They probably expected members of the public to do something to stop it. After all, that is what they did when there was no other recourse. Back then people had to work hard to survive. They had no way of knowing that ease and sloth would be inborn and make people indifferent and slackish about their freedom because they think their easy life might get compromised if they fight to keep their freedom!
Some might call that cowardice, but I am not quite sure what to call it. Maybe we still don’t get how dire the situation is.
Yes, you may be right, but that means that they had much more faith in people then to stop this kind of nonsense.
Not sure if that was true back then and it certainly is not true now.