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Introduction
John Trenchard MP was not so naive as to imagine that the general public were always right. But he thought they owed their errors to being misled by politicians, and that they usually recognised the truth when they were allowed to see it. If only, he sighed, the politicians would stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes, and concentrate on doing the job for which they were elected.
FROM the present Spirit of this Nation, it is still further evident to me, what I have always thought, that the People would constantly be in the Interests of Truth and Liberty, were it not for external Delusion and external Force. Take away Terror, and Men never would have been Slaves:* Take away Imposture, and Men will never be Dupes nor Bigots. The People when they are in the Wrong, are generally in the Wrong thro’ Mistake; and when they come to know it, are apt frankly to correct their own Faults.
But it is not so with Great Men, and the Leaders of Parties; who are, for the most part, in the Wrong thro’ Ambition, and continue in the Wrong thro’ Malice. Their Intention is wicked, and their End criminal; and they commonly aggravate great Crimes by greater. As great Dunces as the Governors of Mankind often are, (and God knows they are often great enough,) they are never Traytors out of meer Stupidity.
I could give many Instances wherein the People of England have judged and do judge right; as they always would, were they not misled.
* Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818) made a similar point some seventy years later, alleging that politicians fostered a general anxiety among the public over war and natural disasters because it tended to increase their power: see Desperate Measures.
Précis
Writing in the 1720s, John Trenchard complained that politicians made catastrophic errors of judgment through ambition, and then persevered in them for reasons which did them no credit, and could not be ascribed to stupidity. The general public, he claimed, erred only when their statesmen misled them, and happily changed course as soon as they realised their mistake. (58 / 60 words)
Writing in the 1720s, John Trenchard complained that politicians made catastrophic errors of judgment through ambition, and then persevered in them for reasons which did them no credit, and could not be ascribed to stupidity. The general public, he claimed, erred only when their statesmen misled them, and happily changed course as soon as they realised their mistake.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, despite, just, must, or, until, who.
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