Liberty Fund Books

Description

Almost a generation before Washington, Henry, and Jefferson were even born, two Englishmen, concealing their identities with the honored ancient name of Cato, wrote newspaper articles condemning tyranny and advancing principles of liberty that immensely influenced American colonists. The Englishmen were John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon. Their prototype was Cato the Younger (95–46 B.C.), the implacable foe of Julius Caesar and a champion of liberty and republican principles. Their 144 essays were published from 1720 to 1723, originally in the London Journal, later in the British Journal. Subsequently collected as Cato's Letters, these "Essays on Liberty, Civil and Religious" became, as Clinton Rossiter has remarked, "the most popular, quotable, esteemed source of political ideas in the colonial period."

This new two-volume edition offers minimally modernized versions of the letters from the four-volume sixth edition printed in London in 1755.

Ronald Hamowy is Professor of History at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.

Table of Contents

VOLUME ONE

PUBLISHING HISTORY OF CATO'S LETTERS xi
EDITOR'S NOTE xiv

A NOTE ON THE DATES OF CATO'S LETTERS xvi
A NOTE ON THE NOTES xvii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xviii
INTRODUCTION xx
Dedication 1
Preface 11

VOLUME ONE OF THE SIXTH EDITION
NO. 1. Reasons to prove that we are in no Danger of losing Gibraltar. 37
NO. 2. The fatal Effects of the South?Sea Scheme, and the Necessity of punishing the Directors. 40
NO. 3. The pestilent Conduct of the South?Sea Directors, with the reasonable Prospect of publick Justice. 43
NO. 4. Against false Methods of restoring publick Credit. 47
NO. 5. A further Call for Vengeance upon the South?Sea Plunderers; with a Caution against false Patriots. 51
NO. 6. How easily the People are bubbled by Deceivers. Further Cautions against deceitful Remedies for the publick Sufferings from the wicked Execution of the South?Sea Scheme. 55
NO. 7. Further Cautions about new Schemes for publick Redress. 59
NO. 8. The Arts of able guilty Ministers to save themselves. The wise and popular Conduct of Queen Elizabeth towards publick Harpies; with the Application. 63
NO. 9. Against the projected Union of the Three Great Companies; and against remitting to the South?Sea Company any Part of their Debt to the Publick. 68
NO. 10. The Iniquity of late and new Projects about the South?Sea considered. How fatally they affect the Publick. 75
NO. 11. The Justice and Necessity of punishing great Crimes, though committed against no subsisting Law of the State. 87
NO. 12. Of Treason: All Treasons not to be found in Statutes. The Right of the Legislature to declare Treasons. 93
NO. 13. The Arts of misleading the People by Sounds. 99
NO. 14. The unhappy State of despotick Princes, compared with the happier Lot of such as rule by settled Laws. How the latter, by abusing their Trust, may forfeit their Crown. 104
NO. 15. Of Freedom of Speech; That the same is inseparable from publick Liberty. 110
NO. 16. The Leaders of Parties, their usual Views. Advice to all Parties to be no longer misled. 117
NO. 17. What Measures are actually taken by wicked and desperate Ministers to ruin and enslave their Country. 123
NO. 18. The terrible Tendency of publick Corruption to ruin a State, exemplified in that of Rome, and applied to our own. 128
NO. 19. The Force of popular Affection and Antipathy to particular Men.How powerfully it operates, and how far to be regarded. 133
NO. 20. Of publick Justice, how necessary to the Security and Well?being of a State, and how destructive the Neglect of it to the British Nation. Signal Instances of this. 138
NO. 21. A Letter from John Ketch, Esq. asserting his Right to the Necks of the overgrown Brokers. 148
NO. 22. The Judgment of the People generally sound, where not misled. With the Importance and Probability of bringing over Mr. Knight. 156
NO. 23. A memorable Letter from Brutus to Cicero, with an explanatory introduction. 164
NO. 24. Of the natural Honesty of the People, and their reasonable Demands. How important it is to every Government to consult their Affections and Interest. 174
NO. 25. Considerations on the destructive Spirit of arbitrary Power. With the Blessings of Liberty, and our own Constitution. 179
NO. 26. The sad Effects of general Corruption, quoted from AlgernonSidney, Esq. 188
NO. 27. General Corruption, how ominous to the Publick, and how discouraging to every virtuous Man. With its fatal Progress whenever encouraged. 194
NO. 28. A Defence of Cato against his Defamers. 201
NO. 29. Reflections occasioned by an Order of Council for suppressing certain impious Clubs that were never discovered. 207
NO. 30. An excellent Letter from Brutus to Atticus; with an explanatory Introduction. 214
NO. 31. Considerations on the Weakness and Inconsistencies of human Nature. 221
NO. 32. Reflections upon Libelling. 228
NO. 33. Cautions against the Encroachments of Power. 234

VOLUME TWO OF THE SIXTH EDITION
NO. 34. Of Flattery. 243
NO. 35. Of publick Spirit. 250
NO. 36. Of Loyalty. 255
NO. 37. Character of a good and of an evil Magistrate, quoted from Algernon Sidney, Esq. 262
NO. 38. The Right and Capacity of the People to judge of Government. 266
NO. 39. Of the Passions; that they are all alike good or all alike evil, according as they are applied. 273
NO. 40. Considerations on the restless and selfish Spirit of Man. 278
NO. 41. The Emperor Galba's Speech to Piso, with an Introduction. 282
NO. 42. Considerations on the Nature of Laws. 288
NO. 43. The natural Passion of Men for Superiority. 294
NO. 44. Men not ruled by Principle, but by Passion. 298
NO. 45. Of the Equality and Inequality of Men. 306
NO. 46. Of the false Guises which Men put on, and their ill Effect. 310
NO. 47. Of the Frailty and Uncertainty of human Judgment. 315
NO. 48. The general unhappy State of the World, from the Baseness and Iniquity of its Governors in most Countries. 320
NO. 49. Of the Power of Prejudice. 326
NO. 50. An Idea of the Turkish Government, taken from Sir Paul Ricaut. 332
NO. 51. Popularity no Proof of Merit. 338
NO. 52. Of Divine Judgments; the Wickedness and Absurdity of applying them to Men and Events. 343
NO. 53. Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses, examined; whether the same was a Judgment for his killing the Egyptian God Apis. 350
NO. 54. The Reasoning of Dr. Prideaux about the Fate of Brennus the Gaul, and of his Followers, examined; whether the same was a Judgment for an Intention to plunder the Temple of Delphos. 357
NO. 55. The Lawfulness of killing Julius Caesar considered, and defended, against Dr. Prideaux. 367
NO. 56. A Vindication of Brutus, for having killed Caesar. 376
NO. 57. Of false Honour, publick and private. 388
NO. 58. Letter from a Lady, with an Answer, about Love, Marriage, and Settlements. 395
NO. 59. Liberty proved to be the unalienable Right of all Mankind. 405
NO. 60. All Government proved to be instituted by Men, and only to intend the general Good of Men. 413
NO. 61. How free Governments are to be framed so as to last, and how they differ from such as are arbitrary. 420
NO. 62. An Enquiry into the Nature and Extent of Liberty; with its Loveliness and Advantages, and the vile Effects of Slavery. 426
NO. 63. Civil Liberty produces all Civil Blessings, and how; with the baneful Nature of Tyranny. 435
NO. 64. Trade and Naval Power the Offspring of Civil Liberty, and cannot subsist without it. 442
NO. 65. Military Virtue produced and supported by Civil Liberty only. 445
NO. 66. Arbitrary Government proved incompatible with true Religion, whether Natural or Revealed. 462
NO. 67. Arts and Sciences the Effects of Civil Liberty only, and ever destroyed or oppressed by Tyranny. 471
NO. 68. Property and Commerce secure in a free Government only; with the consuming Miseries under simple Monarchies. 483

VOLUME TWO

VOLUMES THREE AND FOUR OF THE SIXTH EDITION
No. 69 through No. 138

AN APPENDIX CONTAINING ADDITIONAL LETTERS BY CATO
No. 1 through No. 6

INDEX