JB/137/013/001

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1819 July 1

To Erskine
(2)

Now these this body 60,000 or these 42,000 Volunteers under whose influence
the business of Government in Ireland went on so much better than ever it had
done before or has done since, what was it? It was not neither
more nor less than a self democracy — of self-acting democracy
formed as far as it went upon the principle of universal suffrage.
I say upon the principle: for although all did not concurr, because
all did not offer to concurr perhaps not r so many as from a fifth
to an eighth part of those who might have offered, yet of those
that did concurr, the lowest orders for any thing that appears
composed as large a portion as would have been then in action
had all concurred that were capable of concurring. Well there for under
the name of a qualification or any other no cause of exclusion was or could be established]
Well there here was a self-acting armed democracy, presiding over holding for 5 years
together the sceptre over the head of the regular government
and in all this time not an atom of that mischief which
in that very time men regard or pretend to regard as inseparable at all times from the
issue nature of a democracy, whether self-acting or representative:
But unquestionably if a representative democracy were
pregnant with incompatible with security, a self-acting democracy
operating upon so large a scale must be beyond comparison
more incompatible. Now we see a self acting democracy or the principle of universal suffrage governing
in chief for five years together and not an atom of mischief
produced: yet it is with this experience before their eyes that we
see all those leading men among the Whigs declaring in the face of
day that even with a Monarch and an Aristocracy for check
support steadiment and guidance, the existence of a representative democracy
under that same principle of universal suffrage, in any better
times than that of the destruction of all property impossible.

All this while how fared it with the members of the aristocracy?
were they pillaged plundered and insulted? by the lower orders? On the Not they indeed they were No
On the contrary they were elected by the lower orders: by them it was
by them the business was carried on all the commands were given that the lower orders were commanded:
all that the privates did, except obeying, was the concurring
in the choice of those that should by whom they were thus commanded

Sect 7 Whigs Anti Reformists
§ 5

5
On the principle of
universal suffrage
was this self-acting
democracy formed.
For if of the 42,000
or 60,000, no qualification
or of extension
being established, the
lowest orders formed
as large a proportion
as if the numbers had
been ever so much
greater.

or 6
For five years here
there was even self-acting
democracy bearing
sway, and not an
atom of mischief

or 7
If representative democracy
with universal
suffrage were
incompatible with security,
much more would
self-acting.

or 8.
Yet with this experience
before their eyes do the
Whigs declare, that
with a Monarchy and
Aristocracy for support steadiment
and guidance, representative
property would
destroy security.

or 9
Instead of being plundered
and insulted
the highest were checked
by the lower orders:
all the privates did except
obeying was electing their
commanders.

Identifier: | JB/137/013/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 137.
Date_1	1819-07-01	Marginal Summary Numbering	or 5 - or 9
Box	137	Main Headings	parliamentary reform
Folio number	013	Info in main headings field	to erskine
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	c1
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[prince of wales feathers] i&m 1818]]
Marginals	jeremy bentham	Paper Producer	arthur wellesley, duke of wellington
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1818
Notes public		ID Number	46730
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