HowpresenttohismindweretheanecdotesofformertimesconcerningtheRomanandotherstates，andhowcuriouswashetoobservetheminutestcircumstancesthatpassedinhisown？HisworkswillanswersufficientlythequestionsIask，andestablishinthemindofeverymanwhoreadsthemtheideaIwouldgiveofhiscapacityandknowledge，aswellasthatwhichissouniversallytakenofhiseloquence。Toamanfraughtwithallthisstockofknowledge，andindustrioustoimproveitdaily，nothingcouldhappenthatwasentirelynew，nothingforwhichhewasquiteunprepared，scarceanyeffectwhereofhehadnotconsideredthecause，scarceanycausewhereinhissagacitycouldnotdiscernthelatenteffect。HiseloquenceinprivatecausesgavehimfirstcreditatRome，butitwasthisknowledge，thisexperience，andthecontinuedhabitsofbusiness，thatsupportedhisreputation，enabledhimtodosomuchservicetohiscountry，andgaveforceandauthoritytohiseloquence。TolittlepurposewouldhehaveattachedCatilinewithallthevehemencethatindignationandevenfearaddedtoeloquence，ifhehadtrustedtothisweaponalone。Thisweaponalonewouldhavesecuredneitherhimnorthesenatefromtheponiardofthatassassin。Hewouldhavehadnooccasiontoboast，thathehaddriventhisinfamouscitizenoutofthewallsofRome，abiit，excessit，evasit，erupit，ifhehadnotmadeitbefore—handimpossibleforhimtocontinueanylongerinthem。Aslittleoccasionwouldhehavehadtoassumethehonourofdefeatingwithoutanytumult，oranydisorder，thedesignsofthosewhoconspiredtomurdertheRomanpeople，todestroytheRomanempire，andtoextinguishtheRomanname;ifhehadnotunitedbyskillandmanagement，inthecommoncauseoftheircountry，ordersofmenthemostaversetoeachother;ifhehadnotwatchedallthemachinationsoftheconspiratorsinsilence，andpreparedastrengthsufficienttoresistthematRome，andintheprovinces，beforeheopenedthissceneofvillainytothesenateandthepeople:inaword，ifhehadnotmademuchmoreuseofpoliticalprudence，thatis，oftheknowledgeofmankind，andoftheartsofgovernment，whichstudyandexperiencegive，thanofallthepowersofhiseloquence。
SuchwasDemosthenes，suchwasCicero，suchwereallthegreatmenwhosememoriesarepreservedinhistory，andsuchmusteverymanbe，orendeavourtobe，ifhehaseithersenseorsentiment，whopresumestomeddleinaffairsofgovernment，ofafreegovernmentImean，andhopestomaintainadistinguishedcharacterinpopularassemblies，whateverparthetakes，whetherthatofsupporting，orthatofopposing。Iputthetwocasespurposely，myLord，becauseIhaveobserved，andyourLordshipwillhavefrequentoccasionsofobserving，manypersonswhoseemtothinkthatoppositiontoanadministrationrequiresfewerpreparatives，andlessconstantapplicationthantheconductofit。Now，myLord，Itakethistobeagrosserror，andIamsureithasbeenafatalone。Itisoneofthoseerrors，andtherearemanysuch，whichmenimputetojudgment，andwhichproceedfromthedefectofjudgment，asthisdoesfromlightness，irresolution，laziness，andafalsenotionofopposition;
unlessthepersons，whoseemtothink，donotreallythinkinthismanner，butservingthepublicpurelyforinterest，andnotforfame，norforduty，declinetakingthesamepainswhentheyopposewithoutpersonalandimmediatereward，astheyarewillingtotakewhentheyarepaidforserving。Lookaboutyou，andyouwillseemeneagertospeak，andkeentoact，whenparticularoccasionspressthem，orparticularmotivesexcitethem，butquiteunpreparedforeither:andhenceallthatsuperficialityinspeaking，forwantofinformation，henceallthatconfusionorinactivity，forwantofconcert，andallthatdisappointmentforwantofpreliminarymeasures。Theywhoaffecttoheadanopposition，ortomakeanyconsiderablefigureinit，mustbeequalatleasttothosewhomtheyoppose;Idonotsayinpartsonly，butinapplicationandindustry，andthefruitsofboth，information，knowledge，andacertainconstantpreparednessforalltheeventsthatmayarise。Everyadministrationisasystemofconduct:opposition，therefore，shouldbeasystemofconductlikewise;anopposite，butnotadependentsystem。Ishallexplainmyselfbetterbyanexample。Whentwoarmiestakethefield，thegeneralsonbothsideshavetheirdifferentplansforthecampaign，eitherofdefenceorofoffence:andastheformerdoesnotsuspendhismeasurestillheisattacked，buttakesthembeforehandoneveryprobablecontingency，sothelatterdoesnotsuspendhis，tilltheopportunityofattackingpresentsitself，butisalertandconstantlyreadytoseizeitwheneverithappens;andinthemeantimeisbusytoimprovealltheadvantagesofskill，offorce，orofanyotherkindthathehas，orthathecanacquire，independentlyoftheplanandofthemotionsofhisenemy。
Inaword，myLord，thisismynotion，andIsubmitittoyou。Accordingtothepresentformofourconstitution，everymemberofeitherhouseofParliamentisamemberofanationalstandingcouncil，born，orappointedbythepeople，topromotegood，andtoopposebadgovernment;and，ifnotvestedwiththepowerofaministerofstate，yetvestedwiththesuperiorpowerofcontrollingthosewhoareappointedsuchbythecrown。Itfollowsfromhence，thattheywhoengageinoppositionareunderasgreatobligations，topreparethemselvestocontrol，astheywhoservethecrownareunder，topreparethemselvestocarryontheadministration:andthatapartyformedforthispurpose，donotactlikegoodcitizensnorhonestmen，unlesstheyproposetrue，aswellasopposefalsemeasuresofgovernment。SureIamtheydonotactlikewisemenunlesstheyactsystematically，andunlesstheycontrast，oneveryoccasion，thatschemeofpolicywhichthepublicinterestrequirestobefollowed，withthatwhichissuitedtonointerestbuttheprivateinterestoftheprinceorhisministers。Cunningmen（severalsuchthereareamongyou）willdislikethisconsequence，andobject，thatsuchaconductwouldsupport，undertheappearanceofopposing，aweakandevenawickedadministration;andthattoproceedinthismannerwouldbetogivegoodcounseltoabadminister，andtoextricatehimoutofdistressesthatoughttobeimprovedtohisruin。Butcunningpaysnoregardtovirtue，andisbutthelowmimicofwisdom。ItwereeasytodemonstratewhatIhaveassertedconcerningthedutyofanopposingparty。andIpresumethereisnoneedoflabouringtoprove，thatapartywhoopposed，systematically，awisetoasilly，anhonesttoaniniquitous，schemeofgovernment，wouldacquiregreaterreputationandstrength，andarrivemoresurelyattheirend，thanapartywhoopposedoccasionally，asitwere，withoutanycommonsystem，withoutanygeneralconcert，withlittleuniformity，littlepreparation，littleperseverance，andaslittleknowledgeorpoliticalcapacity。Butitistimetoleavethisinvidioussubject，andtohastentotheconclusionofmyletterbeforeitgrowsintoabook。
Iam，myLord，&c。