The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-05 00:00:00

. .
io, : . •••
SU.NDA\, FEBRUARY 5, 1809.

POLITICAL DEC LA IMItS.

w. ~

No.. X.IXII.

• TO Mak WHITBREAp,..QN THE.-SPRJECT. Of , THE
OVERTURE'S •FROM ERFURTIL

Sin,

.or • ••• • ••

. As an advocate for freedom of dissuploptyou wilt per
mit me to address to you peciOnally a few observations on
, the late communications froM-franceistid Itessia. A will
. not, preface them by, making yoti an apology for Mani-
festing, in the course of this letter, priaciples, and •Senti-.1
. meats the very reverse of those attributed to you On the
same-subject. Entertaining, however, a higher opinion of
. your political integrity and talents, thanyour languid dis-
approbation of the atrocities committed against the Spa-
. niards, and your opinion on the propriety of negociating
with the aggressor would appear to justify,. I will care-
fully refrain from mingling personalities 'with the sub-
ject of our correspondence. Did I write to you from mo-
• tivcs of private enmity, or to gratify the•passions of your
political antagonists, I would lay a particular stress on the
. extreme inconsistency of your professions infavour of uni-
versal freedom, with your indifference, not to say secret
repugnance to the exertions- and sufferings of the Spaniards
in the same cuise. Rat ai t. have no animosity. to gratify,
nor any views of a, party to promote, and the individual
totally disappearing in the magnitude and the importance •
. of the subject, %our opinions and not you; will be the..ob-
.
jectoltny aniroadyersion.
• After indulging, for a considerable time, in a strain of
angry. and dispiriting declamation, in which you attempt to
• • exculpate the atrocities of BONAiART. E, by comparing
• them with the excesses you accuse your own country of
-;'•ll‘aving committed otsdifferent ,occasions, you cOhclude this
:" vehement philippic, by advising the necessityand
t►g. 'the propriety of negotititien with the 'enemy.
' presitine; 'Sir, when you adverted to' the compa-
• raffve- intilgitiftcaned 'of England alliOng the' nations;' that
" .1,0,460e/stk.' ollditecbaractcrittic *gray ty •and serionsness,
bed the rhtfiltafed idO mortifying; painful an opinion
' ,of his tbuttig, nAst'have had. some irrong and irrefragable
•pfoOfs asSertiOn.- 'As you forgot, in vio-
-1 "lentgandt.'iltliftthosity -of 'yottetlisoitise,
.make these
• prieslehO.wn, you canna-condemn •me for reluctantly
ti sting 'to the truth' of so grave a charge, .siiiiported by
tto authority; but your 'b'are The-Whole tenor
of -yout:di4eotirse strongly. eVilacei• the 'irritation of mind
• 'you labb4fed 'ilnder, when YOu pronounced it and, 'I am
misinformeB; or vOn *Ste no 'stringer to -the effect which
•• too violent Un 'indulgence of passion has in disfiguring and
, • exaggOritingTactii. • 'As I do' not labour habitually myself
.••• 'tinder inffuente of this unruly sensation, and have
assumed a more than ordinary composure in addressing
myself to a personage of your rank and talents, I am, ac-
kno'wledging, to the utmost extent, your better means of
• inforMatiou and ilitellettual superiority, consequently less
liable to misrepresentation and error. I have no politi-
IT.-- Vo. 7.1111

Cat''arttapnist to 'oyerthrOw, and have, theectore, less kw
ducemeneto pervert. truth, in order to render his integrity
suspicious and 1114 capacity doubtful.,

. -
As ti have omitted, Sir, I will hope from tleficaoy,
. yo.
as well as coininfsseration fer the sunk and degraded state
of your country, to publish the facts on which you fouud.ht
this pitiful opinion. of our relittixe importauce,.l will en-
deavour to prpve the inaCcurail ring to myself the
?esery •
task of pointing:, out on-i.futtire dangerous
and criminal • tendency; cif these itst,tement;: It is.pa inful
to be reduced to the...ll6'oe' isity.of.e4 f, tmlattin opinions of
•
this .kind the-confidence, with which they are prw
•
Mulghted; and tire alarming -appearance (if a concerted
and systeuiaftc 'project of attending their.circulation, (for
what piirpcise' time may detelope) "urgently: impress the
necessity of exposing and
_counteracting th .ir ft •eJustve and
baneful tendency. There is not. a nevigeitiii. political rea-
soning, or a smatterer in the first principliwelphilosephy,
not an individual who has received his ?otioosoftivil go-
vernment from 'PAINE'. and Cosarrt vr.leai:nedlis,ethice
in the schools of modern visionaries, siho does ;not spurn at
the contracted notions of patriotism
,411(1,1senevolente which
our forefathers possessed. The lAtterit:,.. ii-Arne, loved
their country, notwithstanding , all' her .defect,„...with
passion bordering on distraction ; and,. an ittevitAie con-
sequence of every ardent attnliment, feaan unatuquera-
ble abhorrence for her enemies. ',Ttkey lovednankind ;
but their friends, their nvig,libouri,:their relatives were
the objects of their immediate and ,active. benevolence.
Now the case is completely reversed ;land modern patriot-
ism and benevolence, having-,taken a higher stand, dis-
regard the spot and the objects itzmAliately. near them,
to fix their eyes on. the interminable apace before them.
All the magic of optical delusion, from this conspicuous
eminence, contributes to embellish . the. remote objects;
'w'hilst the unevenness and imperfections of the station they
are placed on, enhance the beauty and advantages of the
distant scenery. Thus the patriots of our day overlook their
country, or are shocked with -its imperfections ; and the
delusive • influence of distance gives them the ntost
fascinating idea of French institutions. They forget
the exercise of the leisersocial duties, in the comprehen-
siveness of their views; and twit in 'the admiration
-of BONAPARTE, .his armies; his statesmen, his literary
or political, establishments, they never speak of their own
country,' her military and GovernMeut, hut with con-
tempt, and reptign at the idea of promoting her interests
and glory With their talents and influence. ,
• Such Sir, are unfortunately the spirit and mania of our
new stickful for reforin,—they are blind to all the advan-
tages of their own nation, or even glory in its reverses and
abasementi because it happens to have some defects inse-
perable from human institutions. With an Infatuation,
(ninny incomprehensible and odious, they raise the cha-
racier and extol the resources of its enemies ; and forget-
in; the baseness, as well as cowardice, of offering up in-
cense itt the shrine of an insolent'on4l, inveterate antago-
nist, they denounce it as an act of madness on our part, to