The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-14 00:00:00

Naturaus fusel expellas tamen usque securest ;

the thorough-Jiro! Jacobin is always a Jacobin.,
lie may turn hi, coat, as the serpent slips his skin,
but he is a serpi.iit still. This present worshipper of
the Deity in Downing-street does not forget the
principles and tenets of his old idol Bow arArre.
The writer in The Courier will allow no neutrals,
no limitation of suit and service, no bounds to flat-
tery and servility. The paper that dares to think
for itself, and to sustain the dignity of the public
press, is immediately dubbed "an opposition paper,"
a paper actuated by " the base spirit of faction ;"
for such are the terms in which the rotten and cor-
rupt part of the public press describes all that is
fair and independent of it ; Ell that is not ready to
flatter and

" Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, where thrift mug
follow ;"
- - -

all that is not ready to full down and worship the
Minister of the day ; all that is not ready to
swear and forswear, as suits the interests and
wishes of the party. Having given this spe-
cimen of the truth and accuracy of The Carrier,
in its definition of an opposition paper, we shall next
notice the accuracy of its lassie. It asserts that the
Resolution passed unanimously by the Meeting at
Glasgow, does contain a very warm eulogium upon
His MAJESTY'S Ministers. And why ? Because,
says The Courier, " The Resolution asserts that
the Meeting were fully satisfied, that it is only by
persevering is prompt, wise, and vigorous mea-
sures, we are to hope for the attainment of a safe,
lasting, and honourable peace." From Zeno to the
Grave-digger in Hamlet, there is not to be found
such a curious piece Of induction. The premises
amount to a mere abstract proposition. They do
not contain a single relative term ; and yet the
sophist in The Courier, in defiance of every rule of
right reasoning, and in direct opposition to the
plain and simple meaning of the paragraph, identi-
fies it with the present Ministers, and assumes that
the proposition, which is equally true, as a general
proposition, in all cases, applies only to the manner
in which the present war is conducted by the pre-
sent Ministen, and to their measures. The notice of
the Lotto PROVOST of Glasgow, convening the
Meeting, announced for its object " to congristu-
late His MAJESTY upon the vigorous and active
line of conduct which has been piirsued in the pro-
secution of the war, and upon the lordliest suc-
cesses with which these energetic measures have so
happily been crowned." It required not a little
confidence in any person pretending to understand
the English language to suatert, that the Resolution
keeps the promise held oat in the notice, that it
participates of its temper, or its tone, rail is " a
warm eulogium" upon the Ministers. We believe
we were not the only persona struck with the dif-
ference between the spirit of the notice and the
Resolution, though, with the exception of THE
GLOM, this was the only paper that accounted
for it, by fairly and truly attributing it to a com-
promise. But if any thing were wanting to prove
the truth of our explanation, the Treasury Journals
themselves would supply the deficiency. They
state, that the hall was crowded with all parties,
and that tunny persons attended who are in the habit
of differing most essentially on political questions.
Were then these party-men all gagged or muz-
zled ? and if not, how came it that the question
was carried without one dissenting voice, or one
word spoken in opposition ? The answer is ob-
vious---the notice was emasculated. It was strip: of
all strength and vigour, and cut down to a men
abstract self-evident proposition. When such
parties do agree, their unanimity is wonderful ;
and this is the true solution of the mystery
upon the present occasiru, the true ground
of 'he universal assent of the Glasgow Mectiog.—
It is not our intention to pursue this subject far-
:lux. Nothing but regard for the liberty of the