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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: Law

Lord St Helens to Bentham. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 10 (Memoirs Part I and Correspondence) [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

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Lord St Helens to Bentham.

“Bath, 10th September, 1796.

“Many thanks to you, my dear Sir, for your obliging communication of your epistle to Mr Wilberforce, which I have perused with much satisfaction and relish, it being perfectly in your own inimitable style of cookery, both as to flavour and seasoning. You may be assured that there is nothing whatsoever in your project that can exhibit you in the character of an intriguant, or in any other colours than your true and proper ones, of a most zealous and disinterested Publicolist. But, for the rest, though I am sincerely of opinion that, quoad J. B., nobody ever could be better fitted than yourself for the commission in question, I must confess that I have my doubts whether your quality of French citizen, instead of adding to your recommendability as much as you seem to suppose, would not, on the contrary, be somewhat of a drawback. For though in ordinary times it is undoubtedly the part of a judicious Government to select, for its agents abroad, such persons as will probably be acceptable to the sovereigns to whom they are deputed; yet in the present circumstances, and considering the present humour of the French, it seems to me that a compliment of that sort would be wholly unseasonable; since it would be next to impossible to prevent its wearing the appearance of a most unworthy and degrading compliance with their arrogant and unwarrantable pretensions. You will perhaps make light of this scruple, and reply to it, by asking with the honest Llewellyn—What! because the enemy is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb, is it meet, look you, that we should also be a fool, and an ass, and a prating coxcomb? I answer, most certainly not: but there is a wide difference between the imitating the extravagancies of an enemy, and the refusing to give way to them; and though I am ready to admit that, in the course of events, the circumstances of the two countries might be such as to warrant the French in imposing, and our Government in submitting to, highly disadvantageous terms of peace, with respect to territory, &c., yet I do aver, that no advantage of war could entitle them to interfere, in the slightest respect, in our domestic government; and that it would be our duty to resist any such pretension to the last gasp of our existence; and for this plain reason—that to submit to it, would be, in fact, to cease to exist as an independent nation. Accordingly, putting the case which you suppose, and which is, in truth, not unlikely to happen, that the French should require the dismission of Mr Pitt, as they have required that of the King of Sardinia’s minister the Comte de Hurteville, I am persuaded that the consequence would be a unanimous address of both Houses to His Majesty, praying him to continue Mr Pitt in office,—nay, more,—I have that opinion of Mr Fox’s character, that I am more than half-inclined to believe that he would be the very man to move the resolution. There is, I own, a great deal of ipse dixit in all this, but I am the rather inclined to trust my own judgment upon the point in question, from my having had repeated occasion to observe that my feelings in matters of this kind, as compared with those of my countrymen in general, are much more apt to be under, than above, the standard spirit-proof.

“I must, moreover, assure you, that my objection as stated above, does not arise from any jalousie de métier; for, though I do not care to diminish the favourable opinion that you are pleased to entertain of me, by any over-frank confession; and though, if the commission in question were tendered to me, I should probably accept it; yet, I am quite certain, that I should be infinitely better pleased, both on the public account and on my own, to see it intrusted either to yourself or Mr Wilberforce.

“I am just arrived here from Bristol, where I have been partly to visit a sick friend, and partly to try to get rid of a troublesome cough which has been hanging upon me the whole summer. But those waters have done me no manner of service; and I have, in truth, but little reason to hope that these will be more efficacious, and I therefore propose returning in about a fortnight to town, where I hope to have the pleasure of finding you.

“Adieu, my dear Sir.—Ever faithfully yours,

“St H.”