To these great advantages of liberty it is
owing that liberty itself has been abused. Because a moderate government
has been productive of admirable effects, this moderation has been laid
aside; because great taxes have been raised, they wanted to carry them
to excess; and ungrateful to the hand of liberty, of whom they received
this present, they addressed themselves to slavery, who never grants the
least favour.
Liberty produces excessive taxes; the effect of excessive taxes is
slavery; and slavery produces a diminution of tribute.
Most of the edicts of the eastern monarchs are to exempt every year
some province of their empire from paying tribute.
[12]
The manifestations of their wills are favours. But in Europe the edicts of
princes are disagreeable even before they are seen, because they always
make mention of their own wants, but not a word of ours.
From an unpardonable indolence in the ministers of those countries,
owing to the nature of the government, and frequently to the climate,
the people derive this advantage, that they are not incessantly plagued
with new demands. The public expense does not increase, because the
ministers do not form new projects: and if some by chance are formed,
they are such as are soon executed. The governors of the state do not
perpetually torment the people, for they do not perpetually. torment
themselves. But it is impossible there should be any fixed rule in our
finances, since we always know that we shall have something or other to
execute, without ever knowing what it is.
It is no longer customary with us to give the appellation of a great
minister to a wise dispenser of the public revenues, but to a person of
dexterity and cunning, who is clever at finding out what we call the
ways and means.
