Selections from Edmund Burke Author:Edmund Burke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Gbougbts on tbe Cause of tbe present Discontents. (1770.) DEFENCE OF PARTY. This cabal has, with great success, propagated a doctrine which serves for a co... more »lour to those acts of treachery ; and whilst it receives any degree of countenance, it will be utterly senseless to look for a vigorous opposition to the court party. The doctrine 5 is this : That all political connexions are in their nature factious, and as such ought to be dissipated and destroyed ; and that the rule for forming administrations is mere personal ability, rated by the judgment of this cabal upon it, and taken by draughts 10 from every division and denomination of public men. This decree was solemnly promulgated by the head of the court corps, the Earl of Bute himself, in a speech which he made, in the year 1766, against the then administration, the only administration which he has 15 ever been known directly and publicly to oppose. It is indeed in no way wonderful, that such persons should make such declarations. That connexion and faction are equivalent terms, is an opinion which has been carefully inculcated at all times by unconsti- 20 tutional statesmen. The reason is evident. Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they 25 lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other's principles, nor experienced in each other's talents, nor at all practised in their 5 mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business nci personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them ; it is e...« less