take place,
and carry that reflection forward but one remove out of their own
persons to that of their offspring, they will then see that hereditary
succession becomes in its consequences the same despotism to others,
which they reprobated for themselves. It operates to preclude the
consent of the succeeding generations; and the preclusion of consent is
despotism. When the person who at any time shall be in possession of
a government, or those who stand in succession to him, shall say to a
nation, I hold this power in 'contempt' of you, it signifies not on what
authority he pretends to say it. It is no relief, but an aggravation to
a person in slavery, to reflect that he was sold by his parent; and as
that which heightens the criminality of an act cannot be produced to
prove the legality of it, hereditary succession cannot be established as
a legal thing.... Notwithstanding the taxes of England amount to almost
seventeen millions a year, said to be for the expenses of Government, it
is still evident that the sense of the nation is left to govern itself
by magistrates and jurors, almost at its own charge, on Republican
principles, exclusive of the expense of taxes. The salaries of the
judges are almost the only charge that is paid out of the revenue.
Considering that all the internal government is executed by the people,
the taxes of England ought to be the lightest of any nation in Europe;
instead of which they are the contrary. As this cannot be accounted for
on the score of civil government, the subject necessarily extends itself
to the monarchical part..... If a law be bad, it is one thing to oppose
the practice of it, but it is quite a different thing to expose its
errors, to reason on its defects, and show cause why it should be
repealed, or why another ought to be substituted in its place. I have
always held it an opinion (making it also my practice) that it is better
to obey a bad law, making use at the same time of every argument to show
its errors and procure its repeal, than forcibly to violate it; because
the precedent of breaking a bad law might weaken the force, and lead to
a discretionary violation, of those which are good."

As may be supposed, such a work as "The Rights of Man," aiming directly
at all oppression, regardless of party, could not be allowed to escape
the Attorney-General's _answer_. Accordingly, we find a prosecution
instituted against it. But instead of prosecuting the author, the
publish