The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-11-17 00:00:00

SIR JAMES CRAurunD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE. AI

St s_.The case of Sir ,4: Craufird li aving been
made a subject of public discuss' on, and a species
0: vindication having appeared in Mr. Cohbett's
olitical Register of Saturday last, I beg to be al-
owed as a spectator to give an opinion on this topic,
vhich is now become the property of the public. I
.isli to do so the mote, because
fe after all the belie de-
nse. which has been made, and all the various lights
in which this Gentleman's motives for the step lie
has taken have been placed, there is an internal
feeling in the breast of every gentleman which re-
volts againet it, which leaves him, dissatisfied with
tic arguments used, though he pethaps finds it
difficult to r:fute them, and entirely convinced that
if be had been placed in the same pit:die:lntent, he
*cub; not have acted in the same manner.
Mr. Cobbett says most justly, that a gentleman
and a servant of the King must not stand before the
world on a defence arising out of parental and con-
jugal feelings. We are all of us fathers, or hus-
bands, or brothers ; and mere is no culpable .ittlion
whatever, which may not derive some palliation
from such appeals. I shall venture a little farther,
and put aside all considerations connected with the
consequences to be apprehended by Sir James's
counuyrnen in France; because, if his conduft has
been tight, however he may regret the Increased ri-
gour of tileir imprisonment, he cannot accuse him-
self as the author of it; and, if he has been wrong, I
do not see how the weight would lie less heavy
II 11 his oe;.vt, were the Fieoea government just or
generous enough to confine the dishonour, and all
its consequences, to the single culpable person.
nem .31 hat J .e extraneous point, of mid wei4ht,
s.i;ch must be conceded by every one, and that is,
ea Illegality of the previous detention of Sir James,
and of his ..ount7ymen ; because, if we do not join
issue ix,. its that !luau, I doubt the cause rfeed not be
brouent into cow t—Selvi rear Fahnia, but not Rksu :
fur no gentleman, I apprehend, would then laugh
with him or at him.
Tie condo& of Sir James becomes therefore.
. I, ar Cobbett Observes, a question i i morality, an :
may be itated thus: Is Sir James Crany,i,hai:i-g
.4 d eiei fdi
egugn detained by the Frei.eb Government, and
la. inn been released on hit word of honour to return
at the exptrafion of two months, bound by that word of
t. :our, or not ' A Casuist may answer, no ; but,
if h.! has the hear: of a gentleman, or the honour of
a gentleman, he must say, yes. And why, Sir ?
From the simplest, yet most universal principle that
binds together human society, which is--that, in
every specific and mutual engagement, the con-
tritaing parties must be ',opposed to confide in the
intention of each otha to perform faithfully his
part, gonad hoc. I may have dealings with a man,
wlao has a tholisanl times before defrauded or de-

Rh

A. a

ceived me or others ; I may have existing disput.
with him nn points conneCted with the subje't in
w'oich I mean to pledge my word, aid receive his;
fv:t I consent to wave them all ; I cafisent to be-
lieve him at last firmly disposed to keep his faith
..1-h me in die single particular on whith I am
treating wit`.. him ; and, rutting aside all former
cinsiderations. I bind myself to the ptrtormance of
Icertain conditions. if hil will abide by the conditions
imposed upon him. Every man case see what would
Itfit the consequences io human so..iiety of a doarine
tlse reverse of this; and it is not 'NOT* while to en-
large upon it.
Had Sir dames Craufurd continued in the state of
a prisoner illegally arrested ; had he. continuitig to.
pr,-,:est against that aru,cinus aft. All a having given
i.o word of honour, succeeded in making his escape,
who would refuse to justify him ? .He might have
done so, if 1-e had been a prisoner of war !e:? No '
cap:ured, and no: fire • on his parole ; and yet the
con.eqnences ro his countrymen, still Jaitairied. might
have been as severe as t...ey are now iipprehended
to 'oe.
If you will give me leave, Sir, I will venture to ,
put a care too, and close a letret already too long.
Suppose ;sir dames, with no intention whatever of
escaping to England, had quietly proceeded to the
Waits of Aix La Chapelle, and, resting on the sem-,
iii engaged to him on his parole,hadbeenseised by
the French government on vitprehn alone, had been
carried back to Paris and thrown into rigorous con-
finement. Would he have had a right to complain ?-
Most certainly. And why ? Because .hey had not kept
their engagement with an honest man, who meant
to keep .13., Suppose. Sir, the Frenchl had known
(no matter ily what specks of inspiration) that Sir
James Craufurd did. add mean to retnro at the end,
of two retiotiis. slid bad in the same manntr seized
him by anticipation ; could he then have justly.
camplained t t fear we must all answer in the a.;
gvive ; and, ii so, I fear we must give up the jar
tiicatiuit t..f .hz whole transaCtion.
I write, Sir, as a mere looker fin : I love to think,
that Sir James Cranford. recovering (men the tern.
p.wary delusion by which he has been influenced,
and from the seduCtion to which the expellation of
embracing a beloved family has too easily made him
yield, wall think and decide like a man of honour,
what step he ought to take, in order to get into the
rig.lt path, if he has strayed trom it. This is a ques-
tion of feeling, which every gentleman must answer
me himself; and if he cat.not answer it from his
own movement, I am bore he can Weir do it from
the suggestion of others. •
1..1:lou, NOT. 1::

The Baravian °Aker. liar oz, who, at the age
of twenty-two, is a Captain in the Russian Navy,
and commands a 76 gnn ship, in the squadron off
Cionsiasit, received lately from the Hussies's. Bu-
rns oz.. during lbs MAJEA/ V's iuspeaion of Isis Beet,
a diamond ring of great value. as a proof of his se-
tisfaaion at the ender on board his ship.
Sir SIMON Ct sect anived yesterday from Har-
wich, at his lioute in Gloucester-place, to the great
joy of his numerous friends, after an absence of" two
years, during Which he made a tour of Italy, Ger-
many, Switzerland, and other parts of the Conti-
nent. In the course of his travels he visited the
touts of the several eountries through which he
p.ssissl, and every whet c met a most gracious recep-
tit) . Fr..= Its'lr he Iturtned by Berlin, whe:e he
s?zlit some time with Mr. Jac ICaCIO, the Btitish Mi-
nister at that court. Sir SIMON bas brought with
him a great number of valuable presents from seve-
ral laden Princesses, to the Dilate*, of Cyst ssit-
LAND.