The National Register. — London, England, 1808-01-24 00:00:00

0 TILE NAT . sentiments, must also have been desirous of peace ; and in this Case her mediation could only have tended to accelerate that most enviable event. If France acid Russia were both hollow in their pacific professions ; no adisl negociation would coon have (ambled us to detect their iasincerity, , and to expose it to the world. The other objection of our Ministers to the acceptance of the Russian mediation, their ignorance of the basis on which France was willing to negotiate, seems equally untensble. To arrange the basis itself was a matter of preliminary negociation, in %hich the mediating power might well bear a part ; nor can we see any reason whatever, why the acceptance of the Itossian media tion should be deferred, until this arrangement should be com pleted by France, and approved by our Government. Ins Majesty mentions his concern that the enemy has succeed ed in rendering the Ottoman Porte our enemy. The friendship -or the comity of this worst of governments, or rather this worst of anarchies, is of so little importance, as scarcely to deserve men tion among our other truly great and interesting concerns. The Speech extols the fidelity and magnanimity of the King of Sa viten ;it hints that it is a ban - NI duty to render asaistanee to that Monarch ; and expresses a hope that Parliament will enable his Majesty to discharge any obligations contracted for this purpose. The conduct of the King of Sweden towards this country has certainly been meritorious : but we doubt his ability to resist the powerful combination of the surrounding powers ; and we are apprehensive that our subsidies to him s% ill prove as fruitless as they have done in every other country of the Conti went of Europe. With regard to America, it is stated that an attempt has been made by that Government to C1)1111441 with the atrair of the Che sapeake, pretensions inconsistent I% ith the maritime la:slots of Britain : such preteusious, it is added, his Majesty is determintsl never to admit. We cannot but give our hearty assent to this determination of his Majesty, in the sense in which we under stand it : it is surely absurd in the Americans to imagine that we should gratify them by renouncing our right of seareltieg either for deserter:. or far contraband goods, on board their iot-- chant vessel?. ,The rtAlits which s; e here claim, are accortletl equally to every state by the law of nations. The Orders is Csouncil are spoken of as a mere measure of re tal ti on, indispctualsty necessary to counteract the previous Edicts of Bonaparte ; and Pal liament is called Jpon to give vi gour to these measures by lit sanction. • itie: never doubted of the j ut ,' len of these Orders, as they were plainly an act of ref:l - ; but we must own that we entertain great doubts of their expediency. The coneuvrec of neutrals sas the only , means re maining to us of diffusing our mauulactork.s over the Conti ne nt of Europe ; hod eiperienee seems to show that no ef f orts of Bo itaparte could have l'Untetr repressed this tont:twee, unless our Orders of Council had come to his ohm* to the state of the tescsse, hi* Majesty gives us tsteawroeultic inforsoatinu, that both the tempt.rary and Mll'l have proved mor.. productive than in the preceding rear; and that he hopes the tweessary stwlie% for the present :ear may be raised withotit any material addition to the public hardens. • Toward 3 the conclusion of the Speech, mention iv mad e o f peace and war ; huf itot in such term, as can i tiA tify an, . pectation of the speedy restoration of tranquillity. " if ever here was a just and national ivar," says the Speech, " it is thea which his Majesty is now compelled to proiecute. This " war is in its principle purely defensive. 'lig Ninjestv 10010 44 but to the attainment of a arcure and honourable peace: but 44 such a peace can only be urrociato,l upon 4 footing ot . perfect equality." From these ex preisions sre may di , ti , tictly perceive th.it the pretint does no:appear to oar Minister.: o proper .e:von for ne• What invre rAvut:r t ide c;4,tiv,i, -- ' _ INA L 11 EG IST Eit . JAN 21. fon% ard, it is dillictlit to conceive. Do they expect instir rections on the Continent, in ennsetpience of the present restric tions on trade? Or do they imagine that Bonaparte will be mined by the miseries of his people to renounce any of his pre sent pretensions ? There is something in the phrase of toot nego ciatit unless upon a footing of perfect equality, which we do not well understand. Has Bonaparte eocupropsieed to treat with us as a subordinate nation? Has he evp• presumed to in sinuate that'the independence of Britain was VI t as complete as the independence of' France? 0f ... 1ch pretensions we have never heard the least Whit:ohm; tIM It is therefore to smne thing else that the language of' our Ministers must refer. Per haps they expect that those allies whom we were unable to de fend, should be restored to their territories and to independence, in order that 13E41'0.. and France might be placed, at the com mencement of negociation, on an °equal footing as to their re spective influence iu Potrope.-11 such wild speculations ever enter into their Counsels, in vain shall we pray for the return of ikace, in vain lament the devastation of perpetual war. REVIEW OF POLITICAL DECLAIMERS. No. IV. THE INDEPENDENT WHIG. We shall never cease to be the ad visetttes of the free and manly publication of every one's sentiments, through the medium of trite press. The full and independent discussion of every public measure, the clear exposition of All the Arguments which can be brought forwards, both by its friends and enemies, and the universal diffusion of these reasonings among ati the inhabitants of the kingdom, we consider as this most certain preservative of public tranquillity, the most impregnable bulwark of our Go vernment and Constitution. The British Government rests, nut upon fear, but upon public opinion: its only danger pro , coeds nut ttuu iono ranee of the great mass of the people, which make- , them liatti s e to become Cite dupes of desig-ning men, and k apt to precipitat • them into disorders, and even rebellion, from mere misapprehension. When the people are well inform ed with regard to the measures of Government, when they are accustomed to discuss them frocly in their families and in their clut,s, there is no danger of misappreherhion ever leading to v iolenee : if the men:it res of (o‘t-rnment be sc.,lly wbe and good, the arguments in tt,t irfavour hill at least silence the disaffected; and even when these measure' are tutjustifiable. men accustomed to discussion will declaim, wit! prim, will take every me , thod of rendering. their disapprobation ,pulilic, but will never have recount' in the eld barbarous practice Or mobbing and burtMig hou , es, hiub, t4tw know, %lilt only brim- down sp e edy pimb=hineitt upon themselves, and render every vse man theft enemy. IVliile, on these accounts. we are :lex inns that politirat knowledge should be dilliised alnfl el:L.ly portion of the lours: classes of the community. we are the noire taltilineil with indig nation at those cleelainier, who attempt t' ; a io• Ihr favour of the common people, b% c*i ft iii their It:cent:swot against thrir rulers; who are inere.autly employed • il, 'rivet:Mg vulgar pre-' indices instead t.f removing them. and who ore gh.d to pain a . circulation for their papers, at this privecof rendering the peo ple discontented, clamourous, and seditime t . These arts the real enemies of Government ;tad ;mid order ; these are ii; truth thi mast dattgerous eitemies of the people, whole passions and pr judiees they flatter. They convert that knot% ledge which would he the great source of national happiness, into a cor rupting and destroying ; and petilwag the reign of ilea and delusion, by the triumph which they give to the hatci of istprovement and civilization. These etuniderations have drawn from us some observations on The lisifependriat Whig, a pitper, which, n e understand, ha; acquired a robsiderable circulation among, the lower orders 01 the people. The Whig seemed, at first, to be a scion of that faction, .frown tt hich it deritem its nausea; but it has since en tirely coale-red h ith a party which professes to hale N big and. 'fury egitall, ; a party which us yet is ouly distinguished by • havirer Sir frunils Mullett litad. Jihe chief characteris tic of this p:sper is uougual che men co of language, in apirlicatioo