The National Register. — London, England, 1817-11-30 00:00:00

ft di N0..512.—V0L. X. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. THE CHANGE IN THE ENGLISH CHARACTER PRODUCED BY THE ABUSE OF THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS. IF the position, that extremes aproximate, wanted arty confirmation beyond what ages have given it, we might find that confirmation in the events of our own times ; in which excessive refinement is accompanied by excessicc crime. The instantaneous transition of a peo ple, whose manners bud received an over-polish, from a s.e.te of easy and thoughtless quiescence, to one of tur balzace and unprecedented carnage, was fearftilly ex emplified in the conduct of our neighbours. Happily for us, the asperities of our national character long pre served us from that close contact which hal !,roved fatal to the characteristic originality of continental na tions. We appear, however, to be 1113 t approaching to tt at period when the moral virtues will only be known amongst us by recollection, and the worthiness of our fathers, like ancient nobility, will be invoked to hide .the unworthiness of our sons. It cannot be denied that society generally has re ceived a polish in thi.; country, superior to what it had obtained at any former period ; that education is more general amongst ,the lower orders, and that efforts of unprecedented magnitude have been made to give them that religious instruction, the possession of which, alone, can render them happy in themselves, or valuable in Society. To what cause, then, are we to attribute the alarming increase of crimes ? crimes not of any particular character, but varied as the endless number of dispositions which give them birth. Petty thefts, frauds, burglaries, rapes, and murders of the blackest hue, fill up the calendars of our Lamest perpetual ses sions; and to all this, unhappily, is to be added an un feeling hardnessof heart ;—au insensibility to human suffering, in those persons whose province it is to watch over the poor and the helpless, as new as it is disgrace ful to the English character, We have but to look at the events of the day, to convince us of the alarming ext nit of this evil. We one day find an unhappy creature suf fered to die in a prison, under the inuneiliate eye of hs keeper, for lack of needful aid. On another, we find a whole ncidrbourhood, parish officers and all, shitting their ears to the cries of a numerous slimily perishing of famine and disease, and leaving them to sink one by one into the arms of death unaided and unpitied. This flintiness of heart and increase of crime are to be traced to the same sourse. To the profligacy of the daily press, which by teaching men to make a false estimate of their own importance in society has debauched their minds, and made them view with envy, those above them in rank, and those beneath them with scorn.— Added to this, a system of infidelity, (the constant at tendant on false refinement), begun in this country by Price, Priestley and Paine, has been industriously ft& lewed up, and with the most .pernicious success, by Cobbett, the Exannuer I knit, and a swarm of wretches whose talents though in themselves despicable, yet when united and 'bearing all to the slime point. are calculated to produce, and indeed have produced, a deterioration in our eioral character which the virtue of ages will not be able to repair. These wrkers know, as their predecessors well knew, that to make men bad subjects, the most effectual way is to make them bad Christians; by teaching them to despise Divine laws lead them to violate those of human institution ; and both these bulwarks against (-rime being broken down, need we wonder if acts of the deepest enormity follow. The man whose confidence in God is shaken, knows none of those feelings of tenderne,:s which soften the severity cf our destiny on carte ; insensible to those of fwes of kindaess which 4mocth the brow of care awl dry ationat Lk 'MOUT+ Our titnateomitttution ant itaimd. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1817. up the tear from the cheek of the broken hearted, he gods on (whatever be his station among men) wrapped up in :e!; and, not to be an aggrester is the highest point of perfection at which he aims. It has been urged that poverty has introduced the depravity which now exists, but this assertion is easily refuted. Much of the crime which we have to de plore proceeds from persons beyond the reach of positive want. The moral and political health of the middling classes is little less affected than that of the lowest members of the community, for the political empirics of the time have skilfully modified their potions according tothe intelleettralstrength or weakness of those on whom they operate. They are skilful cooks, capable of pleasing all palates. The coarse and vulgar viands of Paine, and Price, and Cobbett, and their puny followers were well adapted to the pot-house andthe forge, and the loom ; then came the more polite Esamincr, uttering the moat disgusting falsehoods with the most courtly smile, addressing himself to the better classes of society, and cooking up in his own way for the use of tender stomachs, the We of his werthless contcrepciraries. Even the very highest ranks were not left without the needful supply of infidelity ; Sir William Drummond, with the dexterity of a eon jurer, had converted the Bible into a sort of Hebrew Moore's Almanack, and if those who could fathom the profundity of his learning, would believe in his bed lamite theories, they might sit down perfectly satisfied, that the Biblical account of a Divinity was just as much to be relied on as the learned hieroglyphics which adorn the annual labours of the profound astrologer whom we have just mentioned. ;:.:ed re . etc surpiiscd then, that all these effurts 5h00..1 produce an effect ? and more particularly when so little was done to coun teract them. Nay, wLen so much was done to Ibrward them ; fur at the very time when it was obvious to all men, that the most dangerous principles, both moral and political, were gaing ground amongst us, a moat powerful check to the dissemination of treason and infidelity was removed by the repeal of the pamphlet stamp duty which had previously acted as a partial , bar against the circulation of those cheap publications, as they are celled, which have since produced such inealedable evils. As one step, then, towards restoring the nation to bcalth, we would earnestly recommend the renewal of those duties. The measure would have the effect of cutting off that supply of poison which is hourly in fecting the community. Mr. Sheridan mice enume rated " the raising of the price of cheap publications," among the various ways which a Minister might use to destroy the liberty of the Press, but we are con vinced had he lived to the present hour, and seen the effect of those " cheep publications" he would have found abundant reason to alter his opinion It has never been denied that the liberty of the Prcrs is much en dangered by the abuse of it, an if this be true, surely never was a period which thres . ened so much danger as the present. Blasphemy and reason are daily pour ed forth in the sane stream, ever-lowing the whole land, awl by a timely check, only, can the country be saved freak the deluge of infidelity. We would be the last to Etter a free Press, but tit., measure we now re- come:cud is no new thing, it is only to return to that state which we ldt for a worse, it is to take the wea pon from the hand of a madman, which had been placed there in the belief that he was sane and might be trusted. This done now, may prevent the adoption of of more restrictive measures, and will not fail to have a powerful effect in restoring the National character for fidelity, loyalty, and humanity, which we are on the point of losing for ever. The French Papers of the 2fith state that the Pere Llyeee, is in a state which leaves no hope of reLovery. PRICE 90. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARTS, Nov. 2L—Wednesday, the day of the funeral of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, the blinds of the boxes be longing to the English Embassy in the different theatre. of this capital were shut, and no individual of that nation was observed in the pnblic places of ansuseinent, or the prome • wades, thoug:s the beauty of the day had otherwise crowded them. In the case of MM. Comte end Dimoyer, editors of the Censeur Eueoreen, convicted of having published the Mom seri( rein de Sainte Helene, the Court of Caseation has rejected their appeal, and sentenced them to a fine of 160 fratasss The Journal de Toulouse announces that the persons accused of the murder of Fualdes will not be tried at Alby till the 13th of January. The following is the latest intelligence from Rhode! : The Judge of Instrni lion has again interrogated Madam Manson: she mist:n[llly denies having entered the kitchen of Madame Rancid; hut she confesses having been in the pas sage leading to it. She was there, she says, in consequence of an appointment upon business. Hardly had she entered, when, being seised by sonic unknown person, she was dragged to the Annoneiade. This unknown person having retired, site came ont again, and wet, in the square of the city, the individual with whom s he bad au appointment, but whose name she will never disclose, because it is certain, limn 'distending his innocence, he would be suspected as an accomplice in the assassination. NETHERLANDS. BRUSSFLS, Nev. 19.—A funeral service was performed this morning in the Protestant Church of the Ancieut Chapel of the Court, on account of the death of her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales. All the English who were present at this pious ceremony were in deep mourning. A part of the church was hung with black, fin* d up with crape. The silent and devout grief of all who were present gave to this ceremony an air of gloom and solemnity. RUSSIA. The 2 lth of Oetoher being the anniversary of the deliver. ance of Nloscow, it was celebrated by a solemn religions ser. vice, which was distinguished by the presence of the Knipe rat- Alexander, the two Empresses, and the Princes of the ltupetial Family. '1 he whole 01 the Imperial Family of Russia are now at Moneys'', with the exception of the Grand Enka Constantine, who is Commander-in-Chief of the army in Pola:M, wh-re he resides. The Oraud Duke is married to the sitter of Prince Leopold of Saxe eolsourp, who is said to be a %try accom plished and beautiful woman ; at the period of her marriage she was but I t years of age. The alliance proved nntertu -11:11C. They have been separated for several years: mart sage, by the ordinance of the Greek church, being indissoluble. SOUTH A N nrac --- EXTRACT OF A LATTER faun T. THOMAS, OCT. 20. General Alorillo, to whom the least exaggerated accetuate give 5,000 Milt, is preparing to open the campaieu Oil the hide of Calaboso, wham he II:04 ?I:itiOito•tt his troops: it is i.ot pre. bable that he wiuild trice much success, tite Independent chiefs were united among tnemselves--but the At.e is far otherwise: it is even said, that Bolivar has directed troops to smirch againht Marino. Their misunderstandiag w 4.1 g moat service to Murillo, echo lost his men, and partiessteriy his titan, at llitargaretta, which he could not take. His quarrel with General Slum), who was a man of merit, :rod esteemed by With part y+ s, and a honk he forced Cu abanduu his govern. I nit .it of Cat accas, and to go to Porto- Bieu, has lout bida greatly. The Independents bare not made in the °romans such rich p:iaes as w as thought. The victims sacrificed at Margaretta have been so wed avenged in the t/ronoko ' that it is said that not three Eu ropean 'span Hrtls nave been left alive. 'flits miserable 'll4r must terminate by the death of Ali the ulides, and the tea umpli of the Negroes; and what lisacirartans are those Ne groes! I add a more detailed accoaut, which has been published bete: — The *potations of the Ineependent Army appear to be par:dried by the taking of Old Guayana. From the 3d of Atigtlet to tar s:t , th of September, Bolivar remained with his troops in that city. This delay was caused by the disagreement which arose between teat Chef and General Piar: the result of which has beta the ahanderilut of die arny by the latter. and his repairing to ;Gin the of nno in Cumana, together with the secession of both from their sub mission to Bolivar. They have formed decent small parties, and occupy the whole of the country firm Cultic to Matarin. Bolivar, aneording to the last accounts, had caused a Intony mirth za t rainst Marino, and ha.- now 'sired a civil war ia Venesucla, as did two years ago in ('arthegena. General Bolivar having refused M acknowledge the provincial government established in the Ca.:etas there is nos:prone at.thority existing to put an end to eielidisorders• and it is probable, that the brilliant triumihs wid6l have eras/Niel the arms of thiee patriots easy be buried in the ceoilision produied by such strange conduct. By a vcas:•l that lately .urieeil from the Oronolto we learn, that that army had began to depart en the stub. The Mvi.ion of Bermudez repassed the river on tl:e ;ill, and took a direction towards Cala has°. Part of the troops marched open St. Fernando, and after tab. ing that city, intended to unite with General Pier, and to cantina* advancing with that division. The provinces of Cuomo& and Barce lona remain in clans quo—that is, the Spanish garrison of Gana. Cumana, and Baicelmia, remained in the same positiens without be ing molested; the troops under the command of Marino not being wrong enough to stunbiou or take a.iy of three three F eints, whisk are protected, at least, while they have a go od understanding with say patty in Goyana.—Nlargaretta views in tranquillity the scandalous conduct of the neighbouung continent, holding out, to it an 't rample of the union and valour which have always characterised the parse. ve:im , operations of its inhabitants. They saw the %hol t : fore* of m or ,ll,,„, tchaege d urou t hem—they condemned the aft th sat pardo* and nolivion which were offered them by the chief—they despised his direato, sad ft,;h..ing wjta that gallantry and valour which are kr nwa to belong to than, they aucces‘ied is detratisis tut seamy, shin drio. ( . 1 rl , Ot f. N 4 ' tint/ et7.4"C4 • I\ll