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LIBELS.
But whatever of this sort is made written it is necessary should be read; and not only made
but rememberd & understood. The Law must be as accurately known as it is defined
or nothing is done — we do nothing In acts that are simply mischievous as in
and to be done except in a few obvious exceptions at no time nor in any degree, if a man's fears of doing th
are greater than what a strict knowledge of the Law would warrant, it is only
much the better.
But in Acts in which are excess only is mischievous only in excess, & where abstinence is would be still
much more so mischievous than excess — it is far otherwise.
Hardly shall there be found that from whose subject is in any wise connected with History that
contains not another as libellous nor persons living or dead (for it seems it is the same thing) as the matter
of many of the compositions that by sentences of Courts of Law have been stigmatized as
Name that book of History which shall be selected as the most unfavorable to this position and I will shew that in it reported or remarked of a person in a public character, which if living he would as little like to have reported or remarked of him as any thing that can be found in those.
Suppress these Books, History is destroy'd, Morality & Politics & the other Licences that are built
upon it perish also. I shall need not say, how long every spark of liberty must have
been extinct, before this shall have been accomplished.
It will be have said, that a Man by becoming a Minister does not lose his senses; & that
without he had first lost them would be supposed to go a length so proportioned
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But what is there to stop them: & how will they be justified in stopping at any certain period stage any where, if they are
justified in beginning — they certainly cannot be expected to stop any where, while any
continues not remains unsuppressed, which a Minister is interested has reason any end to recover to wish to have so they cannot
stop while any thing is left that is obnoxious to themselves, without [what may
to themselves be stiled] imprudence — they cannot while [there is] to others, without injustice
How many Libels for example might not a Papist a man pick out of Burnet's Hist. of the Reformation?
And how numerous soever were the Victims, will there remained one unpunished who was
equally guilty with themselves, would they not have reason to complain of an unjust oppression
partiality.
Libels would be poured in from foreign countries as the multitudes are into France which all the efforts of that vigilant distraction are not able to suppress.
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Identifier: | JB/070/206/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 70.
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of laws in general |
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libels |
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jeremy bentham |
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