The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 03 (of 12)Hazlitt, William
General
The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 03 (of 12)
Hazlitt, William
English essays -- 19th century
humours together, turn their attention to cabal and chicane, get into
committees, make speeches, move or second resolutions, dictate to their
followers, set up for the heads of a party, in opposition to another
party; abuse, vilify, expose, betray, counteract and undermine each
other in every way, and throw the game into the hands of the common
enemy, who laughs in his sleeve, and watches them and their little
perverse, pettifogging passions at work for him, from the high tower of
his pride and strength! If an honest and able man arises among them,
they grow jealous of him, and would rather, in the petty ostracism of
their minds, that their cause should fail, than that another should have
the credit of bringing it to a triumphant conclusion. They criticise his
conduct, carp at his talents, denounce his friends, suspect his motives,
and do not rest, till by completely disgusting him with the name of
Reform and Reformers, they have made him what they wish, a traitor and
deserter from a cause that no man can serve! This is just what they
like—they satisfy their malice, they have to find out a new leader, and
the cause is to begin again! So it was, and so it will be, while man
remains the little, busy, mischievous animal described in Gulliver’s
Travels!—A pretty hopeful set to make head against their opponents—a
rope of sand against a rock of marble—with no centre of gravity, but a
collection of atoms whirled about in empty space by their own levity, or
jostling together by numberless points of repulsion, and tossed with all
their officious projects and airy predictions, by the first breath of
caprice or shock of power, into that Limbo of Vanity, where embryo
statesmen and drivelling legislators dance the hays of Reform,
‘perpetual circle, multiform and mix, and hinder all things,’ proud of
the exclusive purity of their own motives, and the unattainable
perfection of their own plans!—How different from the self-centred,
well-knit, inseparable phalanx of power and authority opposed to their
impotent and abortive designs! A Tory is one who is governed by sense
and habit alone. He considers not what is possible, but what is real; he
gives might the preference over right. He cries Long Life to the
conqueror, and is ever strong upon the stronger side—the side of
corruption and prerogative. He says what others say; he does as he is
prompted by his own advantage. He knows on which side his bread is
buttered, and that St. Peter is well at Rome. He is for going with
Sancho to Camacho’s wedding, and not for wandering with Don Quixote in
the desert, after the mad lover. Strait is the gate and narrow is the
way that leadeth to Reform, but broad is the way that leadeth to
Corruption, and multitudes there are that walk therein. The Tory is sure
to be in the thickest of them. His principle is to follow the leader;
and this is the infallible rule to have numbers and success on your
side, to be on the side of success and numbers. Power is the rock of his
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