The National Register.
London, England, 1809-10-01 00:00:00

POLITICAL DISQC

Nt; I.R NrN ETV.

THE CA.nALS OrnlE CABINET.
The disunion of the late Administration haS occasioned
this country to present to Et:rope, and the world, a.spec-
ta—cle of tin common nature.—The degrading spectacle of a
country, upon elioin the eyes of the Continckt arc directed
us almost. its last hope, with an Administration so totally
insensible of its danger and of its dignity, as to be quar-
relling and will' one another, whilst the ino::t ac-
tive and maligaant enemy, with which it ever had to con-
tend, is almost at its door. At any other period, this
stale of things would have excited a degree of anxiety
among the well disposed, and a degree of activity among
others, that would have decidedly tharked the public opi-
nion of the men and the measures which occasioned it. But
we discover nothing of the kind upon the present occasion.
A sense of
.public virtue seems be exchanged for an
apathy which we cannot account. for, unless we sappose.
the Public to be more willing to forgive the late Atiminis-
tratiou for what they have or have not done, than to risk
the introduction of a pity into the Cabinet froin whom go
much is to be apprehendod, and so little to be hoped. it
is a matter of .some delicacy to speculate upon the real
causes or this apathy—an apathy foreign to our nature as
Eng-hal:men* and disgraceful to us as an enlightened people.
Does this apathy proceed from a belief entertained by the
people, that the intrigues and cabals of party are nothing
more than a continued scuffle betweea men who are in and
men who are out of power, and that which ever may al-
ternately yield or prevail. The whole is a series of con-
temptible victories, or scandalous submissions, in which
the Fublic interest forms no part of the considerai ion. We
know there are persons who hold this doctrine themselves,
with respect to all public men, and who inculcate the same
I)elief in others. The situation of the country is imminent
4ad alarming, and the neutrality of public, or even of pri-
vate men, at such a crisis, isa dereliction of duty. Some
Legislators have gone the length of making this neutrality a
crime agaiast the State; the Public are interested in the dis-
cussion of every topic, by the determination of which they
may be either immediately or remotely affected, and par-
ticularly so, when difficulties of a temporary nature lead
to results that ma*,' be lasting, or when they are proposed
to be obviated upon principles that are likely to become
permanent. The subject, therefore, most interesting at
the present moment, or which ought to be so, is the situ-
ation of the country, and the means of extricating our-
selves from the probable consequences of it. In order to
do this, the remains of the late .Administration have ad-
vised their Sovereign to send message 3 to Lords Ga CN 1.1• U
and GREY, reqoiring their assistance to form an Adminis-
tration. The latter, it is sae, has declined the invitation,
and Lord GIiCN VILLE has merely answered, that he will
come to town, where he is since arrived. It is understood,
that but little-hopes are entertained of Lord GIUNVILLE
acceding to a plan thA. will not give him tie coke disposal