ernment, for a long time past, has taken in hand no other
public task, and has professed to have no other, but that of keeping
the peace. This public task, and the private one of ascertaining
whether Dick or Jack was to do it, have amply filled the capabilities
of Government for several generations now. Hard tasks both, it would
appear. In accomplishing the first, for example, have not heaven-born
Chancellors of the Exchequer had to shear us very bare; and to leave an
overplus of Debt, or of fleeces shorn _before_ they are grown, justly
esteemed among the wonders of the world? Not a first-rate keeping of the
peace, this, we begin to surmise! At least it seems strange to us.

For we, and the overwhelming majority of all our acquaintances, in this
Parish and Nation and the adjacent Parishes and Nations, are profoundly
conscious to ourselves of being by nature peaceable persons; following
our necessary industries; without wish, interest or faintest intention
to cut the skin of any mortal, to break feloniously into his industrial
premises, or do any injustice to him at all. Because indeed, independent
of Government, there is a thing called conscience, and we dare not.
So that it cannot but appear to us, "the peace," under dexterous
management, might be very much more easily kept, your Lordship; nay,
we almost think, if well let alone, it would in a measure keep _itself_
among such a set of persons! And how it happens that when a poor
hardworking creature of us has laboriously earned sixpence, the
Government comes in, and (as some compute) says, "I will thank you for
threepence of that, as per account, for getting you peace to spend the
other threepence," our amazement begins to be considerable,--and I think
results will follow from it by and by. Not the most dexterous keeping
of the peace, your Lordship, unless it be more difficult to do than
appears!

Our domestic peace, we cannot but perceive, as good as keeps itself.
Here and there a select Equitable Person, appointed by the Public
for that end, clad in ermine, and backed by certain companies of
blue Police, is amply adequate, without immoderate outlay in money or
otherwise, to keep down the few exceptional individuals of the scoundrel
kind; who, we observe, by the nature of them, are always weak and
inconsiderable. And as to foreign peace, really all Europe, now
especially with so many railroads, public journals, printed books,
penny-post, bills of exchange, and contin