe of great Neceffity; and his Neceffities multiply'd fo faft, that the whole Wealth "of the Country was fwallow'd up to fupply them; as it will always be in every Country, where Thofe, "who ask, are fuffer'd to judge what ought to be "given-A Practice, contrary to common Senfe, and which renders Liberty and Property perfectly pre"carious; and, where it is continued, will end in taking, without asking. 66 I have hitherto spoken of Governors in general, without diftinguishing between Princes and their Minifers; but being always willing to make Allowances for the former, I fhall confine myself to Those, who abuse their Favour. It feems unaccountable that Men, in full Poffeffion of Power and Redundancy of Wealth, fhould fo rarely be fatisfied with their Condition; and, not content with the great Preheminence over their Fellow-Subjects, be almost continually hunting after new Inventions to opprefs and provoke Them. In many Cafes, one would think Them intent upon Mifchief, purely for Mischieffake, by devifing Schemes, which They know will exafperate the People, and perhaps alienate their Affections from the Throne, without any apparent Neceffity, or Temptation for fo doing. There are Inftances of Minifters, who, having blunder'd Themfelves out of a long Series of foreign Blurders, and made an hard Shift to patch up fomething like a Peace, could not reft in Quiet even for a Year or two, but were pufh'd on by the fame bufy Genius to run their Heads in the dark against Stone Walls at home; as if They were refolved to verify the Allegations of their Adverfaries, and took a Pride in betraying the fame Ignorance in Matters of domeftick Government, which They had before difcover'd in foreign Affairs. We have feen fuch Men obftinately pursuing a Scheme, big with Destruction, and infolently declaring, in Oppofition to the known Senfe of a whole People, that it must and fshall go down; because They had gone too far to retreat, without discovering their Weakness, and giving their Enemies an Advantage over Them. Thus |