The National Register. — London, England, 1814-07-31 00:00:00

TIIE W %TIONAL. 4g2 LORD COCBRANE AND BARON DE BERENGER. De Berenger's confession.was pnlilished yesterday, but its int• menie length pi emits our ittsertirg it. professed object is to avoid Ewing connected in future with Lord Cochrane in the public opiaion. Iterenger's letters begin after his arrival in custody in LotidoiL, April *,7tlt he acquits Lord Cochrane of knowledge of the hostel. He sans, ' Rest assured, my Lord, that nothing could ex teed the . pain I telt, w h en I perceivril how Clielly, bow unfairly, sly wifortuna:e visit of the 21st of February webs interpreted (et 'licit ! , visit its object. 1.4 so correctly detailed in your atlidavit.)"—His next letter, June 12, complains of Lord Cochrane's silence. It begins, " after the extraordinary proofs Of fidelity I have given con," and is such as mitlit have been written by a man concealing Lard Cochrane" participation. His next letter, July 3. complains of Lord Coe!prone's - sactificing others to serve himself, and says they• must go hand in band, or both will fall. The next is elated July 11, and is in sobstance the same as the following, the only one of impot lance, and the last. ',lli -e letters Lord Cochrane Itimwlf has bad printed. and he has circulated them mom; his private ti lends, intending to extend the circulation, a step from which, it is said, his friends dissuaded him. The letter above alluded to concludes in the Wowing manner :-- That your Lordship may be convinced that I have reasons to guard agahist being linked to you hereafter, when Sour mis.tattements will be discovered, and which will take place some time, with or without any disclosure ; I will state theta. briefly—iind I trust, altliontth I have erred, I may Mill claim a tenacity not to be suspected of aiding in. rot plan of defence. When I read your ill-judged affidavit, I was divided between asto sishment at the weakness of that step, and the hardihood with which yea swore, even unntked. I was angry at your diulging my name, after your solemn promise, but surprised I was not ; ti,r atter such an oath, I could not imagine that such a promise would bind you. Wino shortly after, I saw the affidavits of your servants and others, I felt great regret, mixed with disgast, that I had hastily and improperly con nected myself with a person who could stoop to ask set vants to :,sear falsely. When I tound that Mr. C++chsane Johnstone had pledged his Latour to his innocence iu the Muse, I was startled—but much mot e so, i 4 hen he told use that he hoped that the prosecutors would enter a Nolle Prosequi against me, in order to make use a witnes., in which case I could •4 swear through thick and thin." I cold him, with a mien which did not seem to be acceptable, that such a proceeding would be the most fatal that possibly could happen to the cause ; for, instead of "swearing thre+e►yth thick and thin," t h at I certainly should tell the whale truth—and that•l should do the same if I should ever be exa mined before the House on my hewer, as that pledge was us sacred with me as ray oath. . . Mr. Cochrane Johnstone seemed perfectly gloomy sad disap pointed, and my consequent reflections were directed' if, caution; for in every stage 1 per (-rived that designiik persons, having once prevailed on another to err, are not content till they-have harried trim on to a criminal level with themselves, at least to beeeine a pitiable victim et their avat icions pkgs. Often did 1 think of ilia. engaging myself from such 'n :m06.16014. by avowing the ti ans action, lint a.: often did 11+c reflertion, that' the woad would hot ascribe such act to the pine motive of repentance, but to meanness,. .avarice, or tre..ehery,l-,revent me; I tberefere resolved to do so, only after I had borne my MU share of every- danger,—or ; ev4y pnuishment, which I conceived would not fail to prove, that my piotives, ultimate Iv executed, were consixtent and honourable. Tim, 4 have atre il oy sr tleied much mote than either of the other three (for I comot allow the four persons last mentinted in the indictment to bear a share in the calculation, not knowing airy thing Of them). calm() t be di puled ; that, in the event of success, you three would have cleared a very large sum of money, where the.person who lint only ran all Me risks in its execution, but who also saved you three f. oat in sit ,ble ruin, would have received frit a scanty remunera• ii , a, is also from youi present condoet placed beyond the possibility of doubt : all this your Lordship's good understanding must have pointed. mit to yon but where was its exercise when yen deter- Mined . to save yourself by dastardly endeavours to brand him with the greatest of all infamy, who not only motonditionally . av ya you; lint who, although betrayed and neglected by you, continued Inthfill to his promise, rejecting pardons and prospects of an ample fortune, which , no doubt, he could have so easily secured,— brit nothing shall prevent me front openly reproaching you with my -ruin : for I find by your public conduct, and by the private infamous efers•wbich recently have been made to use, that I must immediately declare myself to the world, as otherwise I shall be in huruinfut danger of being con- TX 3l •p , - . founded, or at least suspected., of participativ . glii Purl' ae %fin wonder that I should think it time to stop the injuries yhu are over whelming me with ? In addition to timst already stated, h ave 1 , 01 fan and I‘,lr, Cochrane Johnstone .denuded me in the eyes of the world, by unanimously committing :I vile brcaeli of promise and ronfidenc.c, by burning my letter, which rimed out to niy heenri tie4 the provision which I had made for their protection ?—Thist not shudder with horror and dread when I'perceive tiro yoii so lit unnecessarily and wantonly, invoke the Almighty 6 0 4 iu support of the untruths that you have advanced ? hare compulsively born guilty of some falsehoods in this defence, but I used es en these sparing y, and wilh an ill grace ;—I certainly complained, and still continue so t , ) 4.1 the 1.11, e evidence, of the un!airness which was en: p_oyed'ut t he tr u th the ; but where, bit in your own Elertion, will your Lut &hip hod the portinr.nicau whiff : coutnined my eLangt of dress ?--Wl.ere the lecer of the 17th of hruary, which you quoted so improperly and fool'•,,rdy i n t h e (or vi•ihtv purpose 1)11 t h at of tin Mt inv a suspicion upon Ali% l a . hourdin, Whom you know to be perfectly innocent of the whole flan,- sc;ion ? Perhaps this " loth," letter, einanatiog from my certainly " per turbed mind." o ill also be perfectly .imiuteilicitile" to you ; hut I can espl in easily to the public mind, which nowt on are hcatino, for election and other purposes, into sonic act which [ Nlli not bear lay share of blame in ; and vi hich, should it, of s to my silence, caoii r blood to be spilt, would lily heavy on my cart-cience ; tor, believe me or not, I have one, although was t oo,Troed in a plan which Yon were perfectly acquainted with, and to which you eagerly contribateri your share of expenses, afthough you now call Gid to witness in pouf of your totil ignorance of it. I agree Nith your Lordship, that mi• titer of us viewed it as a" crime," and I cannot persuade myself even now, that it merits that harsh apped,tion, or the puoi.hment pro flounced. Bat what name should I give to the (tektice, cularly since the sentence, you have resorted to ? What pounds have your friends to suppose tue the base villain wfai can consent to dec:are a certain great Personage, although perfect:y innocent, as the ;cal projector of, and reaper of the harvest occasioned by this plot ? The moment I received the infamous and cowardly anonymous letter, de• daring is to proceed from your friends, and requiring me to co omit that vile act, for which 1114land.ortie provision for life was held out, thief moment I indignantly wrote your Lordship word, that if such levers were repeated, that I wenlii n:11 them, with my commontsi to the chain I door. It may be poi—ible that you do not know thn author.; in that case it is strange that you should express no desire to know its contents ; it is more so, that the writer should de sire in to write to you--and it is still more so, thst a few days alter my refo~al, awed which I sent to yon, my Lord, !ILA a person in garb, looks, and ehirize of language, resembling a gentleman, should verbally dare to otkr me a itegociation, promising toe a fortune, provided I • would ho a scowni Bret sufficient to acknowledge myself Colimel vu Bourg, employed by Lord Yarmouth, for the double purpose of raising the funds, and ruining Your fame ! —My ragr at such an insult, my indignation at being thought capahle . ok ungratefully and cowardly stabbing Lord Yarinpudi, who has endeavour's! to serve me, alone enabled this wretch to make hie exit, in which be was nimble. If ever I meet him, he !hart not escape again ; and if your Lordship does not know him, it %%ill be well to advise your friends, never again to offer me so dating an insult. To prevent such calculations in restore, and also to separate myself trim all Se horrible consequences, which my imagination depict* to me , as emopus►nt; the train of your defence, I i;tid it necessary now, ins►ead of hereatier. to make thi• public avowal before described.-1 am, toy Lord, your Lordship's most obedient humble servant, C. K. DE BEREN(I,EIL P. S. I have to request the return of the Damascus foible aof belt, which you persuaded me to leave at your house on the tjst of Fe bruary i it belonged to ti relative which makes tt valuable, su much so, that no price would purchase it of me. As 1 most not have it here, your Lordship %s ill have the goodness either to send it to Mr. To hourdin, or to when and where my servant shall call fur it, fur I serioissly desire its return. Tu Lurd Codirnne, &c. &c. &c. The Emperor of 'Russia' has declined the proffered title of " blessed," conferred on him by *the Russian Senate, as well as the offer of erecting a •monument to hi• honour. His Ma jesty, in his reply, said, he could not without a violation of his principles accept the proffered`title ; and as to the monu ment, posterity might erect one for him if they thmight he deserved it. r r 6 I t ) • p I I I