The National Register.
London, England, 1812-06-14 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

JUN' 14.

served the gallows, while his murder appears to be a humane tac , per.
petrated to save both the Minister, his finally, and friends, from the
pain and disgrace of such a catastrophe.
Continuing its eulogy on BE LLts:GRA M) it tells us that " shortly aftot
the act was committed he even shed tears for him (Mr. P.) though Ise
shed none for his own misfortunes, or felt the least dismay on his own
account; and with his dying lips be requested PERCEVAL'S family
might know the sorrow he felt on their account. How different is tins
conduct front that barbarous joy, which the vindictive man feels when
his victim lies bleeding at his feet ! No foul passion of this kind die.
graced the honourable bosom of BELLINGHAM ; and therefore we can-
not refuse him credit for his own declaration, 4 that Justice—and Jut.
lice only was his oldect."—" A noble object! And much it is to be desir-
ed, that it were always attainable by strait and even ways! Nor will it
prove any excuse for man, that Providence himself sometimes accuse.
plishes that end by indirect means. In that courage which raises the
mind superior to the fear of death, BELLINGHAM may be compared to
Sir THOMAS MOORE ; but the CHANCELLOR giving way tO his pleasan.
tries upon the scaffold, may be said to have died beneath himself;
whilst BELLINGHAM exhibiting a happy combination of mildness aad
dignity towards his tormentors, anxious to draw from him an avowal
that would have blasted his own character and justified that of others,
may be said to have died greatly beyond himself."
If there be any one thing more than another that must make the
friends of BELLINGHAM lament that he was unfortunately cut off when
he hie only committed one murder, it must be the regret the lovers of
fine writing must feel when they reflect that the departed hero cannot
have the pleasure of reading the above delectable article. How qv!!
beautiful is the eulogium there given on his dignified deportment at the
gallows.. It must be beautiful, because it is not easy to understand
half of it. Vulgar readers may, from this circumstance, be at first in-
duced to consider it as rank nonsense, for they, not entering into the
author's spirit, may not be able to guess what is meant by BELLING•
HAM'S 46 exhibiting a happy combination of mildness and dignity to-
wards his tormentors, anxious to draw from him an avowal that would
have blasted his own character and justified that of others." They will.
perhaps, not admire the English of this elegantly turned period, any
more than its apparent meaning. They will perhaps ask, who were Ins
tormentors l What avowal could have blast4d his own character 1 And
still more anxiously may they ask how, doing this, was he to justify that
(the character) of others. This we say, by common readers may be te•
garded as nonsense, some will perhaps be uncharitable enough to think
that the whole paragraph has the appearance of having come from ths
pen of some associate villain, equally incapable of suppressing his grati-
tudefise, and his rapture at, the conduct of the hero, now no more,
who forbore to disclose the names of any of his friends in his last mo-
ments. It is unnecessary for me to point out how ridiculous such ideas
must be. All I will say on the subject is, that the article is very fh,e,
and as there can be no doubt that the author meant it to be so, I hope
something equally solemn and consoling to his friends, will come from
some other pen, when his patriotism has gained the notoriety which I
tru st it will one day gain: a notoriety only second to that which has
crowned the exertions of the illustrious BELLINGHAM. When on the
subject of the 66 honoweable bosom of BE LLI aHA m," I think the wri.
ter might with great propriety have indulged in a short digression, for
the purpose of treating us with something about aise " honourable bo-
soms" of JERRY ABER SuAw, and other heroes of the Newgate Ca.

lendar.
Having gone so far, the Editor appears to have thought it expedient,
for the purpose of working a reform and of holding future Ministers in
proper constitutional dread of the pistol of an assassin, to reward as far
as he could the act of BELLIN GII Am. Those who know that person well
perhaps think it a most exquisite joke that I should imagine for a Ino•
ment that a subscription set on foot by him, and received by him, vouid
ever find its way to the Widow of BELLINGHAM. This, however, re-
gardless of those sneers, I shall still suppose would have been the case.
If the honesty of this Patriot would not ensure its safe conveyance, his
love of murder (which I infer from his writings) would beyond all
I cannot bring myself to think that he would let slip so favourable an
opportunity of encouraging assassination. The following article on this
subject from " The Constitutional Corner" will, I trust, be again given
to the world in italics.
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR MRS. BELLINGHAM 8c HER FAMILY.
" We have readily given publicity to several communications which
we have received on this interesting subject; and as we undoubtedlY