The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-20 00:00:00

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Tiff. SRS S ff PRES-$.

LONDON.
PRO Y. Avails? W. NIL

We lament to state that the perdue coramotione
recited by the attack made upon the public meets
ing at Manchester, on Monday last, were not con-
fined to that town, but that the effects of that hasty
and unfortunate measure were felt in %ace!traria
and in Stockport. Irritated by the violent diaper.
aims of the meeting et Manchester, the Reformers
made three pieces, but principally Macclesfield.
the occurs of some disorder and riot, but happily
they were so Promptly and energetically opposed
by the civil polka, that their outrageous pro.
ceediugs served only to prove the deep exasperation
with which they were animated. The military
power had been for the most part drawn from the
towns end villages in the vicinity of Manchester,
towards that town, whereby the others were in a
great measure deserted, but the yeomanry cavalry
and regular troops haste since been an disposed as
to secure Manchester, and other places that seemed
to be most threatened, from the possibility of
danger, and when the latest accounts left Matta
cheater, that town and those in its vicinity seemed to
repose in tranquillity, though confidence was nut
perfectly reorstablished.
Further accounts more minute iu their details
than those we published yesterday, respecting the
dreadful events which occurred in Manchester on
Monday, have arrived, aud will be found in an-
other pert of our Paper. Nothing has hitherto tips
peered in the shape of a justification of the con-
duct of the Magistrate, proceeding from themselves,
but in the mean time some of the miserable fry
whose degrading duty it is to extol the virtue and
wisdom of every act that hears the mark of autho-
rity, have endeavoured by every art to give ir false
colouring to the transaction. There are, however,
some facts which no ingenuity can distort, which
are confirmed by the concurring testimony of every
`account that has reached town, sad which beiug of
primary importance, must Principally determine
the soletnti verdict of the country,. respecting the
entire proceeding. It ii admitted by all that the
meeting had. manifested every disposition to respect
the security of persons and property, and to' preserve
the public tranquillity. There appeared no indica-
tion on their part of a tendency to riot, and what-
ever may have been the private opinions or desires of
any portion of the people assembled is gt. Peter's-
place, on Monday, the language of the assembly,
and of those who could exercise most influence over
its conduct, wit; in the highest degree pacific. Of
the sincerity of their professions, their.own interests
afforded a sufficient guarantee ; for if the imme-
diate terror inspired by the presence of a powerful
military force, well prepared for every emergency,
and very willing to exert its power to the utmost,
were not sufficient to repress every disposition for
riot, they meet be aware, as they uniformly pro-
fessed, that the political objects they had in view
must be injuriously affected by the display of vio-
lence. On this principle the Reformers have al-
ready acted at several of their meetings--and there
mime/red, from the general character of the einem.
lily at Manchester, no reason to ipprelond a deria-
, non from their general practice. .
Not; therefore, fur any offence committed at the
meeting were its proceeding!, disturbed, and the
lives and limbs of the people composing it out-
rageously endangered—not for the intemperauce
of seditious Imiguaee nttered on this occasion,
nor for any disturbance of the public peace were
the King's troops ordered by the Magistrates
of Manchester to draw their swords upon the
Kieg's peaceful subjects, engaged id the exer-
nee of a ceeratitational right, and commanded
to charge through an unarmed multitude, ender
circumstances wherein it was utterly impossible
to obey such an order without trampling to death
many of the crowd. It seems that • previous to
the meeting warrants had been issued for the ar.
rest of HUNT, JOHNBON. KNIOIIT. and some
I others, who, we do not deny, may very well hate
merited tier utmost severity of the law. We
never have defruded, end certainly do not now de-
sre to defend or exculpate the conduct of these
agitators ; we have ever looked upon such oven :i
the worst enemies of the country, aid while we
lamented the distresses that oppressed the lower
orders, and labouring classes of the people, we exe-
crated the heartlevevickedness of those alto took
advaistage of their condition to inibitter their
poverty by inspiring them with a sense of unmerited .
iejuryi and sought to iiitlaine their positions to wake
them the iiistruments of some . pernicious schemes.
Ify however, the arrest of HUNT and some of his
party were the real and only object of the Magi-
strates, and that these gentlemen were at the scar
time sincerely desirous of presetting the public peeve
and ironing the lives and property of the Kiug's
subjects from danger, could they not have chosen

Mustfiet tithe and another mod.. of eisecutitig
,their
project ? Saute intimation had been given to
Olt the Saturdry preceding, that ilia Magistrates
had Wetted u warrant optima hint. he isninedietely
repaired to the Police-office. nod inquiring whether
such were the fact, offered to surrender himself to
their authority. No doubt ran now rend in the
land of any reasoning rusty. that either the warrant
*as at that moment actually made out, or was
wt
least in contemplation ; bat the Magistrates had
asst eV mist to them a more interestit g object its '
vie*. Perhaps they were desirous of displaying their
authority and the terrors of the law, areityed in all
the borrowed uplenduar of military tropingo, in
the presence of a mighty multitude, and therefore
I thought it wise to defer the execotiou of the war-
rant until it might he achieved with edit. Au op-
portunity would also he afforded of siscertainnig
whether the temper of the people was such as to
bear to he dragooned into aubinission, and how far
the edge of the satire might he maple the test of
loyalty. We should he called Jacobins were we
•to immure a suppositimi that the Magistrates were
&sine- of inflaming the iniods of the people, and
goading them to acts of violence; but we may as
that the obvious consequences of executiog a
warrant egaiiist those persona with • display of mi-
litary force, at a moment when the incitement of
the multitude was highest, must be to induce a
spirit of resistance among the people, which would
moat probably lead to sanguinary results. %%'e are
told that a cordon of special constsble• maintained
a communication between the hustings and the
house where the Magistrates assembled. By this
line, if the Magistrates were an resolved, constables
might have proceeded to execute the warrant t hut
instead of taking this obvious path, a large body
of constables attempted to force their way through
the &meat part of the crowd, end being unable
to •pprosch the hustings, as the Ministerial Pa-
pers affirm, the military thee advanced to cover
the proceedings of the civil authority. This ad-
vance, however, was a charge, and many per-
eons were cut down and trampled by the troops.—
The military officer undertook to execute the war-
rant against HusT, and I blows were wan-
tonly made at Mac and those around him. In-
deed it is affirmed in one Paper devoted to the
Treasury, that several ruffians in the yeomanry
corps were determined to cat Haat to pieces. and
would have executed their threat were they not
prevented by Natits, the chief officer of the police.
An Evening Paper. notorious for its trout of eau-
dour, with its usual flippant falsity asserts that
the warrants were executed without tiolerite, and
that not a sabre was used until fly We and . his
Meads were secured. But not only does every
account on which any relieuce may be placed. from
the character of the channel that conveys it. affirm
the direct contrary. but even the print to which we
allude confesses that lluxt received a sabre wound
in the hand. The troops, ton, by the concurrent
testimony of every. eye-witness who has written on
the sohject. advanced through the crowd rapidly.
and that ouch a movement toast have been attended
by great injury to the people can easily, be ima-
gined. even though the yeomanry had magna-
nimously abstained hoist using their swards.—
ft is welt observed by one who was a spectator of
the outrage, that " a comparatively undisciplined
body, led on by officers who had never had any ex.
perietice in military affairs. and probably all under
the influence both of personal fear and considerable
political feeling of hostility, could not be expected
toilet either with coolness or discrimination ; sod
accordingly men, women, anti children, constahlev
end Reformers, were ill equally exposed to their
attacks."—The same witness adds, " Numbers
were trampled down and numbers were cut down."
The arreste being mole, it is stated that the ye-o-
at:tory, flushed witis their victory. imposed " ar
dealt at the ttece,s," and that immediately they made
a charge through the crowds, in the direction of the
standard-bearers. One gallant soldier most vs.
handy cut down—o woman who had held a flag;
and probably it was by such Feats of valour
on the ',art of the military thu the populace were
excised to emulate their heroism. and fling stun, s
and Inn:khan. at the yeominry. Tise canortplencea
were us we bar! already stated, some killed and

many wounded.
The entire proceeding seems to have been
conducted throughout with a revolting spirit of
vengeance ; uo regard was paid to guilt or inno-
cence, and iu several instances the troops and con.
stables appeared tlesirons of superseding the tedious
and uncertain process of law. The conduct of both
parties towards fluvr manifested their intention of
!inning this dangerous character hors de combat.
lie sva", in the first instance. with difficulty rescued
from the sabres of the cavalry, hut it was to yawl..
once the more brutal outrages of the constables.
whose duty.it was to protect their prisoner from in-
stilt. They struck bins violent and repeated blows
on the head with their bludgeons, sled excited
'serious apprehensions for his life—probably imagin.
log that an act of summary justice on so odious as
individual would be taken for an ebullitiou of their
honest zeal for the Comment of the country. and
that thereby they would not only perpetrate the
crime with impunity. bat even he cro*oed with
honours and rewards.

Hointnetth and Fletidere Mail. Mite arrived.
Numerbne orreete continue fo take place theough;
eat the PrustiouStates, anei iu other pas of OH.

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