The Sun.
London, England, 1817-10-06 00:00:00

sure, perhaps, to an extent commensurate with.
the advantages resulting from the expenditure of.
an equal borrowed sum, the interest only of which
Was called for ; but 'it is futile to hope•for its re-
medying the consequences of a diminished expen-
diture to the extent which we now experience.
All that can therefore be expected from a diminu-
tion of taxes, resulting from economy, is that re-
lief to a certain extent will
,he afforded, whilst
the nation is waiting, and obliged to wait for the
beneficial consequences that must flow front Peace,
and which will be the only absolute cure fur the
evils resulting from a cessation of war.
It is also a question of considerable import-
ance, whether this apparent saving, by the rapid
reduction of our War Establishments, may not be
productive both of present and future evils more
than connterbalancing the evils ,of expenditnre.
There -is nOthingt so pleasing as a cry for public
economy. It is a cry in which every person can
join ; though few, even of the most clamorous,
ever think of the tootle and manner in which it
is to Ire practised. Everybody can read the Court
Calendar, and think' it very hard that so many
thousands should there be marked down for place-
men, some of them sinecurists no. doubt, and
nothing is more easy than to say, '' Abolish this
place, and abolish that, for /can see no necessity
for it !" But shall we not reflett that there is no
system so difficult as that of governing a Free
Nation ?—a difficulty increasing every day, in
proportion as our wealth increases, and as know-
ledge expands ; since the one gives feelings of in-
dependence to a greater number, whilst the other
extends that liberty of thought which prompts us
to form opinions, and also to express thent loudly
on subjects which it often requires a lifetime
fully to comprehend. There are but three triodes
of governing mankind, anti of effectually seem--
big their happiness, by preventing them front in-
juring themselves or others. These are reason,
prejudice, and force. It requires no great extent
of observation to be convinced that the first of
these can operate effectually on a very small num-
ber, where political liberty permits the full play
of the passions. With respect to the latter, it
is only fit for a despotic Goverione;lt and a nation
of Slaves ; but it is often necessary to have re-
course to it with the depraved part of Society.
If then a good and wise Government cannot vt kid
the first universally, and ought not to use the
third except -through necessity, what is left to
preserve social order,—but ParJunicc ? Nay
stilt t not Jon N NY! A truth is not the less true be-
cauSe a man bt Neves it from the force of preju-
dice, more than by the light of reason. We are
but children of a larger growth ; and those, whom
a wise man cannot convince, he will try to per-
suade before li(e has recourse to force. Now, if
we will but apply these principles to human Go-
vernteent,• we shall find that the most economical
Alinistiy that ever existed, nay the most virtuous
and disinterested, must be often obliged to avail
themselves of the pride, the passions, the cupi-
dity, and the prejudices of their fellow-subjects,
to lead them to virtue, to prompt them to save
their country, and to prevent them from injuring
themselves and others, from mistaken vet virtuous
principles. Ministers must take human nature as
they find it. It is impossible for a Cabinet, or
ten Cabinets, to conduct even the superior details
of public hteiness ; and therefore much must I..te
left to others, whose prompt and efficient assist-
ance must be ensured, either by the hope, or the
participation of reward : for even those who op-
pose Ministers, though no doubt prompted by pa -
triotism, do not act gratuitously, but bestow_ their
promises and enjoy their hopes, as largely.as Mi-
nisters bestow places or participate in the loaves
and fi,hes.

I do not recommend. to yon, JOHNNY, to pur-
chase a. new edition of MAcHiaveL, nor do 1
wish that you should wink at Bribes y and Corny-
tiou in public life. But the most active vietue,
whether out or in, most be stimulated and reward-
ed; and, nine times out of ten, von maf doubt
the asseverations of those who tell' you that their
only motive is a love of political honesty. That
many, nay the majority of your children, wish
the welfare of their Country upon pure political
motives, 1 am fully convinced; but if you %visit
them to act, you must add private interest to
public virtue, whether their thoughts rove after a
star, a pension, popularity at _ the Hustings,
.or
the leading vote at a palish vestry. Whilst man-
kind then remain thus constituted, retrenchment
is not always economy. Take from. a Miuistry- the
power of engaging co-Operation in the hiOier
Offices of State, and you will merely add so much
strength to their opponents, whose followers will
still live in hopes of being rewarded by a change ;
and thus, though the ranks of the latter may not
increase, they will not diminish, whilst the former,
deprived of efficient support, must totter and
finally fall.

If you wish for that, JontsrNy, vi on ! keep it
up !. but forget not the fable of the Bear and the
Gnats, where that grumbling, yet cogitative ani-
mal, preferred keeping on his old tormentors to
the experiment of brushing them .off to make
room for others who had not yet feasted on his
life's blood ! •

- - -
If truth is to be drawn from experiment, I am
afraid, any good old friend, that yon have already
paid for a lesson. At the Peace of Amiens, you
practised retrenchment very liberally. Some good
you certainly derived from it hut all is not gold
that glitters. You sold off your naval bemp, and
the returns looked very fire in the annual esti-
mates. People were delighted to find money
cooling in, and to. know that Government were
selling hemp instead of taxing you to buy it. But
when the next war broke out, the tables were
turned—the
.Russia tnerchauts can explain-it fur-
ther. I shall 'say nothing of _your small craft,
which actually went over to Boulogne and other
French ports to swell the invadingffiltilla of your
determined enemy !
If these, and several other instances' of illy,
judged economy can be brought forward,
ters may certainly he permitted to be a little upon
their guard ; and that too •without being obliged
to state publicly to Parliament every secret in fo-
reign relations—a disclosure which most probably
may produce the 'very evils that they are sedu-
lously, yet endeavouring to avoid::
Besides, 'twas by the display. and the deVelope-
ment of our force and resources, that BRITAIN
"meanie the arbitt'ess of the destinies of Icuroye.