WhenIsaythatIexpectlittlefromtheprincipalactorsthattreadthestageatpresent，IamfarfromapplyingtoallofthemwhatItaketobetrueofthefargreatestpart。Therearemenamongthemwhocertainlyintendthegoodoftheircountry，andwhomIloveandhonourforthatreason。Butthesemenhavebeenclogged，ormisled，oroverbornebyothers;and，seducedbynaturaltempertoinactivity，havetakenanyexcuse，oryieldedtoanypretencethatsavouredit。Thattheyshouldrousethereforeinthemselves，orinanyoneelse，thespirittheyhavesuffered，nayhelpedtodieaway，Idonotexpect。Iturnmyeyesfromthegenerationthatisgoingoff，tothegenerationthatiscomingonthestage。Iexpectgoodfromthem，andfromnoneofthemmorethanfromyou，myLord。Rememberthattheoppositioninwhichyouhaveengaged，atyourfirstentranceintobusiness，isnotanoppositiononlytoabadadministrationofpublicaffairs，buttoanadministrationthatsupportsitselfbymeans，establishesprinciples，introducescustoms，repugnanttotheconstitutionofourgovernments，anddestructiveofallliberty;thatyoudonotonlycombatpresentevils，butyourposterity;thatifattemptstoentailtheseevilsuponyouandyouceasethecombat，yougiveupthecause:andthathe，whodoesnotrenewoneveryoccasionhisclaim，mayforfeithisright。
　　Ourdisputeswereformerly，tosaythetruth，muchmoreaboutpersonsthanthings;oratmostaboutparticularpointsofpoliticalconduct，inwhichweshouldhavesoonagreed，ifpersons，andpersonalinterestshadbeenlessconcerned，andtheblindprejudiceofpartylessprevalent。WhethertheBig—endiansortheLittle—endiansgotthebetter，Ibelievenomanofsenseandknowledgethoughttheconstitutionconcerned;notwithstandingalltheclamourraisedatonetimeaboutthedangeroftheChurch，andatanotheraboutthedangeroftheProtestantsuccession。Butthecaseisatthistimevastlyaltered。Themeansofinvadinglibertymoreeffectuallybytheconstitutionoftherevenue，thaniteverhadbeeninvadedbyprerogative，werenotthengrownupintostrength。Theyaresonow;andaboldandaninsolentuseismadeofthem。Toreformthestatethereforeis，andoughttobe，theobjectofyouropposition，aswellastoreformtheadministration。WhydoIsayaswell？Itisso，anditoughttobeso，muchmore。Wrestthepowerofthegovernment，ifyoucan，outofhandsthathaveemployeditweaklyandwickedly;
　　eversinceitwasthrownintothem，byasillybargainmadeinonereign，andacorruptbargainmadeinanother。Butdonotimaginethistobeyoursole，oryourprincipalbusiness。Youowetoyourcountry，toyourhonour，toyoursecurity，tothepresent，andtofutureages，thatnoendeavoursofyoursbewantingtorepairthebreachthatismade，andisincreasingdailyintheconstitution，andtoshutupwithallthebarsandboltsoflaw，theprincipalentriesthroughwhichthesetorrentsofcorruptionhavebeenletinuponus。Isaytheprincipalentries;because，howeveritmayappearinpurespeculation，Ithinkitwouldnotbefoundinpracticepossible，nonoreligibleneither，toshutthemupall。Asentriesofcorruptionnoneofthemdeservetobeexcepted:butthereisajustdistinctiontobemade，becausethereisarealdifference。Someoftheseentriesareopenedbytheabuseofpowers，necessarytomaintainsubordination，andtocarryonevengoodgovernment，andthereforenecessarytobepreservedinthecrown，notwithstandingtheabusethatissometimesmadeofthem;fornohumaninstitutioncanarriveatperfection，andthemostthathumanwisdomcando，istoprocurethesameorgreatergood，attheexpenseoflessevil。Therewillbealwayssomeevileitherimmediate，orremote，eitherincauseorconsequence。Butthereareotherentriesofcorruption，andthesearebymuchthegreatest，forsufferingofwhichtocontinueopennoreasoncanbeassignedorhasbeenpretendedtobeassigned，butthatwhichistoeveryhonestandwisemanareasonforshuttingthemup;theincreaseofthemeansofcorruption，whichareofteneremployedfortheserviceoftheoligarchy，thanfortheserviceofthemonarchy。
　　Shutupthese，andyouwillhavenothingtofearfromtheothers。Bythese，amorerealandamoredangerouspowerhasbeengainedtoministers，thanwaslosttothecrownbytherestraintsonprerogative。
　　Therehavebeenperiodswhenourgovernmentcontinuedfree，withstrongappearancesofbecomingabsolute。Letitbeyourglory，myLord，andthatofthenewgenerationspringingupwithyou，thatthisgovernmentdonotbecomeabsoluteatanyfutureperiod，withtheappearancesofbeingfree。
　　Howeveryoumaybeemployed，inallyourcouncils，inallyouractions，keepthisregardtotheconstitutionalwaysinsight。Thescenethatopensbeforeyouisgreat，andthepartthatyouwillhavetoactdifficult。Itisdifficultindeedtobringmen，fromstronghabitsofcorruption，topreferhonourtoprofit，andlibertytoluxury，asitishardtoteachprincesthegreatartofgoverningallbyall，ortoprevailonthemtopractiseit。Butifitbeadifficult，itisagloriousattempt;anattemptworthytoexertthegreatesttalents，andtofillthemostextendedlife。Pursueitwithcourage，myLord，nordespairofsuccess。
　　———deushaecfortassebenignaReducetinsedemvice。
　　AParliament，nayonehouseofParliament，isableatanytime，andatonce，todestroyanycorruptplanofpower。Timeproduceseverydaynewconjunctures:
　　bepreparedtoimprovethem。WereadintheOldTestamentofacitythatmighthaveescapeddivinevengeance，iffiverighteousmenhadbeenfoundinit。Letnotourcityperishforwantofsosmallanumber:andifthegenerationthatisgoingoffcouldnotfurnishit，letthegenerationthatiscomingonfurnishagreater。
　　Wemayreasonablyhopethatitwill，fromthefirstessayswhichyourLordship，andsomeothersofouryoungsenators，havemadeinpubliclife。
　　Youhaveraisedthehopesofyourcountrybytheproofsyouhavegivenofsuperiorparts。Confirmthesehopesbyproofsofuncommonindustryandapplication，andperseverance。Superiorparts，nayevensuperiorvirtue，withoutthesequalities，willbeinsufficienttosupportyourcharacterandyourcause。