have lately heard from a political master, whose eloquence
has been employed in teaching us that progress can
only be expected from those whose declared purpose
is to stand still. The new farthing newspaper,
‘The Mob,’ was already putting Melmotte
forward as a political hero, preaching with reference
to his commercial transactions the grand doctrine
that magnitude in affairs is a valid defence for certain
irregularities. A Napoleon, though he may exterminate
tribes in carrying out his projects, cannot be judged
by the same law as a young lieutenant who may be punished
for cruelty to a few negroes. ‘The Mob’
thought that a good deal should be overlooked in a
Melmotte, and that the philanthropy of his great designs
should be allowed to cover a multitude of sins.
I do not know that the theory was ever so plainly...