JB/013/294/001

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6

1822 March 9
J.B. to Nunez

Forgive my dear Nunez all the liberties I have been
thus taking with you; forgive all this blasphemy against the
God of your idolatry. Want of time prevents my applying those
softenings which otherwise I should have applied to it. Before
this reaches you, you will already have stood plunged in the immense
atmosphere of corruption: I tremble for your capacity of
resistance. If in such a situation it be in the nature of any
man to have it, I will lay as high a bet on your head as I
would on that of any man whom I know no otherwise than
at such a distance. But when you talk to me of the probity the
self-denying intentions of your colleagues & your countrymen
in general, it seems to me that you are not as yet in full possession
of a truth of which I myself was not in full possession
till at an age considerably more advanced than your's: viz that not
only is self regard, in the ordinary train of life, public still more
than private, predominant in every human breast, over social
regard, but that without such general predominance the species would
not so much as have existence: & and, even if this be not true in regard
to every individual, no practical error can be more mischievous
than the supposition of its not being true in the general course
of practice, in the instance of a majority of any body of individuals.
In all this, there is not any thing that puts a negative
upon the tenderest sympathies: but the circle, within which
they are confined, is narrow.⊞ ⊞ The time of a great political crisis is the only season in which in any considerable number of ruling breasts, an union of sympathies & antipathies is capable of producing any considerable sacrifice of personal to public interest: in such a season security is deficient on the part even of those among whom money & power are shared: & the less the security, the greater the quantity of those objects of general desire which for the purchase of an additional degree of security men are content to forego. This time of a great political
crisis os the only time season season, in which which in any considerable number
of ruling breasts, the united form of an union of sympathies and antipathies tendency for is capable of capable of producing any considerable sacrifice
of personal to public interest: The in such a season
security is deficient on the part even of those among
whom power is money and power or power are shared: and the less the security, the greater
the quantity of the money and power those objects of general desire which for the purchase of an additional quantity degree of men are content
to forego or part with for the present

Identifier: | JB/013/294/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 13.
Date_1	1822-03-09	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	013	Main Headings
Folio number	294	Info in main headings field	jb to nunez
Image	001	Titles
Category	correspondence	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d6 / e6
Penner	richard doane	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections	jeremy bentham	Paper Produced in Year
Notes public	letter 2857, vol. 11	ID Number	4743
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