The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Volume 10: Parlimentary Debates IJohnson, Samuel
History
The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Volume 10: Parlimentary Debates I
Johnson, Samuel
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons -- History -- 18th century
Mr. Horace WALPOLE, who had stood up several times, but was prevented by
other members, spoke next, to this purport:--Sir, I was unwilling to
interrupt the course of this debate while it was carried on with
calmness and decency, by men, who do not suffer the ardour of opposition
to cloud their reason, or transport them to such expressions as the
dignity of this assembly does not admit. I have hitherto deferred to
answer the gentleman who declaimed against the bill with such fluency of
rhetorick, and such vehemence of gesture; who charged the advocates for
the expedients now proposed, with having no regard to any interest but
their own, and with making laws only to consume paper, and threatened
them with the defection of their adherence, and the loss of their
influence, upon this new discovery of their folly and their ignorance.
Nor, sir, do I now answer him for any other purpose than to remind him
how little the clamours of rage and petulancy of invectives contribute
to the purposes for which this assembly is called together; how little
the discovery of truth is promoted, and the security of the nation
established by pompous diction and theatrical emotions.
Formidable sounds, and furious declamations, confident assertions, and
lofty periods, may affect the young and unexperienced; and, perhaps, the
gentleman may have contracted his habits of oratory by conversing more
with those of his own age, than with such as have had more opportunities
of acquiring knowledge, and more successful methods of communicating
their sentiments.
If the heat of his temper, sir, would suffer him to attend to those
whose age and long acquaintance with business give them an indisputable
right to deference and superiority, he would learn, in time, to reason
rather than declaim, and to prefer justness of argument, and an accurate
knowledge of facts, to sounding epithets and splendid superlatives,
which may disturb the imagination for a moment, but leave no lasting
impression on the mind.
He will learn, sir, that to accuse and prove are very different, and
that reproaches, unsupported by evidence, affect only the character of
him that utters them. Excursions of fancy, and flights of oratory, are,
indeed, pardonable in young men, but in no other; and it would surely
contribute more, even to the purpose for which some gentlemen appear to
speak, that of depreciating the conduct of the administration, to prove
the inconveniencies and injustice of this bill, than barely to assert
them, with whatever magnificence of language, or appearance of zeal,
honesty, or compassion.
Mr. PITT replied:--Sir, the atrocious crime of being a young man, which
the honourable gentleman has with such spirit and decency charged upon
me, I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny, but content myself
with wishing that I may be one of those whose follies may cease with
their youth, and not of that number, who are ignorant in spite of
experience.
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