The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-02-20 00:00:00

The proposition, the modest proposition of the
Austrian Circular amounted to this, " Refrain from
any attempt to reform the errors or abuses or your
civil government, by any means which promise to
;wake the object Fought latent:ile., Whatever nr-
cessities you might feel for altering the economy of
.yonr government, however violent, preposterous,
"sod mischievous the power of goer rulers over you,
however injurious and degrading to all classes sepa-
rately, and to the whole 'lotion in conjunction, seek
'for uo alteration through reitsrLbs,'itameaus." What
would have been the condition of England if the
urmy of James IL not the fourth part in numbers
of our own, had not as-isted the views of the
people, but remained firmly attached to the
Monarch I Yet in such subterfuges as he had
described was it atteinp:ed to disguise propen-
lilies to arbitrary and unalterable rule. If the
liprinciple of change could be allowed any where, it
ants in Modes. Divesting the pretexts of the Al-
Jigs of all false colours and pretences, the Manifesto
;against Naples was no more tine less than this—
, Liberty there is none for you, except what you
.Qty derive from our decrees, enforced by our
• bayonets. We will not tolerate freedom in
our own States, sett therefore will not admit
it in yours. Should it be proclaimed in Na-
ples, it will he heard rrsouniling its Dresden_stud
Breslisw. The frost of Russia. which was impe-
netrable to the legions of France, may be pene-
trated by the genial sun of liberty, sod, therefore,
we will prevent its dawn." Such was the import of
the language of that unholy and unchristian Alliance
to Naeles. But one other ground of argument was
taken worse then all that he hod mentioned—that
ie-
terference was rendered necessary by the secret arti-
cles of a Treaty entered into by the Allied Posvers.
He was astonieheil that any power could have been
suffered to 'adduce such a justifieation of interfe-
rence. By those secret ternis of alliance, it appear-
ed that it was stipulated, or rather understood (a
faslsiottalsle phrase ef modern diplomacy), that the
high centracting parties required of his Sicilian
Majesty, at the period of his re-estahlishinent, that
Ile should adopt nothing iii mitering the in-
ternal errangeinents of his kingdom likely to
prove injurious to the general interests of too-
narchy in continental Europe, or that could in
any way rc.langer the peace or possession of the
States, or infringe 0,1 the power, prerngttives, or
interests of his Imperial Majesty. But this, sup-
posing it to be just toil equitable, as it was unjust
and oppressive, oily implied to the re-establishment
of the Government of Sicily. mad could not be
construed into a perpetual guarantee as to any
ago emetits which might at any future time be eti-
aered into between the King and his people, no as
to prevent uny alterations of the civil govern-
ment. The objection to such en article its
any Treaty would be, that it failed ab initio—
that it was of impracticable execution, flutist offal
'and uniiist —Nulling the King of Naples to coo-
ditions which he cmiLl not fulfil, Without violating
all the rights of ti4ti.ins mid of his own peoide. It.
tend,tl to keep the King of Merles at constant
valance with his petiole. It was a contract which
he tomb' not keel; without fusfeiting his throne.
But starriug tout argument to pass, and that
the tii.dristaisiling of no change bring ellowuble
could be established, For fear of their influence nn
the States of A tistoa, what was the conduct of the
Austrian (:overometit iii Italy, that any danger
likely to aff.ct it shetild require such a sacrifice ?
It was the crude dominion of a foreign government
reigning by right of conquest, without reference to
the will or interests of the people. The principle
of ilea government required that every thing should
be done in favour oh Anode, without regard to
Italy. 1,1 every messure tuken, in every tax propos-
ed, in every affair of politics, the interests of A us.ria
were alone consulted. C ‘ree arid agriculture
withersel under her yoke; even education was
watched lifter and frustrated, that no ray or mental
light should le-cak through the darkness and terror
of her tyranny. IVos it to prevent the °et-mortice
of political light, still to shut out the possibility of
alteruti )))) in the gotereinesit of Swett giveu up to
the hottest degradatton in which tyranny could in-
volve them, that the rights of independent States
were to be violmed ? Never had a more intolerant
anal monstrous principle been assoined. But net
only now had the constitution of Naples received the
10110:11001 of the King ; when endeavouring to re-
establish his gnvernntrut, a promise had been held
out of at free constitution. The proclamation of
the let of May declared no less. His Lordship
quoted the document in proof of his amertion.)
Here was an original contract, in which a promise
of a free constitution laid been explicitly held
out, and which, coupled with the circumstances
attending the expulaion of Murat, proved that
the people nut only wished but expected, end
were assured that they would he put its posses-
, midst) of their rights by the adoption of a free
elitution. Ott the promise of this constitution had
fixed his last lingering hopes of obtaining
assistance from the people, and the first declara-
tion made by Ilia successor contained the same pro-
mise. These were plain proofs that the spirit of
liberty laid kindled in the people a desire for free
and coustitutioual Government. His Lordship
decried the arrogance of the Allied Powers in com-
bolting against ally thing tending to endanger the
monarchical prieciole, as it had Men styled ; as if
the people could he brought to assent, either in
word or deed. to the maxim that no reforms
wee admissibie but those which were ori-
ginated by Kings theimelves. Ile called on
their Lordships to denim(' some explanation 011 a
MO whirl, at present appeared to he wholly in-
emapatitile with the true Interests of the country,
derogating from the dignity of the crown, beteg
injurious to the rights of Nations, and humiliating
to the character of the people. He might be asked
what oilier conduct &limiters could have •iitir-
sued ? His answer was, that a prompt re.:'
.leutiorinee 'Tattoo the threatened aggres.ion of
•Aestria was the le.vo they coold have effected.
. nor how was It thitt their answer was so- prompt so
to the revelation or Naples, and they had expressed'
optliiiig of the kind as to the measures of the Spa-
viltisla Government at the dissolution of the Cortes?
'llia Lordship, after descanting it little further ou
this topic. observed, that as mach would b.! said in
the coarse of the debate. he had limited his oh-
sereatione to such parts of the subject as he
thought required the fullest explateitem. He
thought the conduct of Ministers temporizing tool
POsollititiuscuss if, they-amid acquit Utilise! ves
.. Z!‘
. :/v• e'
~ .) unity on

10;

, 4

1