The National Register. — London, England, 1809-08-13 00:00:00

310 Letters ? And what do you suppose, Sir, were the feelings of the people of England at the threat ►►hick this infamous scrawl bolds out to prevent Mrs. ChrAMYE publishing at. Letter from Major Donn to you ? That such conduct is contemptible and dastardly, no man of character %ill deny ; and that it betrays the fears and folly of the writer, is equally obvious. But what is of more importance to the public, it was certainly intender; to prevent Mrs. CLARKE from giving it to the world, and was written to intimidate her. This, Sir, is a proposi. Lion of meridian clearness. It is so consonant to our rea son, so obvious to our common sense, and indeed so per fectly self-evident, that the mind its its natural state of aptitude to discern truth cannot den) its assent. it was my intention to have made you the channel of some further communications with Sir RICHARD PHILLIPS ; but even in meanness and profligacy there are degrees which entitle pre eminence, and at present, Mr. WARDIer i you are the more eminent character. Besides, I feel myself called upon to notice the attempts which are making by your friends, the Rear:tiers, to agitate and disturb the peace of the nation, by visionary schemes, not to say illegal attempts. The public , mind is first disturbed by exaggerated accounts of abuses. which either do not exist at all, or if they do exist., arc not ealculatedlo produce the mischievous effects attributed to them, amid may certainly be remedied without any infringe ment of the Constitution. A reference upon every trifling occasion to the origioai magazine of power in the people can only lead to the subversion of all regular government, the violation of property, and the substitution of anarchy and confusion in the place of order and decency. Prudent men are called ei)on to examine, with great cantion, every sten that may lead to such consequences.—The power of the people, a hen brought . into action, or cxelied II the . enthusiasm of religion or politics, is so irresistible ; its ex plosion is so vieteet, that although it be necessary that such a power exist somewhere, yet it ought certainly to be der sited in security, and, like a magazine of gun powder, only such small portions of it distributed to the garrison as may be necessary for the defence of the fortress in which -it 'is lodged. should we think if even common soldier were to insist upon a right to enter and take such parts as he thought proper, to employ them according to his own pleasure ? ‘that should we think of the man who ads :sed the soldiers, that, as the defence of the place depended upon their strength and valour, they should seize upon the arms and aie;nunition, and make their own terms with their commanding officers? DO voe think he would not deserve to be shot—ignoni;nieen4 ' shot, fur his preeumption ?—Metaphysical claims of rights on behalf of the people, which they never did, nor can enjoy, bat to their destruction ; inflammatory speeches, calculated to snake every rank in society dissatisfied with their situation, and with their riders ; associa tions to overawe and controul the deliberations of the representatives of the people, under the pretence of the expressed wishes of their constituents: all these arc circumstances which, however they may please you and your associates, make honest and good men tremble. An affected regard for humanity 'and justice, a sacred attention to the civil and religious rights of the people, end thu sullsort of the principles of the Constitution, V, hich • they are endeavouring. to undermine and- destroy, ;nave uniformly been the pretences of suck as have sought to THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ' bring about innovations in Government. but if any part of cur 1) stem really stand in need of amelioration or alter , %, ley, in the mime ol . cenimon sense, :s it necessary to excite a paroxisni of democratic phrenzy I—Are the tem .•eitatc results of cool reflexion to be expected from the heated, incoherent elnillitton of leveristi delirium outrage likely to point out the path of peace 1 Or is ruin the threshold to happiness ? The political fanaticism of you and your reforming as , sociates demands the dnconditional surrender of our reason s as the condition of acquiring-sour new iutetiedun.l ifiatita tions. With you, Sir, every kied of means, huwever kise• unprincipled. or vicious, is jas . '.*ied by the en'.'s. Perver sion of fact, suppression of truth, subornation of n wild, factious, and inJecent calumnies, every that honour revolts at, or religion Ittentk h - ts t;2en emidosed td mislead the best heads, and SJOIC of tl:e best hearts in the nation; but, the delusion has ;asset: . swat, aed , formers will necessarily frid their level as well as othe:s who exist only by practising upon the folly, or by sacri ficing to the prejudices of the people. But, Sir, there is something extreme:y snspicious in the new line of politics which has been adopted by these He formers. You said up forsooth as the assentor of prero : i ;ntive. The borough-mongers are injurious to the Weft_ dour, tthe dignity, and even ihe safety (!f* the Crown I! Time° Danaos et Jona fercnlea ! That the men who pro fess to be the friends of the people, whose on'y—yes, whose only consequence is derived not from the splendour of their own virtues but from the support which they are able to extract from the credulous multitude, that such men should advocate the power of the Crown, would incline us to watch them with unusual attention, if there were not other marks by which the objects of this insidious declara tion of attachment is pointed osit.—Mr,ConfirrT bean by advising a petition to the K /so to favour the cause of Reform with his cot:Wen:wee. Tue illegality of such a incasur• wan pointed out i this Paper at the time, a , 41 we heard no snore of his scheme.—MAJOß CARTWaIcnT and ether Reformers, are now projecting a Request, similar in effect, although differiug in form, and h;s MAJEsT is to be advised not to issue writs for what are &bombs% te'l cotters Boroughs. and to direct °the.- writs tOr snore coesiderabfe places.---What v. - onid these reformers say, if flc, House of Commons were to direct Writs to be issued fc)i - Manches ter and Birmingham, or if the House were to detern.ine that London shall not send more than two Menai:rs to Par liament,rael yet such an exertion of power would not be morb unconstitutional lbr,r an attempt on the part of his MAJEsTT to disfranchise Sarum. Bat whatever may have been the prerogative of the Crown as to conferring. the Parliamentary franchise, i challenge any lawyer in Westminster-Hall, who less a rag of a gown to his back, or a sin;te tie to 114 wig, iv contradict me when I assert that this prerogatire is now at an end by the PACTA CONVENTA of the Union. What then are we to think of 111C11 who are so void of sense, or so destitute of principle, as to intrude upon and endeavour to controul their Sovereign by adv ice, which if he follow must necessarily involve a breach of the Consti tution, and thereby endanger the loss of his Crown, and which if he does not follow, places him in the situation of refusing their reqUest, and thereby risking the loss of that affection, which is its brightest jewel, and its most valuable ernament.• A re 4. 13.