Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 1 by Charles Mackay
page 93 of 314 (29%)
gain, which had swallowed up every nobler quality in the national
character, or the infatuation which had made the multitude run their
heads with such frantic eagerness into the net held out for them by
scheming projectors. These things were never mentioned. The people
were a simple, honest, hard-working people, ruined by a gang of
robbers, who were to be hanged, drawn, and quartered without mercy.

This was the almost unanimous feeling of the country. The two
Houses of Parliament were not more reasonable. Before the guilt of the
South Sea directors was known, punishment was the only cry. The King,
in his speech from the throne, expressed his hope that they would
remember that all their prudence, temper, and resolution were
necessary to find out and apply the proper remedy for their
misfortunes. In the debate on the answer to the address, several
speakers indulged in the most violent invectives against the directors
of the South Sea project. The Lord Molesworth was particularly
vehement. "It had been said by some, that there was no law to punish
the directors of the South Sea Company, who were justly looked upon as
the authors of the present misfortunes of the state. In his opinion
they ought, upon this occasion, to follow the example of the ancient
Romans, who, having no law against parricide, because their
legislators supposed no son could be so unnaturally wicked as to
embrue his hands in his father's blood, made a law to punish this
heinous crime as soon as it was committed. They adjudged the guilty
wretch to be sown in a sack, and thrown alive into the Tyber. He
looked upon the contrivers and executors of the villanous South Sea
scheme as the parricides of their country, and should be satisfied to
see them tied in like manner in sacks, and thrown into the Thames."
Other members spoke with as much want of temper and discretion. Mr.
Walpole was more moderate. He recommended that their first care should
DigitalOcean Referral Badge