Star. — London, England, 1823-06-14 00:00:00

ill MZETING. Yesterday, the friends of the Constitutional party. in Spain began.to assemble at an early hour in tIW Interithsg in the large- room of the London Tavern. Before twelve o'cloik the room Was couipletelfffiled. Tbe.Members of the Committee entered shortly after mit Mock, but previously to dill encretre Mr. Harr exhibited his ingenibut .activity by springing ere* ihe barrier plfted beteosen the space Intended for ihe Committee and the room. The descent was vigorously performed, and some applause honoured its mention. The approbation excited a further, erection; and Mr. Hvor u niounting.the table , essayed indignation to speak. The effort failed. The of t* Meeting was strongly manifested, - and the rage teiti-' tinued until Mr. Hommel' made his appearance. Then the storm instantly subsided. Mr. Homo:mat hoped that nIY; person would be per- Mined to insult the Meeting by an improper intru sion; at the same time that every person should be heard fairly, he trusted that the Meeting would not permit its• proceedings to be interrupted by is indi vidual who had always been remarkable for throwing the torch of discord amongst the friends of liberty— . (CAtera.).—lf the individual who now retired came forward at a convenient period of the Meeting he should be heard, but he requested no proceeding would take place until the Chair had been taken in a regular manner by Lord William Bentinck, who was expected immediately—(Cheerr).—The origihal order of the Meeting was now completely restored, and shortly afterwards, about half-past twelve o'clock, Lord Egskine, Lord Lyndueb, Lord John Russell, LOrd Eb rington, Lord Nugent, Mr. Lambton, M.P. Sir James Mack intosh, Sir R. Fermium, M.P. Mr. A. Baring M.P. Mr. Den- Man, M.P. Mr. Hume, M. P. Mc. Hobhouse, M.P. Mr. T. eamphia, 'lr. Dominick Brown, M.P. and several other Gen tlemen entered, and were received with universal acclamations. Mr. Hosts addressed the Meeting. He said, that in the absence of theNobleLord,who was momentarily ex pected, Lord Erskine had agreed to take the Chair until his arrival.—The proposition was well received, and Lord tRBKINIC took the Chair. He considered the present one Of the most important Meetings that had ever assembled. - The question was, whether hereafter the free condition of nations was to be affected by those Rho had no right to interfere with they situation? The present war was not prosecuted by France upon any moral right or principle, and depended solely on the number of soldiers it could collect for the butchering of the inhabitants of an unoffending nation—(i,'heeri). -=-He begged leave to remind the Meeting that Go vernment had not, and could not, offer any apology for France, and that the want of means was the only alleged cause of non-interference. They who were friends to Government were doubtless bound•to con tribute two-told to aid the injured Spaniards—first, on their own account; and, secondly, on account of the oeutrality of Government—(Cheers).—After a fcw further observations the Noble Lord thanked the Meeting for their kindness, and begged to give way to Lord W. Bentinck, who had just entered 01.1 room. Lord W. BENTINCK apologised fur not having at tended earlier. He would confine himself to the mi litary part of the question. He was the more dis posed to do so as he had been employed by the Go vernment of this country in ISOS to co-operate with the S i sanish nation in repelling the invasion of the French. " Would to Goo r said the Noble Lord, em phatically, " that I had now been employed on n similar commission"—(C'heviag). The situation of France at that period and the present were strikingly simil .r. The sane unjust invasion—the same prin ciples of freedom were at stake. There was one point, rowever, in which the parallel was not preserved— the Fiencll were not, as then, led on by great Cap tains—(Cheers). The Noble Lord mid a dispatch which he at that period addressed to Lord castle reagh, in which he enumerated the great difficulties Which the Spanish nation had to contend aglinst, and which were only counterbalanced by the " uncon querable spirit" of the Spanish people. On that spirit he now placed the strongest reliance that it would triumph over the oppression and tyranny to which it was attempted to make it subservient. Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH then rose to propose the Srst Resolution. He had been called upon in conse quence of the acoielentat absence of some of the most distinguished friends of that cause, whose hearts, however, were with them, and who were ready to give their adoption to any act sanctioned by that great Meeting, assembled, an it was, upon one of the most important occasions that had ever brought English men together--(Hroa). In consequence of that ab sence it had fallen to his lot to address them ; and he was gratified in knowing that he had not to perform the task of exciting the feelings of that assembly; hot Ise had simply to use each words as would best in 'terpret those feelings. in fulfilling theardnoos duty imposed Upon him, We Win in it great degree sup ported by having raised in behalf Of this cause the, voice of his generous, illustrious, and Noble friend. Whot4 the cause of liberty was to be advocated, cbtild there be found a more . appropriattrepresentative than the individual whose genius was in his tar,ly years the shieldnf accused innocence, and who has shed a greater lustre on the decline of his life by supporting eqtally the independence of States, from the Greeks, the first-born of liberty—( Ch eers)to the Spaniards, the last indeed,. but not the most unimportant nation destined to enjoy the same glorious triumph of liberty which had impitted such great, service to civilised man? He_ knew not how he could more conveni . •totly perform Ms duty, than by adverting briefly to those occasions an Which similar objects, having, : 'however, but a taint and general resemblance to the ;•passeat, for surely no occasion of equal importance sse - ntrocity had ever:yet arisen—drew together Meet 'itigs of free Englishmen. It was abaft fifty years ago since a similar event in itself, but pregnant with most pernicious consequences—the sale of the people bf IROrsica by the Republic of Genoa to the Bourbon GOientaleut of France—(Cheers)--drew together such an assembly of Englishmen. That was the first time when the principle was put in practice that men could be sold like herds of cattle. That Republic or Gatos had, however, in our own tithes, at length fallen a victim to its own detestable principles. Let no nation go about enslaving another. Genoa had' herself given an example of that retribution which sooner or later awaited all such acts of oppressive parties, of unfeeling despotism. Let no nation, how ever great, consent to such an act; for, in such a case, he held it the connivance was not less criminal than direct oppression. It was then, for the first time, rat the rights cif e tbe pork s . fifre trampled upott-6. iintithiewas *topic upon which it woe onnosesserr /babe alsinsiambliVAcy of Ma osier the AIN .9141 h litsleibld have it engraved on allitrintlds to eld pOtrtol my* cartliti into • Mention; That .40 &dent-through whilst *fey dhttelle tb thattroolle wild: or OHO walltheje (or the first• time, ifivented, ' 4 bet-tter slime of success' eater Ifilen-elet no Ifieneres. toirld estimate Persia abort Athens--millions of fOrtdee pollute this please-blether coward' anddiel of slaves above a few hundred thousands of freemen. there WO- at an awful distance. Let - these who creek!' were then' ' .-. Li - with that Monarchy, the the tyrant's Court—who bend low before him — who greatest in Euro . . 'see it did not prevent the great- crouch to power, and who must feel in their detest body of the people . • ngland from corning forward able meanness that the slightest veering of the breath and expressing their abhorrence at this criminal of fortune would make them as recreant deserters IfleY. fife. The people of England met and subscribed, from the Court, at they are now fawning flatterers and did all in their power to avert the success of that and subservient slaves within its precincts—let all elsominablte, crime; and even after its unhallowed such stand aloof. Liberty is never bettered by such „ consummation ' when the fugitive of liberty, Paoli, assistance." lied by night from his devoted country, he was re- Non tali auxin° nec derensoribus hue reeivid by the English Consul at Leghorn with a re- No human 'cause stood so lit t l e.in n eed of the smiles ' wet denied to his unrighteous conqueror--(Cheers). History abounded of fortune as the cause of liberty. He was received there with English hearts and feel- with examples attesting the truth of this assertion.— lags, though they were . embodied in a foreign land. He would recall, earticularly to his youthful hearers, The ships hoisted their flags, and.saluted with their the scenes in which liberty had experienced a tempo artillery this fugitive advocate of freedom—(Hear). racy pressure, and he would ask whether the defeats Those who subscribed then to the freedom of Corsica of Chcronea and Pharsalia were not calculated to did not blush for their own conduct; their efforts kindle in their bosoms just as warm a flame as the were unsuccessful, but they were glorious. victory of Marathon? Did, I would ask them, did The Room at this moment was filled to excess. the death of Cato or of Brutus send them away All the avenues leading to the place ,were crowded, , ashamed of liberty? or did not they feel a stronger and there was a call of .. Adjourn to the Exchanger confidence in the cause to which such souls were SirJ.MACEENTosst could assure the Meeting, tha bound in indissoluble connection ? Or, he would ask them, if they did not reverence the fall of Kos he would trespass for as short a time as possible upon their attention. The attempt rnadeopon liberty, on ciusko even as much ae_the godlike triumph of Alex ander himself—(Cheers)?—The immot tat Pqet to the principle now adopted by the Fiencie Govern- ender he had already referred receded through cen ment, was made about 80 years sitice, as exhibited in curies, to pluck the laurel badly won from the brow the infamous partition of Poland. They were attacked of the distressed victor of Cheronea—(Lond Cheers). by a wicked and powerful neighbour for attempting —flea-divisions of Spai n had formerly been just as to found a limited monarchy and a popular repre g remotion. They were assisted in their attempt to reat as they were said to b e now. There were the same list of reptiles who crept after the ter of the accomplish that which at the pe r iod of the Revolution conqueror of their country. The hearts of these he h this country had achie ve d—t o f oun d a free Govern- conqueror Nobility were now b are d t o the in s pectio n of went, to erect a free Constitution. On that occasion, • the pretence for invasion was, the existence of the people whom they had b e f ore bet r ayed. Whe n Russia invaded Poland, she did so, justifying her anarchy and jacobinism. The people of Poland were conduct on account of the division in that country ; ,said to be divided, but how divided ; how was that and France now sheltered herself under the saute division manufactured ? By t he baseness of those very invaders. The division of the people was pretext, and sought to c o n ver t h er ow n c ri m e i nto a meritorious interference. lie could conceive nothing effected, in the first instance by the gold and corrup m lion of Russia, and this was afterwards made a pie ore contemptible than the base, unworthy, and d e . tence for aiding the diabolical purposes of the inva- testable artifices, which end e a voure d t o c o ver suc h tiers, and when those arts had prevailed over some black atrocity by so palt r y a v i n di cat i on . I t was a unnatural Poles, what happened then? The Mus- pretext, in-every way w o rthy o f t h ose w h o resorte d covite armies, taking advantage of that division, en to it—it was built upon th e a d m i ss i on t h at a great na tered Poland as deliverers, advanced as bloody con- lion was lost to all natural aff ect i on — t h a t i t was in). querbrs, and terminated by the consummation of its partial between despoti s m an d lib er ty— t h at i t saw with indifference the rebuilding of the dungeons of natural consequences, foreign tyranny—(Hearh— We were then at peace with Poland ; her divisions despotism, and the remodelli ng t h e mac hi nery o f t h e were then looked on as the divisions in Spain were instruments of torture. Their triumph wa s wort hy seen at this time, not by the noble and gallant of them. They were i n extacy to t hi n k t h at one more Officer in the Chair, who to the skill of a soldi er nation had been gathered wi t hi n th e y o k e o f despot united the profound wisdom of a statesman, but by ism—that another provi nce w ou ld b e a dd e d to t h e the military pedants, as insurmountable barrier s to dominions of the Holy Allian ce —th a t anot h er bl ow success ; and yet in spite of all these obstacles, *het would be given to liberty and i t s atte n d a n ts , t h e then happened ? A great and powerful exertion was sciences and arts—that human nature itself should be overturned; for it was upon the vices of nations they made in England in behalf of the people of P o l an d, reposed. their hopes of future s uc c es s . Thi s was a to preserve to them that form ofGovernment whi c h they had adopted. The cry was (let him hop► but question between die virtues that adorned human na for a time), succe s sful in o pp os i ng t h e independence ture and the sites whi c h d e b ase d i t ; f or upon t h e Prevalence of nations ; but did they fo r a moment b e li ev thatrevalence of vices did th e a d vocates o f d espot i sm any man was ashamed of the part he took in that rest their expectations. He rejoiced that he bad been once more found treading the path in which he had transaction? No. With whatever sorrow they mi g h t lament the issue of that contest—th e failure of tiseir first walked, and from which he should never deviate wishes, they must have viewed their own Conihlct until his last breath—(Cheers). He felt that he had with all the feelings that b e lon g ed t o co nsc i ous rendered but an imp er f ect tr ib ute to a great cause; et..c but his feebleness .w ou ld hereafter be supplied by titude. The defeendants of these men would no t s h r i n k those whose lips were not ungraceful nor tongues in= their steps—they would look to their conduct i n ' this respect as an example tb' be followed, not es a eloquent--whose eloquence would now be raised in warning to be avoided. tie was unwilling to t r e s pa ss on behalf oftts parent libe rt y, assa il e d as i t was b y t hi s their time , but wouldat once direct thei r atte n don to the band of assassins (Cke;rs). The Honourable and last great battle fctight for the indepeaden ce ol'Eu rope. Learned Gentlem an concluded by moving, as the first liesblution of the Meeting— hwue lad at ins e t v itu ery i He would use a homely and familiar illustration. " If," said the Hon and Learned Gentleman, " a gang nation possums tit* eight of choosing the of robbers had got into your neighbourhood, and to admit an int i erf wi e l rt b nc y e w rth di tht f ri iota be "'wiled ; and that were committing depredations in the vicinity of your Pretext. is to forfeit all claim to the higedearopaniaodaedianaTntytmotainity dependence." mode, you would, I think, begin to tremble a little P for the security Qf your otirn property. But suppose Mr. Jitaaril Mannt t rt, M. M.P. seconded the Reso this gang not only committed this robbery, but s i t- lotion. Ile con s id ere d t h e present occas i on was one tempted afterwards to justify its commi ss io n up o n Als whi ch every friend of freedom should boldly Cbtfie forward in support of the freedomof Spain. some pretended principle. If they Maintai n ed th a t He contemplated the greatest advan tage f rom t h e robber, was a linty, and the posees s i o n 4 pea present demon s t ra ti on o f pu bli c f ee li ng—(Hear). perty a criMe, I coneeite that your alarm wo u ld be greatly, and lam sure justly increased. But The Resolution was unanimously adopted. I will suppose still further that this gang attempted Lord LiairDoeit cassia forward, and was received with much applause. H e w as not accustomed to ad to make thernetleee masters of a lodgment over dress large Meetin gs: h e wou ld say, h owever, what hingi nge one neest defenceless premises ; lam sure that the man whc, did not attempt be could state of hi s sown k now l e d ge. H e had been tb espel the gang must in that part of Sp a i n , two years ego, w h ich did once be considered not as a prudent neutral, but a s a b oo by and enjoy a free Constit u ti on; an d, f rom t h e unanimity a tbtrard—(Cheert). I would bed of you to co which then prevailed, h e was con fid ent, t h at were it nepaet the case OP Corsica with the first instance-- not for the corruption an d treac h ery w hi ch were that was the case of a simple robbery—(Cheterse-e practised, there would now be no A rmy o f t h e F a i th The partition of Polandillustrates the second position ; for in that case the invaders actually disowned that —(orefit dates). He wo uld confine himself to this. single observation, and conclude with an assurance the attempt of Poland improved her own Consent egaTletheiong_allant and to the Meeting of hiedevotioe to thecause of Spanish tion. The war against Spain illustrated the third east rerm ; in a t nd ho t shall leave lell tle ve m i a t ster to yofobitreterztcoleatertman,a7Fder.e- i N n o de bre L d n eh rd re mol a ed va th l e 4l4". secoolit ). rol, Lisbon, and Cadii, tha, As he has done before, " it. That the haroismand pomessmaaee With *blob the Spa unfurl his sails within sight of Plymouth, or as he at sh .. .,,,, t Pecide commenced and accomp li s h ed tat* atcregful "hiV theuatmprait tic,' of th e fernier Ruler of France, mainly had at a subsequent period uppeuteditit Bantry i3ay." - hese: h es e o f the late war, and entitled On the subject of the military state 4 Spain he them to the everlasting gratit ude ni of those nations who had pre should not trespass upOn their attention. His Noble Tieseivevaseedesete vain, fee the same cause." Friend, the Chairman, who, though a soldier, was a M"BatwoHatia scarcely ever fe It greater pleasure friend to liberty, and who reasoned • not with the nar- than now in sa • • ppoi ting t heßesolution which had 'row prejudices of a profession— for all prefeeeiror been read by his Noble Friend. That Noble Friend were subject to their prejudices-=had reminded had fought in many a field for Spanish freedom, and the Noble Lord then at the head of foreign Affairs,beatin g had shared in the g l or io us w or k o f down 'that though the military power of Spain wa s at t h at oppression. Would to GOD t h at he were once more period exhausted, she still possessed within herself engaged in the same holy labours, aided by the No each ireihauttible means of political defe n ce, as to ble Lord in the Chair, whose whole conduct in public Make, in the Noble Lord's opinion, h er su bj ugat i on life defaenstrated that there still lived • •in him that spirit , utterly impracticable ; and in a coefideneiel d a k n ing . of his anceseors which b roug h t them here, to assist in . . 'neaten addressed to Lord Castlereagh, he clearly Ending down a tyrant and oinking Eng land free..._ :hewed that he had not despaired of the ketunes of I hey bad CrAiteaver with Willia ree•--- my that glorious deli- Spain. As to those prophets 'Who now foretold a neer, to crash a despot, sad toad alnico to people's future different result for the afters Of Spain he believed 'Kings who owed their throne to the " the wish was father to the thought"—lte did net be- On the sobject now before the ' eserbons. had been his for lieve them; it was the fear and terror with which they I tune to tee the spirit of liberty ni. It burst forth, not only were oppressed that inspired the prophecy. They l out of doors, but likewi se i n pl aces w h ere i t was un bad seen in all countries under Heaven that lib er ty ' fortunately too rare, iwithin the wails of Parliament. 'rose with renewed splendour, even from rhe . diehesr Prom the beginning of the debates he had never' eclipses; and in no country more Often than in Spain. beard a aalffle whisper in the House of Commons from 1814 to HMO, after so prolonged eneeele i ee which was not consonant to the voice of the People,- in the cause of li . it e ra the e j ust as h epekee and to tree • voice of that Meeting . There might, in as at th i s mo m en b ri t w a s la id by , t h e m ot y o b , deed,' have been som oz e half ad -en of Court mi njons— lime of all human writers—it was said by 'Mee Of (C 'd'-but, • if they polluted the place with their another ease, which he might apply tb liberty— Pretence, tile, drew their foul breath in holes and " Se.shlo theAay-aar in-die eaten bed, "Cl,llYetil, in - drentighbotrthoood of congenial vermin— And yet anon repairs its drooping bead, (Loud sheers)--among the bats andeats—(Sheets)— Mid tricks his beams, and, with new-spangled en; Runes in the forehe a d of the moraiog sky." --(Cheers.) but they did not dare to pollute -their ears by Athisper against tire cause of lilseit loathed and dreaded—(Cieers).—lle `dm voice of all 'England be poured forth Oa; let rivalry be dumb, let parties be sliencoar of adverse religious sects be fi but kit all unite in the expression of a sacred sympathy with the cause of rel liberty, and an abhorrence of all who He joined with the Meeting in the hatred he detested them from the bottom of • deep and bitter as his execration was, h e them here once more. There we re some sights whit. although painful, we were frequently d es i rous of ht: holding. Let those tyrants come to England a w came once before, when they came to our shore s % l i g ; false pretences—(Lead Cheers), they knew th at lishmert were friends of freedom, and e tteis despots, and they came amongst us professin g t o k Mends of freedom, accompanied by train o f 03 awn heroes, and they talked of liberty as if they k wt i 'or understood it, for the base and Itypoct ince( Po pose of trampling it into the dust—(Ckeerr), them come here again, and they wottld be rectis o l with neutrality !—(Lotuf Cheers).—Neutrality sit now the order of the day—(C/tecrs).--Th e p et o would receive them with this species of neeo k ; and no other; no hand of welcome would out—no voice of praise would be raised up ; a odi they possessed the feelings of men, which he ; sec :, doubted, they would contrast the death-liketiloste4 11823 with the clamorous approbation of Isi s. , (Loud Cheers).---He would not trouble th ee an , longer—(Deafenittg cries of Go on, go 0 ,0 4 h e had been more brief in paying his respects ala s t b„,,, Gentlemen who had preceded him, it must be cribed to the extreme heat of the weather. This rn minded him again of Spain, and that Pitavinsac t w created nothing without a purpose. file very bl es ,i„, of the climate might prove a foe to the Fie.tch tuns! Neither " the an ow that flietli by day, nor the pe s o. lence that walketh by night," were created is vain, These would join with the energies of the Spa n i s h ' arms, and would counteract the unhallowed efint of their enemies But Spain must not trust ta sack means alone. The inestimable blessing of under PROVIDENCS was to be gained by toil, k r struggles in the field, by watchings, and privations, and by a fearless pouring forth of their beg blood —( Cheers). They must not merely look to pi u . VIDENCI4 and hope that the climate would do th e i r work. It was a cause of peat difficulty and danr, and he trusted that Englishmen would give it thep generous and practical support. He hoped that one result, and that not the least important, of the pre. sent Meeting would be; to occasion similar Meetings throughout the country. Let them spread like wild. fire in every city, village, hamlet, and nook of the Empire; and as the Government had decided ca neutrality towards Spain, to Allies, and liberty, so let them Be neutral - now, and permit the people all over England, Ireland, and Scotia - n.l, generously to sympathize with the sufferingsof freemen, ant; staap with indignant reprobation the crud conduct of asst of remorseless despots—(Long and lead cheers.). The second Resolution was put and carried. Mr. A. BMus° said the cause they were assembk to promote was the struggle of freedom against di operations of military despotism. He proposed de following Resolution:— " That the courage and mod-ration with which the Spaniel liberated themselves from the yoke of domestic tyranny, are war. thy of the spirit aqd character of thou who had before repellei foreign aggression; and so far from being a ground of cemplalet, should, in the eyes of every independent nation, and mom part. colatly of England, give them a fresh claim to the gratitude d mankind." Lord JOHN Russer.t. came forward, and was most cordially greeted by the Meeting. Ile said it would perhaps be some excuse for presenting himself to their notice when he stated that he appealed to ape logise for the absence of a Noble Relation.—The Duke of Bedford had requested him to state, that he regretted exceedingly ill-health had prevented him attending a Meeting assembled t promote a cause so glorious—(Cheers). After some further remarks, the Noble Lord said he should rely on the liberty if the press, and assemblies like the present, to sumer the Spanish cause, and as long a s th at principl e) kept alive, the friends of liberty need never despair— (Lood Applause).—The Resolution was then unani mously carried. Mr. DEEM ax came forward to propose a Resets tion which had been entrusted to his care. It was a Resolution which condemned the interfesence of France, and not alone of France, but of all the doe. pots of Europe, in the affairs of Spain. He felt be* pride and pleasure, not unmixed with awe, in ad dressing such a Meeting, which represented the pubis spirit of England. But not only did this countaf, but the whole world, Europe, America, and even tbs enslaved nations in the East—in short, every generous bosom, in every country upon earth, sympathies the feelings which have been expressed this dap-. ( Lewd CZ .w).—That Meeting was only tits com mencement and centre of one continued motion ; wed he hoped that the sentiments so eloquently expressed by his Learned. Friend (Mr. Broughabi), whom sisy had all heard with such delight, would prove to be true, and that similar Meetings would be held in every town in the Empire— (Cheers).—ihrHon. and Learned latntleman concluded an animated and elo quent speech by proposing the following Resolution: a That the veer now made ou Spain by die Nish a( *ism for the avowed purpose of depriving the Spa & Fe* drM sacred right of self-government is an unprincipled and ate** violation, not only of th e freedom of the Spaniel*, bet d ill. principles which form the bases of all human easiley." Lord EBRINOTON seconded the Resolution. The Resolution was carried unanimously. Sir R. Fzaousow said, it gave him extreme play sure to see such an assemblage of Englishmen, wh'i were determined not only to preserve their own how Dour, but the independence add liberties of allndlif nations. He should have hesitated in giving Watt pion on the Spanish question, as a military am 1 his opinion had not been corroborated by hi Wolk Friend who filled the Chair ; and he must say cheek felt persuaded, from long experience, that the ale rage and patriotism of Spain must ultimately surd teed—(Chcers).' He intreated the Meeting not lieve all the statements they saw in the public papiriv The Government of France had the Means of Meek Laing false reports, and they would stop at noon.' of corruption; bri t their armies alone would alai conquer the proul, undaunted, and high-born niards--(Cheers). He, congratulated the Neel upon the noble mannerin which they bad perform' their duty, and prbposed the following Resolution.r., " That although it hss been deemed expedient by hi Majlitll tY, t . would Drth on thi s s ,• be silent, let;: heard no in eonrageo uk thgmus an d • • lo dare ass a il t atredaf tyra tt , his• h eart; he wished to 1113• Jo.