WhenIsaythatIexpectlittlefromtheprincipalactorsthattreadthestageatpresent，IamfarfromapplyingtoallofthemwhatItaketobetrueofthefargreatestpart。Therearemenamongthemwhocertainlyintendthegoodoftheircountry，andwhomIloveandhonourforthatreason。Butthesemenhavebeenclogged，ormisled，oroverbornebyothers;and，seducedbynaturaltempertoinactivity，havetakenanyexcuse，oryieldedtoanypretencethatsavouredit。Thattheyshouldrousethereforeinthemselves，orinanyoneelse，thespirittheyhavesuffered，nayhelpedtodieaway，Idonotexpect。Iturnmyeyesfromthegenerationthatisgoingoff，tothegenerationthatiscomingonthestage。Iexpectgoodfromthem，andfromnoneofthemmorethanfromyou，myLord。Rememberthattheoppositioninwhichyouhaveengaged，atyourfirstentranceintobusiness，isnotanoppositiononlytoabadadministrationofpublicaffairs，buttoanadministrationthatsupportsitselfbymeans，establishesprinciples，introducescustoms，repugnanttotheconstitutionofourgovernments，anddestructiveofallliberty;thatyoudonotonlycombatpresentevils，butyourposterity;thatifattemptstoentailtheseevilsuponyouandyouceasethecombat，yougiveupthecause:andthathe，whodoesnotrenewoneveryoccasionhisclaim，mayforfeithisright。
Ourdisputeswereformerly，tosaythetruth，muchmoreaboutpersonsthanthings;oratmostaboutparticularpointsofpoliticalconduct，inwhichweshouldhavesoonagreed，ifpersons，andpersonalinterestshadbeenlessconcerned，andtheblindprejudiceofpartylessprevalent。WhethertheBig—endiansortheLittle—endiansgotthebetter，Ibelievenomanofsenseandknowledgethoughttheconstitutionconcerned;notwithstandingalltheclamourraisedatonetimeaboutthedangeroftheChurch，andatanotheraboutthedangeroftheProtestantsuccession。Butthecaseisatthistimevastlyaltered。Themeansofinvadinglibertymoreeffectuallybytheconstitutionoftherevenue，thaniteverhadbeeninvadedbyprerogative，werenotthengrownupintostrength。Theyaresonow;andaboldandaninsolentuseismadeofthem。Toreformthestatethereforeis，andoughttobe，theobjectofyouropposition，aswellastoreformtheadministration。WhydoIsayaswell？Itisso，anditoughttobeso，muchmore。Wrestthepowerofthegovernment，ifyoucan，outofhandsthathaveemployeditweaklyandwickedly;
eversinceitwasthrownintothem，byasillybargainmadeinonereign，andacorruptbargainmadeinanother。Butdonotimaginethistobeyoursole，oryourprincipalbusiness。Youowetoyourcountry，toyourhonour，toyoursecurity，tothepresent，andtofutureages，thatnoendeavoursofyoursbewantingtorepairthebreachthatismade，andisincreasingdailyintheconstitution，andtoshutupwithallthebarsandboltsoflaw，theprincipalentriesthroughwhichthesetorrentsofcorruptionhavebeenletinuponus。Isaytheprincipalentries;because，howeveritmayappearinpurespeculation，Ithinkitwouldnotbefoundinpracticepossible，nonoreligibleneither，toshutthemupall。Asentriesofcorruptionnoneofthemdeservetobeexcepted:butthereisajustdistinctiontobemade，becausethereisarealdifference。Someoftheseentriesareopenedbytheabuseofpowers，necessarytomaintainsubordination，andtocarryonevengoodgovernment，andthereforenecessarytobepreservedinthecrown，notwithstandingtheabusethatissometimesmadeofthem;fornohumaninstitutioncanarriveatperfection，andthemostthathumanwisdomcando，istoprocurethesameorgreatergood，attheexpenseoflessevil。Therewillbealwayssomeevileitherimmediate，orremote，eitherincauseorconsequence。Butthereareotherentriesofcorruption，andthesearebymuchthegreatest，forsufferingofwhichtocontinueopennoreasoncanbeassignedorhasbeenpretendedtobeassigned，butthatwhichistoeveryhonestandwisemanareasonforshuttingthemup;theincreaseofthemeansofcorruption，whichareofteneremployedfortheserviceoftheoligarchy，thanfortheserviceofthemonarchy。
Shutupthese，andyouwillhavenothingtofearfromtheothers。Bythese，amorerealandamoredangerouspowerhasbeengainedtoministers，thanwaslosttothecrownbytherestraintsonprerogative。
Therehavebeenperiodswhenourgovernmentcontinuedfree，withstrongappearancesofbecomingabsolute。Letitbeyourglory，myLord，andthatofthenewgenerationspringingupwithyou，thatthisgovernmentdonotbecomeabsoluteatanyfutureperiod，withtheappearancesofbeingfree。