The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-12-28 00:00:00

TAR LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE PRESS r (FROM THil elalle11). The Country grows sick at heart—the Constitution hdters—the house of Brunswick is in danger; but when are the Mahler. of so much mischief ? . Lct us are.—The Loyalists, as they term,thetuselves—toss many ut' whom mean by loyalty a seleible commodity, to be slit neeti of for their own advantage—these lovalitts attribute the evils ender which the asountry labours to , t. ' e Peen !—Not to the moon, or the magnet—not to 1 solar influence. or mysterious magic. but to the !lentil -10:O Prue.' Did the licentious Press beget the late horrible war? Did the licentious Press increase taxa. t:on? Does the licentious Press overload the sinews of ti e farmer ? Does the licentious Press support the go y-rutnent by the sword ? Does the licentious Press grind i.! •wn the nerves u(the mechanic and the labourer ? Did t': ? li centiottsPress suggest the iufunious Ragging Ili Hs ? Vol the licentious Press propose the Holy Alliance against mankind ? Dial the the licentious Press r..tince the tyranny of Ferdivand, or the depotism et FrAleric 1 Did the licentious Press destroy Alexander's just opinions and fill their place with the Cisgusting notions lately instilled ? Did the Hewl ett% Press blow up the Spanish frigate in time of peace—bombard Copenhagea to prove out friend %. ip to the Danes—pay the Neapolitaus for fight. !••: for Murat, and the Sicilians for fighting against Lin ? Did th:. licentious Press teach Louis that he had i _en nineteen years King a France ? hid the licentious cress generate the loathsome herd of contractors and s;neeurists, which, like so many cancers, devour the body politic? Did the licentiousness of the Press draw t-om the suffering nation its hard-eased treasures, to s.:bsidize the banditti of Russia, Austria, and Prussia? Dial the lirentioss Press cut off the springs of trade? Did the licentious Press produce that countless host of 1 p ;Mica% ills which make the people miserable, hope- I less, and diszontenteal? Or, in truth and in fact, are rot all these ills the fruits of thy errors ar of the crimes of Ministers? Are they nut the consequence of their tyrannical system—the results of their mad ?Sart, and base designs? To set the danger and conceal the iacendiaries may be loyaltg, but it is not yartite. To witness the wrongs, and abuse the suf. trrers is cruelty: it is worse than the ignorance of el.l, which heaped upon some poor. but innocent 1 w3inan, the curers of human brutes, for the murrain of their cattle or the blights of their harvest ; and I 'pest es whoe and as rational as the witch pursuers a f past age, are the equally benighted tracers of I the causes of national calamity to the use of the urenty.foue letters! If we examine all the precious de- clarations which have been hatched in bye places by the trumpeter' of loyalty, to deceive their Royal Master, I they strike the same string. and draw forth the same tone; to the Ltrartriocsmess or rata Paces, and to 81-1•4P11114T, with their hair on end and uplifted h ands. the devoted sons of cupidity and loyalty as. I a titre oar danger. There, at the most, four or fire Writers, who, according to the cant of the day, are odions blasphemers ; and Cobbctt is the only one amongst them whose talent exceeds the ordinary compass of the human mind. These four or five • spreaders of blasphemy. by which is not meant an 'Ol-speaking of the Deity, bat attacks principally on 1 the forms and etaretsooies with which religion Is esta blished in this coontry—these four or five naughty ones frighten the land. There are about thirty or tarty thousand persons, tinder the denomination of Bishops, Priests, anal Deacons, Ministers, Preachers., and Teachers, whose lives are devoted to the proniul- ' ration of tree religion; and yet these thirty or forty thousand persons, who have teeth on their side, and ace well paid for their services. are dreadfully alarmed lest trete% should be conquered by falsehoods—and I falsehood emanating from the peas of four or five per-1 sons assailing the froth as it falls from the pens or the sermons of the thirty sr forty thousand. Of all the emir's upon the Ministers of the Oospel, this is the' severest ! Armies well trained and disciplined, taught to use the weapons of argument from their infancy, : ire pnt to flight by four or tire persons. armed only with the straws of Nesuend opinions. This host, well paid, well fed. well taught, covered with the sacred panoply of treth,ranuot hear the tickling of these) little straws, and throw away their spears and their ormolu in terror and amazement. This is a miracle. i and a miracle too that requires . nplanation. As to 1 the licentiousness of the press, if at be licentious , that I very licentiousness defeats its purpose. A licentious i press cannot long support a bad sense ; its very Ikea- Ribasnees destroys its support. Bat thee, persons who talk so loudly about torrents of blasphemy and se ditto*, would be puzzled to Gad a little rivulet really peiseseette : their torrents are like the tiger's tail, which at first was three yards long, and at last was ordered to two feet ! The Statute Book teems with hairs more ever, than Draeo's bloody code so repress liceadoassess I and stales these silly ',esteem wish far a eitteership, they comet devise an additional Illinishment, writhed increasing the malady of which 'hey complain. Let them establish a etavorehip, sad dews would fall at on ce the prerogatives of the kill, the privileges of the peers, aid the immunities of the Priesthood. The secret sapping would be users difigerous than the open :tusk. The establishment oT a restriction epos thought would cause It to operate snare powerfully* and, is proportioi is it was ems pressed, it would overturn. Do they sigh for this dot itttotion ? Would they put all at toward to justify @heir silly notions? Would they tie the pillions of i freedom with cobwebs, aid fetter the arms of liberty 1 *with chains of gossamer? Silly meal the spirit el' the age will eitiegaish the folly of mordent I the • spirit of the age will triumph over the mummeries ser f surentition, and the prejudice of .aerate Mid immet- • ell Miadt. The attistpts Mide bribe lesions Willits 'vi Olesew and Herefetd: of Bristol tad . alawater4 to ealnmnlate the great aid might/SW of the - _ : their author's' eir " : 11 . Not to "sok whir and of sibs*? Arson foible itilltittellef flatlif part of SW* ivith Govetemeint by the that they lire itspi Of these is taw be Mel/ politics are teilelf‘g and With these toe world who support the Mils. Se reinmenow .....• rw---- - bate exposed the imbecility et I tercel them with disguise. X I these teisealreletieg • layelisA whteh are as appeihotas tilers ' I i% 'evident that tie IMMO eyelets are cooseeted fth Wet I tie of pereottal• totem% 'Wt. - di hi for the feeder of the Oat.' t said; that tiselt *pillows Olt r comiegeently Of little vales. 1 wain , highly heararable men , . '\• ~,., . 0, ' • . ... • . - - , 'with too i they to call to r powers their n action, atill discover x. • wickedness of the men that hare heaped such dire cala mities on the nation, would be the first to oppose the incendiaries, though they clung round the throne, and basked in the beams Of royal favour! Such loyalists, even in error, demand our respect : they are not mime% I latest by interest to bend in servility ; they are *it I allured by ambition to sacrifice their counter at the I shrine of power. They worth, pre”ent Revolution: nail.' led by the designing, they fancy they behold the seeds la national calamity germinating in the writings of NNW assailants of Ministers. But the interested loyalists, whose loyalty is gain, are callous to their country's wrongs; they are indifferent to the sufferings of their countrymen ; they rare not far the misery and distress which so generally prevail ; their chorus is the cry of the daughter of the horse-lerch, Hive! give! Widow. blushing effrontery they stigmatise as reb I. the op posers of unjust authority and ill-contlncted power ; they condemn as ignorant and. deluded, all those who are not steeped to the neck in their dark folly ; and i though they are too often as nether as the rankest weeds, they exclaim against the operative and wield; orders of society, as if honor and honesty, virtue and wisdom, utility and respeetalbility, were to be found I only among the base korshippers of the idols of the i I:tea:ono! These. forsooth, are the respectable men—' p.sseli respectable. are the admirers and the lovers of I I aid follies : they hate innovation; and they wool& lAsaerifice to their ignorance and their interests the wisest sages and the most profound politician•! it was such rerpeettiblee that condemned onr Saviour to be crucified-4nel% respectable% prevailed on the anal tittitie to prefer Barabbas, the robber, before the divine . Philosopher—such respvetables stoned the martyr , Stephen to death!—tech respectable*, fur the sake of gain, itemise') Paul and Silas of teaching nolarefal cur toms—rrieh reepeetwbles cried " great is the Diana oft Abe Ephesians!"---we know the reason, because their craft was in danger--sech respeetebles banished Aris tides the just, and put the great and good Socrates to death !-- , nch respectable* burnt Latimer—such re- spectahles induced the multitude to drive from his country the illustrious Priestley—such respectablea.l in short, in all ages and in all times, oppose all k improvement inconsistent with their interests, and ail *form contrary to their gain. Though such re-! ! spereables ar mentally blind, yet they pretend all are • in the dark who are not as mole-eyed as them selves. They laugh at the beam of the lynx ; and.; as they can see nothing beyond their horizon, all beyond, in their estimation, is a labyrinth di danger and difficulties, amongst which wisdom would 'tot wand r. They are unenlightened in an enlightened, age; they cling to error like the limpet to the rock. The older the nonsense, the wiser does it appear to' them ; the more ridiculous the folly, the more they think it deserves to he enshrined. The time is come when their labour* are despieti—the efforts no lever prevail—the people have withdrawn the certain. and laugh at the jugglers and their nires,l sad they laugh at themselves for having been ainusesi and cheated by such puppets in leading strings. These addresses i wit, as much respect as the song of the ballad-singer. The tinsels arrived when the Whig and tisk /key slsokidl sake—when the higher and the lower orders %humid join together, to save agriculture from poverty, and trade from ruin; and, governed by principles assinai. I Intim' with the character of the age. should restor•ont Constitution to its pristine parity, and mould it tesait the condition and cireumstanees of the times. It is tie. ISM duty of the British politician to preserve the Conn stitution. as it is the highest duty or the patriot toes. deavour to preserve his country. But the anti reformers some unintentionally, some by design, under the mask of friendship, are enemies of their King, of the Constitution, and of their country. To gratify their base passions they ar, canoes to their country's wrongs—they greet the ear of sorrow with ell is well—they mock the cries of woe—lthey behold wills calm indifference the general distress; and they pretend that the Press is the cause of the calamity! They would rob the Cap of Liberty of its plumes to place them on the hemlet of ambition. In fine, the anti-reformers are fools of the co eeeee ion folly. slaves of the treatittry, and pi sof rerufffties! Fools, indeed ! that talk loudly of the licentionsooss of wards, and say nothing of the Ikentlonsanwee artions. Fools, indeed! that trace one evils the Press, anti not to the acts of the Ministers of the last thirty years; who, for a river, an old man, auks bar ren rock, have paralysed the nerve of intlustty. and the power of art—clouded the nation with calamity, and covered it with glory and wretchedness !--who are now impotently striving against the apiril of the age, endeavouring to restrain thought within the bounds of their narrow understandings, and trying to check the progress of liberal opinions with the dungeon and the sword ! Three gentlemen of family and fortune, snit dee' derate and independent political principles, vist."RbOs.l Swionertoo, Esq. of Butterton ; Thomas Lisvr. Rsq. of Armitage-park ; and Rdward Jervis Kleklltto, Req. of Meaforil, heir presumptive to Earl St. Vineeet. have addressed a eirrnlar letter to the noblemen and gen tlemen of the county of Sta ff or d . respecting the pro veiny of calling a county meeting, 64 to coosr the 45.1 t means of securing one glorious eortaCtiltinn. %%Gaily against the dangerous designs of the sedition" bid disaffected on the one hand,laadtbreorrAwhmears dhows of Ministerial power oda* Am." • The a nswers in favour of the proposed telittleitlois hate, it is reported, been most numerous from sololirmen and gentlemen of the first weight and character is the county. Hswict—A Meeting of the lioltabitaits of lifistriels was sailed by the Magistrates so be held it theAll'inra Man, an the 21st instant. • Prom the nosabomPerho amended, the Meeting was adjeorsed to tim were a Loyal Address of this usual MtokodlL oat ' ens irMipo. An Address to dismiss 11114Milro was WA Wired Ten or twelve of the Net ANON ThiliCeprisell the nuarodod •hideoso for thidiMaitival of illisisters, sad min t ibelbotlicoodir it was voted uwanigrowlyrloses prosoM Sift rad, above rose thousand. Wedneosliy bir.Sorjesat KOMI, mimeo in Moth Jody of the Court of King's Beach, Ireland. iNDENCk Sea set np by the Landon Clergy? and , finally , he wwith great deference inquire whether Mr. (tern. lERERFORD, UMna or sT• ford has not contributed in no inconsidera ble de gree to .NU MR. ALDERMAN walla • this injury. by the notice he has recently gives to his MAN parishoon-rs, with wham lie has only been ciotherted about eighteen months, that he shall e nforce the pay - LETTER FRO ilinntlllPOND TO ALDERMAN 11•1TH)5AN. went of this exaction ? Stn,-1 have heard With the deep est concern that the •W ' 'Aliletman*ilthnsan would earnestly recommend Mr. e privilege, assunsest on the ground of ow:mit usage, of Beresforil seriously to reflect upon the subjects, aim to holding a Wardmote for the election of Common Coon- consider whether, by endea% miring to wean his affi-c -cilium' in St. Andrew's Church, was, on theist instant, tons from the perishable things of this world, and de ontrageoesly abused, by the introduction of much scar- voting his whole attention to these spiritual duties by and irreverent declamation, and the recital of a trhich fie can correct the errors of others, lie would not blasphemous parody. in derogation of the sanctity of best maintain the Cbtistion character, and e.seuti.illy the place, and irrelevant to the occasion of the promote the true interests of religion ? meeting. . Alderman Waithman would finally recommend to Ilse it might have been presumed, Sir, when the atolls- consideration of Mr. Beresford, whether his venesurut tooled offices of religion had been suspended fur the fulminations from the pulpit, on tho last salibatli, wets worm.% of your temporal Court, that you, as Presi- in conformity to the admonition of the apostle (..? Tim. ii. dent, would not have quite forgotten where you were 24, 2), that " the servant of the Lord must not strive, sitting, or have been negligent in restraining d ornasions bit be tenthe onto all men, apt to teach, petient, in which would have been highly offensive in a less sacred meekness iustructing those who oppose themselves." place. Bridge-street, Dec. 20. I lament, Sir, for emir own sake , a nd for the sake of all to who ii the influence of your example (intends, that you have not more reverence tor the sanettiory ; and I sympathise with no small number of my parishioners, whose feelings have been wounded by an act of gross profanation, which, if you did not promote, you cer tainly took little pains to prevent. remain, Sir, your obedient humble Servant, Kt. Audrew•e-eorirt, Dec. 23. OILBT.BERESIVIID. ALDERMAN witynumes REPLY. Alderman Waithman acknowledges the receipt of a note fr the Rev. Oilhert Beresford, and begs to in form him, that while he is ever ready publicly to vindi cate his conduct and opinions, lie does not consider him self boom' to enter into any explanation of his public conduct with any individual who sitar choose to consider himself warranted in privately atitiressing him: nor elves he admit the authority mourned by Mr. Beresford, of reprehending him in the exercise of . his official duty, as presiding offieer of the Ward of Farringdon Without. Instead of Mr. Beresford venturing to impugn his con duct and 00000 tires, and those of the Warditiote, he should have attended the Meeting, where he would either have had the means of substantiatilig his charge, or have re ceived a refutation of the unfounded assertions contained in his note, as well as of those aspersions which appear ed ins recent declaration, arrogating exclusive loyalty, to oltich he had affixed his name. Indeed all those ca lumnies have been indignantly repelled by the great body of lionseholders of this Ward, as well as by those of the most popnlous Wards of the City, who have re planol their confidence in the Members who supported the late Address of the Corporation, and in other cases selected awl returned new candidates—advocates of the political sentiments contained in that Address. Altliongli Alderman Waithman is in no way bound to correct the errors of Mr. Beresford, yet, in courtesy, he condescends to inform him, that there was no "recital of a blasphemous parody in derogation of the sanctity of the place, and irrelevant to the occasion of the meeting,' nor " any act of gross profanation." much less could any such act have had .11derman 11(aithusan's sanction or permission. It is true, that when a candidate was brought forward by certain persons, who, with Mr. Beresford, had signed the pretended Loyal Declaration, an inhabitant of the Ward did produce the parody thus described, with the sole view of showing the nnworthi nes. of the candidate by whom, for his own benefit. it had been edited and pufilislied. and of exposing the in- this consistency anti hypocrisy of these pretended loyalists ; Bth July. bat when oaly a few lines of this parody; containing, he believes, twenty stanzas, had been read, Alderman carte wan on shore , Waithman then, perceiving its tendency ,, requested the c asa bas. i s yepayied as y e . • Ueutlmoan not to proured, which request was itninetli- r age totally destroyed. elkot,iied with. Notwitisemodiag this espo-ition, , fittiroy.i declarers continued to support and vote for this very candidate. Alderman Waithman further begs to state, that this Wartimote, the latest ever before known, was conilncted with as mach order and regularity as ever had been wit nessed, exhibited no ordinary iisplay of talent, and every ;sermon had a fair hearing. fle likewise informs Mr. lieresforil, who, he believes, is only a recent inha bitant of this Want, that the Wardmotes have been is:- memorially held in its respective churches ; that the an nual choice of Common l ()lowdown being an important trust, It is highly necessary that the electors should have a fall opportunity of investigating the conduct and pre tensions of the candidates; that it is the duty of the Alderman, as presiding officer, to hear every person with patience and impartiality ; that the right of discussion has ever been freely exercised on such occasions; that it became more imperionsly necessary at the present . moment, as the Loyal Declaration, to which Mr. Beres ford affixed his signature, had charged the members of ! the Common Council with supporting an Address to his Majesty, "disgraceful to themselves and the City at large, anti breathing the most malignant spirit of hos tility to every distinct branch of the Constitution." It therefore became inciontwid on the persons making snch atrocious charges, publicly to stand forward at the Wardmote to onitinintiate the same, and upon the per sons so charged, to vindicate their character from as p Promos sn fool and so infamous, aggravated as these charges were by the secrecy of dieir manufacture, anal : the ostentatious publicity of their circulation ; printed anal circulated, too, as these Loyal Declarations were, on the Sabbath Day, when Wry themselves hail so hypocritically denounced the - publication of Sunday newspapers. As Mr. &evolved has volunteered himself unneces- ' airily and unasked, Alderman Waithman humbly sub suits two or three interrogatories for his calm redection. , Is it not the duty of a minister of tioil to avoid worldly contentious, to abstain from branding his fel low.-sttbjects with opprolirions epithets, tending to recite ' sad inflame animosities among them, and to become as example of tastiness and forbearance, by W111)4141 wad softening their asperities? Is it consistent with the Christian spirit to meet in , secret e laces for the purpose of frothing and publicly Herniating aspersions upon the conduct of others, iuspnting had motives for that conduct, and thus de prising them of the means of explanation and vindica tion ? How ran Mr. Beresford reconcile to leis duty as a Christian teacher the signing of the declaration, ing the great hotly ..f his fellow-66mm with " breath• a ntaliznant spirit of hostility to the constitution of their country ?" and upon what principle of Christian I feenstiorisratasea astir i e ft wo4 d lr a tp tterpt tu p os u tdrawin tluwtt g t thehesadaleas imputation' onstaised it the saki .? • If is dint legal declaration which be signed he phased of "blasphemous publications," by what = amass time gross bypocriay and moutempt of the es- , tablished religies will he designate the roadact of hie brother doclaratloaims, who brought sad toted fee, the esailidate who edited and poblisped a parody, wide\ be is his knee has termed . 4 Unepimapotss the emsaspry. does it sot laeronse his deity immediately to rorltoos.lodoolotisb , sail tithed his - brother deviant desists, Mawr than discover sorter's and eipmerated feeliEds thew who presume to eatertala Fetid- • cal demo tams his owe? A Wafts** wield liumbiyishimits whiskerl the established church has out brim severely imiored by the dormaat claim of 2s. 9d. is the posed for tithes, NIGH WATER AT i.ONIION BRIDGE To-moinew. Morning. 32 min. at!er S.—Evening. 9. Innocents. —Holiday at the Pal lie Offices. inn attateginan. TUB INITISII STATELSISAN " IS INCORPONSFID WITH STATISII•I4." 1 0 NI) 0 N: THURSDAY ILYSHIRS. DECEMBER 28. (FROM A JAMAICA COURANT or :env. 13.) From Aruba, we have received the following : Vol. Raves Buenos has recently deserted the standard of the Royalists, and joined the Independents, and has taken Bargamiemento, a town in the interior. and was marching on with a formidable force against Corn, in consequeeee of which, a number of the inhabitants of that coon had emigrated to Aruba. Cresco*, OCT. 4.—The schooner Maria, from this i port to St. Martha, was taken by llnti%'s ,quadron t anelllwried into Savanilla, and ou her return to this 1 port she lipoke the Spanish Beet, which passed this Iharbour. By her ne learn, that a brig of BURR'S Squadron had gone ashore at Savanilla and was NM. The whole naval force consists only of five vessels.— liouv•ft is stated to have increased the import duties from 25 to 30 per rent. r-. - 1 _ . Chstrh semi Wee" wa matilierOMPOrwl . l• •IMMIEk...- .r .~ PR ITATIL LITTER. ' Butwos Avant, OCT. 20.—We have experienced a most dreadful hurricane in the river Plate, which has destroyed the mole of Buenos Ayres, many houses aluag the beach, and about 50 sail of shipping. Hoods are now scarce, and freights !sigh. The brig Warrior of this pert, was off the harbour of Valparaiso, on the ffth July, when Mr. Nixox, the master, and surlier cargo was on shore I the number of lives Wet at the Coaches, is reported as very considerable, and the til lage totally desttoyed. The correspondence published In the papers of the • day, between the Rev. Mr. Benesroan, Rector of St. Andrew's, Holborn, and Mr. Alderman Wasrumen, is of higher and more extensive interest than the sot jeers by which it was occasioned. Mr. BINH/ORIN it appears, complained that when the accustomed offices of religion had been suspended is St. Andrew's Church for the purpose of holding a temporal Court, (a Ward mote of the district,) the Alderman had (twisters where he was sitting, and bad been negligent ill //- straining the recital of a blasphemous parody. and discussing whieh would have been offensive in a less sacred place. The reply of MlP.Alekintiam WAIT/MAN is an unanswerable refutation of Mr. lienzaresto's charge. li is wore ;itis a plete exposure, Dot only of the inconsistency and hypocrisy of the persons pith whose feelings Mr. Be aEPro a v alleged he sympathised, on account of this pretended pro fanation of the place, but of offirioes and in/swab tory spirit of the clergyman himself. '1 he fact of the worthy Alderman having request•si the recital not to proceed, when only a few lines of the parody refeered to had been read, is studiously suppressed or per verted ; and the other fact, is equally concealed. of the publisher of that obnoxious parody having rewired the countenance and votes at the Wardruote of the very persons who affected to be outraged at iho re cital of his publication. An Instance of more gross toesnyereity nod of can scarcely be adduced. It were desirable to add, that inch examples were sit ' guise. The troth. however, is, that they every where almond. If men possessed is his rt and deed that re verence for Christain doctrine, to which, for the put ' poses of arrogate** and a' rife they make such loud pre smeeloms. it is savecessary to say that they would actin a 'Welt Inffettewereet and coosistest manner. In all ages of Ilheleinehlt,And its all countries as well as its Judea, ',Pere have 'been Scribes, Pharisees, aid Hypocrites, • I, *ho assume Most high iusportaace for their affected attachmeet to 'eternal observances, while inwardly they are at variance with every principle they profess. " Men have just oliosigh of Religion," says Dees ,ffwift, "to woke them hate one another." It affstds tit mumnion of with* the most immoral and asjist pay tonfirlly avail. if they patents has the holders. to. withstand. the Imposers of their roettrulictions. it Iles *twat* peosehhnl a moot fondly-1001 powerful ex eiNessent tal poespielsit.almlimigileaml mat la deft*" ' 4 l * iiiiialikt4Pb• 4 4 040; 'Vr; cavil Is is the widagspidiumisigoss . worsens ' . 4 if g pi i ts was of Illraggilltk a ii t A ie . 4 4 11 0itill w tllie Pi g" ' t *lllen• liiiiiss.. giiirfregaisair 6, 'mad THE STATESMAN. horn a he r; at ey are sapportfog the eositry.l COIIRESPO , are too timid to reflrtt seriottsly on their actor and airrware sus km us. n 1 indolent to probe their measures; hut who, we 's! ANORKIV ' tI, UOLSOIN, AN rii•rnr•lr the i • . •