Paper Wars

I should like much to see your paper-wars with Morellet and Garnier⁸ and if you had been good for any thing, you would have pg 62told me that I should see them, and how. Is there no young man in Geneva that would be glad to take a copy for so great a man as Monseigneur Dumont? Papa Morellet to make war upon us! et tu Brute?⁹ As for your man of merit, I have been sadly disappointed with him. He has thrown a little more light upon the subject here and there, but I doubt a good deal more darkness. His levity, presumption, ignorance—blindness frequently with every mark of wilfulness— is prodigious. To be sure I have not yet read half his volume but I don't know how to get on with it: Text and Commentary together will make such a hodge-podge, as we must endeavour one of these days—if Providence grant us life and grace, to supersede: You may expose his want of instruction—but as to instruction, from him I doubt, neither you nor the public will get any. You will find in him neither the candour nor the discernment that are necessary for that purpose. From what I see of him already, I set him down in the list of incurables. Can you tell me whether he had seen Emancipate Your Colonies Law Taxes—Defense de l'usure or Defence of Usury—or Judicial Establishment?¹⁰ Notwithstanding all I have said, I would send them to him—such of them as he has not seen.

Gallois¹¹ Puff

We are looking for it every day with all our eyes, like Astronomers for a Comet, but we have the Moniteur of 7 Messidor¹² before us and still not a syllable of a puff from him or any body. Will he put his name to it I wonder? many puffers (I see) do: if a puff without a name is worth one pot of beer, a puff with his name is worth two.

You see the Moniteurs I suppose regularly: and therein you have seen the annonce of the book—the simple or rather imperfect annonce—with my name only and not your's.¹³ The Bookseller is a pg 63noodle. The lettering at the back of the book is (Traités de) legislation (par) Bentham. Bentham—Legislation penale et civile—would have been more expressive.

On second thoughts, I am inclined to think I misunderstood your expression. 'Gallois s'est chargé de l'annonce dans le Moniteur.' Perhaps, by the simple annonce above mentioned he has acquitted himself of the charge: and this was all the charge you meant. But for this, what need of Gallois? Nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus.¹⁴ Was not the Bookseller equal to the task of copying and sending to the newspaper the title of the Book? We shall see one of these days what the Journaux say of it. In the mean time, if you are good for any thing you will let me know whether people say anything at all about it at Paris where I presume your citizenship is not altogether without corespondence.

Bye the bye, do you know that my Citizenship—like a good French Citizen—went to the keeper of the Voting book (Mr Otto's¹⁵) and voted a freehold interest in the Consulship to Bonaparte?¹⁶

Henry Thornton on Paper Credit¹⁷—There is a book of real merit: a controversy with him would be really instructive. I have tumbled it over, but very imperfectly—that not being the order of the day— and for fear of its calling off my attention, and absorbing my capacity of exertion. But, one of these days, I may not improbably grapple with him: admitting all his facts with thanks—agreeing with him with /in/ almost all his conclusions but disputing with him what seems (as far as I have as yet seen) to be his most material conclusion— viz: that paper money does more good than harm.¹⁸ Here is a book of real instruction, if the French are wise enough to translate it: the stile clear, plain, without ornament or pretension: the reasoning close.

pg 64Code-Manufactories

You see from the Moniteur that there are several of them setting up—at Petersburgh¹⁹—in Bavaria²⁰—to say nothing of probable ones in little Republics. Of the 6 copies received already I think of sending two to Ld St Helen's²¹ leaving him to do with them what he pleases. Count Rumford²² would be a proper channel I suppose for any thing to Bavaria: but it is against my habits—my principles— my every thing to propose it to him. By Pictet I suppose it might be done, if you thought it worth while to mention it.

German Critiques

Should it fall in your way, I wish you would give a commission to any German capable of undertaking it, to transmitt to me whatever critiques may come to be made upon Dumont Principes. I would not grudge a few pounds (nor in short any sum that it could amount to) in this way for my menus plaisirs. I would not serve you as x. y Bellamy²³ had like to have served us.

Diatribes contre la Loi

How raw and extravagant is that proposition of [… ?]²⁴ about suppressing Advocates etc. It is as if a man should propose to keep meat sweet, by keeping maggots off from it. He has made me almost ashamed, every now and then, of my own opinions and my own wishes, by the bad arguments he has given for them.

'Archimedes'²⁵ received (through he knows not what channel—I suppose Abauzit) two copies of a book which goes at Q.S.P. by the name of Dumont Principes. Whatever was the design of this anonymous not to say insidious present, the effect of it was destroying subordination in a regular quiet family—making younger branches insult the elder—snapping their fingers, and vaunting their independence.

Institut

I had like to have forgot the Institut—I declare—a pretty kettle pg 65of fish there we have made of it.²⁶ You must now draw in your horns, and put your microscope into your pocket. You will not have the face now to set about making observations upon man, now that auspices are wanting from above.

Has Abauzit fingers capable of holding a pen? If so, ⟨and⟩ he is a true Apostle, you might set him to take off some of your enemies off your hands.

Cuvier—²⁷

Thank you for your account of him. His name was as well known to me as any name, viz: by its connection with his works, which however I know only from extracts.

Benthamiste—

Benthamiste?—what sort of an animal is that? I can't find any such word in Boyer's Dictionary.²⁸ As to Religion—to be sure a new Religion would be an odd sort of a thing without a name: accordingly there ought to be one for it, at least for the professors of it. Utilitarian (Angl) Utilitaïrien (Gall) would be the mot propre. Consult the physical class of the Institut: which by the bye I am truly sorry to hear you say is in its decline—or at a stand at least.

Dumont's return

You have nothing particular to do here—when you have seen Ld H.²⁹ safe to whatever place he would be safe at, you ought to take another trip to Paris, to see how matters are going on there. You might by that time take the opportunity of buying Dumont Principes at so much per pound. Imported here, they might be put into one of the new-invented Quasi-Medean kettles³⁰—boiled young again, and regenerated into poems and sermons. You brag of your paper—but besides its letting the fingers through, it will not hold the ink: a pg 66device of your's, I suppose, for stopping the current of my amendments.

Place and Time etc. Ban et Arriere Ban³¹

I have not compared any thing with the original Brouillon, and probably never shall: but as far as I can judge it is a happy thing that there happened to be so much room to spare. The Promulgation des raisons edified me very much: it was a favourite topic, and I was very glad to see it, and see it so well managed—putting the specimen after the general matter was an idea altogether excellent. 'Place' and 'Time' being of the nature of that sort of general speculation that on likes, and at the same time fixed and specialized by the applications made of it, will (I should think) be found rather amusing than otherwise, and by giving a sort of vernis philosophique, make an excellent finish.—I have filled my paper—a duty I never neglect—so now, my good boy, good by we to you.