Ministers and the Reform Bill

Name: Ministers and the Reform Bill
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The work critiques the actions of contemporary ministers regarding a significant reform in governance. It argues that these ministers have engaged in two primary transgressions. First, they have sought to implement a fundamental change in government by inciting public passions and exploiting the ignorance of the majority, thereby stifling meaningful discussion among informed individuals. This approach undermines the principle of representing diverse interests, favoring a dangerous delegation of power to the masses. The ministers are accused of failing to acknowledge the constitutional blessings inherited from the past and of inviting public scorn upon the established order without due respect. Second, the ministers have implicated the monarchy in this political misdeed, suggesting that the king has misled the populace into believing they have been deprived of rights, thus denigrating the legacy of previous monarchs. The text emphasizes that rights are inseparable from duties and critiques the notion of inherent rights, arguing that historical claims to privileges were grounded in tradition and constitutional legitimacy rather than abstract principles. The author contends that the arguments used to support the reform are more detrimental than the reform itself, warning that the public's emotional responses can lead to misguided decisions, as they often lack the nuanced understanding necessary for sound governance. The work ultimately advocates for a balanced and comprehensive approach to political discourse, cautioning against the dangers of populism and the neglect of historical context in the pursuit of reform.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1831 · Genre: Political Commentary, Philosophical Essay, Social Critique · 809 words

First lines

The present ministers have, in my judgment, been guilty of two things preeminently wicked, _sensu politico_, in their conduct upon this Reform Bill. First, they have endeavoured to carry a fundamental change in the material and mode of action of the government of the country by so exciting the passions, and playing upon the necessary ignorance of the numerical majority of the nation, that all freedom and utility of discussion, by competent heads, in the proper place, should be precluded. In doing this they have used, or sanctioned the use of, arguments which may he applied with equal or even greater force to the carrying of any measure whatever, no matter how atrocious in its character or destructive in its consequences. They have appealed directly to the argument of the greater number of voices, no matter whether the utterers were drunk or sober, competent or not competent; and they have done the utmost in their power to rase out the sacred principle in politics of a representation of interests, and to introduce the mad and barbarizing scheme of a delegation of individuals. And they have done all this without one word of thankfulness to God for the manifold blessings of which the constitution as settled at the Revolution, imperfect as it may be, has been the source or vehicle or condition to this great nation, -- without one honest statement of the manner in which the anomalies in the practice grew up, or any manly declaration of the inevitable necessities of government which those anomalies have met. With no humility, nor fear, nor reverence, like Ham the accursed, they have beckoned, with grinning faces, to a vulgar mob, to come and insult over the nakedness of a parent; when it had become them, if one spark of filial patriotism had burnt within their breasts, to have marched with silent steps and averted faces to lay their robes upon his destitution!

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Ministers and the Reform Bill is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1831 CE.

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Work type: Essay
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Date: 1831 CE
Language: English
Genres: Political Commentary, Philosophical Essay, Social Critique, Historical Analysis, Rhetorical Analysis
Length: 809 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Genres

Political Commentary — The text critiques the actions of ministers regarding the Reform Bill, focusing on political ethics and governance.
Philosophical Essay — The work explores deeper philosophical themes of rights, duties, and the nature of government.
Social Critique — It addresses societal issues and the influence of the majority on political decisions.
Historical Analysis — The text references historical context and the evolution of the constitution.