Faction Detected, BY THE EVIDENCE of FACTS. C PPOSITION to the Measures of Government, whether good or bad, is no new thing in this or any other Country, where the People have any fhare in the Legislature. For wherever that Circumftance is found, the Materials for the Advancement of private Views abundantly occur: And in Proportion to the Importance of fuch a Country, Subjects ambitious of Preferment have more Incentives to urge them on to Pursuits of this Nature, more Inftruments to affift them in their Undertaking, and more Pretexts to delude and to impose upon the Multitude. The Employments in fuch a Country muft of Neceffity be numerous and lucrative, the Engagements of the Publick frequent, and expenfive, the Dangers from its Neighbours greater, their Jealoufy and Ill-will more to be apprehended, and confequently with more Privacy and Caution counteracted, This enables artful Men to raise Murmurs against the most neceffary Charges of the State, and to quarrel with the best means of Publick Security with a manifeft Advantage, because it is easy to dispute the Wisdom of Measures, which can never be entirely difclofed, till they are fully executed; and the Poison infufed into the People has performed its Operation before the Nature of the thing can poffibly admit a Detection of the Falfities and Mifreprefentations employed against them; while the Publick, already prejudiced, never give themselves the Trouble to examine what is paft; either taking more Delight in the Discovery of Error, than in the Purfuit of Truth; or not having the Means furnished with equal Induftry; or being diverted by fome fresh Objection, started to fome new Conduct, In Proportion to the Riches of any Country, Poverty becomes more preffing upon many by a natural Contraft. In all fuch Countries the Wretched are certainly more wretched than in others which flourish lefs; because the Neceffaries of Life are dear, and not to be had without that Induftry, which Numbers B Numbers will be found to want, in all Places, however opportune the Means of Employment may be ; and Men of this kind may be induftrious in a Faction, which is carried on by Noise, Drunkenness and Riot, when they can be fo in nothing else. In all trading Countries the Profpect of Gain allures many to adventurous Undertakings above their Abilities, by which fome must be undone, and these never fail to attribute to Mismanagements of Government, thofe Evils which arife from their own Sloth, Incapacity or Avarice.--Again, in fuch Countries, the Luxury of fome induces others to follow them in the fame Expence, to the Ruin of themselves and of their Families, and the Generality of thefe unite in Views of a like Nature.As in all populous Countries, from a Variety of Diftrefs, fuch Objects must be very numerous; fo from the very Numbers of a People alone, Faction always derives a great Advantage, fince from the Difference of Difpofitions, with which Men are born into the World, fome will infallibly arife from time to time, framed by Nature itself of a restlefs and discontented Temper; form'd, whether they have Cause for it or not, to be as well a Torment to themselves, as a Plague to the Society in which they live.--Nor can Oppofition, right or wrong, want even Property to gild it over and to grace it; for Men arifing from the loweft Level of the People, and advancing into confiderable and eafy Fortunes, are by a natural Confequence, too often led to confpire against that very Felicity, Peace, Quiet and Profperity, to which alone they have owed their Exiftence.-Arrogance and Pride, without a more than common fhare of Understanding, are the univerfal Product of all hafty Advancement. Thefe Men repine at what they never before had Leifure to confider; that there is ftill a certain difference between their Condition and that of another Rank, which they cannot remedy by all their Efforts to exceed them in Expence.--This fomething, which they find ftill wanting fours them with their own State, and inclines them to fall in with any popular Difcontent; partly, to gratify their Vanity in infulting thofe above them; and partly, to create a Chaos, out of which they hope to emerge upon a Level with thofe the envy.-From whence the Obfervation holds most true, That all Nations, in proportion to their Increase, grow turbulent and factious, and from this Quarter arife thofe levelling Schemes, in the Contention for which, fooner or later, Anarchy enfues; and in procefs of time, the Lofs of that real Liberty, whofe facred Name is fo often fpeciously prophaned by Malice and Ambition. Even Liberty itfelf, the more perfect it is, produces thefe Effects more ftrongly; for |