The National Register.
London, England, 1818-10-18 00:00:00

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No. 558.—V0L. XI.

• POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

THE HOLY ALLIANCE.

THE mysterious intentions of the Holy Alliance., as
it has been called, are now avowed. The object of this
Confederacy is acknowledged to be a leagete of Sove-
reigns in support of Monarchical authority. On this
subject the Lllowing observations are so sensible, and
the langnage so forcibly expressive, that we unhesi-
tatiugly insert them from a cotemporary Journal—
feeling assured our Readers wiil be much gratified by
their perusal.
• At the commencement of the revolutionary war
with France, when it was the common cant of cour-
' tiers, that " this was the cause of crowned heads,"
a learned and distinguished divine shrewdly remarked,
• " then I know what is the cause of uncrowned heads."
• The feeling, thus truly expressed by our countryman,
pervaded Europe at that period, weakened all the
exertions of the Allies, and contributed as much as the
enthusiasm of her armies to the astonishing success of
the French Republic. The abuse of victory on the
• part of France, her scandalous want of faith to those
• who confided in her promises, and, above all, the
' degrading despotism to which she unreluctintly sub-
` 'Mated, gradually obliterated this feeling; and the
disasters of her Rus>ian campaign enabled the nations
she had deceived and abused, to shake taller yoke.—
' Can it be the wish of the Sovereigns to revive among
• their subjects the sentiments that prevailed at the
commencement of the French Revolution? Do they
suppose it was attachment to them, and not indigs
nation at the infamous oppression of France, that
roused the warid against Napoleon.? 150 they imagine
' that those who wished well to France at the beginning
of her revolutionary career, are become indifferent to
' liberty? Do they think arbitrary power will be to-
' lerated by their subjects, peovided it is exercised by
legitimate Sovereigns? What means this hop' alliance
—this armed coalition in support of monarchical au-
. thorito—this gnarante of recogni:ed dynasties against
• democratic spirit qf their snljects? Must nations
• submit in future with resignation to every sort of
oppression it may please their sovereigns to inflict ?
• If they attempt resistance to established authority,
however weakly or wickedly administered, must they
• expect to ba opposed and punished by the united
• force of all the Sovereigns of Europe ? Is there to be
no term or limit to tyranny, except the will of So-
' vereigns awl their Ministers? Are nations henceforth
• to be considered as so many gangs of slaves, without
redress or protection against the cruelty, rapacity, or
• caprice of their masters ? Is this the reward of their
patriotic exertions against France ? Are these the
• fruits of the deliverance of Europe ? 'What worse
' could have happened under Napoleon ?
' Before this unholy league is consummated at Aix-
' la-Chupelle, we beseech the assembled Sovereigns to
• pause, and to reflect a moment on the state of the
• world and of themselves. They must be aware, that
• the hostilities which have. c:esolated Europe for the
• last twenty five years, have had more the character
• of a civil or religious war, than of a contest of nation
• against nati•m. Mankind have been and are still di-
' vided into two parties, the advocates of ancient privi-
• leges anal existing abuses, and the friends of reform
' and good government ; and if Kings and Emperors
• will condescend to inquire, they will find, whatever
• the Mcttcrnichs, the Hardenberes, and the Castle-
' reaghs, may tell them to the contrary, that the latter
4 are not the least numerous o: least powerful party.—
' Are the Sovereigns prepared to drive so considerable
• a portion of their subjects to despair ? Have they so
soon forgot their late situation under Napoleon ?
' Ten years ago it was in the power of the exile of St.
4 Helena to hays swept them and their dynasties from

Our Lititz, OonOtttution aub U atps.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER, 13, 181 S.

• the face of the earth. To his mercy they owe, that
• they are still in existence. He spared them, because
he had the silly vanity to be one of themselves.—
' But let them take care, lest by their misconduct they
raise up a second Napoleon. If such a revolutionary
• conqueror should again appear, by what arguments
? will they appeal to his de ;AIR they boast
•of their gratitude to his predecessor? By what in-
sinuations will they stir up their subjects to resist his
arms ? What have they to remind the nations they
govern, but of hopes deferred, of promises broken, of
' engagements violated? We have no desire to excite
fresh disorders. Twenty-five years experience has eon-
' vinced us, that imperfect liberty, with peace, is pre-
' ferable to a more perfect system that. must be obtained
by arms. Yr hat we request of Sovereigns is to form
no confederacies against their people, that must excite
an universal combination of Mankind against them-
' selves. If they have enemies among their subjects,
• let them disarm their resentment by satisfying their
just desires. Let there be no further delay in the
grant of Constitutions promised at divers time: to.
' certain nations. What the Kings promised in ,the
hour of peril, let them fulfil in the moment of victory.'

. -
As far as the interest and the character of England
are concerned, she was not a party to the Holy Alliance,
we were told by Ministers last Session in Parliament,
but the British Secretary of State is one of the junto at
Aix-la-Chapelle, and it seems highly probable that,
whatever are the machinations there, our Cabinet,
though not parties, are privy to them, ank.though not
bound by treaty, will be aiding and abetting in their
execution. Otherwise fbr.what purpose is our Minis-
ter there ? That this is so is much to be regretted, not
because our assistvier Nanny Waosjeffaatual ia aid
of the Allied Sovereigns, but as the attempt degrades
the character of our Government to a level with despo-
tic Monarchies. As to the success of this Alliance,
whether we join or not, that will be much the satne, as
the attempt of mere Governments to controul the spirit
of an enlightened age is as puerile, and as likely to he
effectual as the celebrated orders of Xerxes to bind the
raging sea with chains. The Lancasterian schools,
and the liberty of the press, even imperft-ct as it is, will
produce a power which armies and alliances can neither
subdue, nor resist ; which cannot be banked or dammed
up, even by the builders of the Egyptian pyramids,
but, like the Nile, will overflow the country, to leave
it afterwards improved and fertilized.

HABEAS CORPUS Act. —Bishop Burnet relates a
circumstance respecting the Habeas Corpus Act, which
is more curious than credible ; but thouzh we cannot
be induced to suppose that this important statute was
obtained by a jest and a fraud, vet the story proves
that a very formidable opposition was made ti it at the
time :—" It was carried," says, he, " by an cod arti-
fice in the House of Lords. Lord Grey and Lord Norris
were named to be the tellers ; Lord Norris being a man
subject to vapour., was not at all times attentive to
what was doing; so, a very fat lord c0n1in,4,,, in, Lord
Grey counted him for ten, us a jest at first', but seeing
Lord Norris had not observed it, he went on with this
inisri:ckoning ,:f ten, so it was reoorte3 to the house,
and dcelarel that they who were for the bill wcre the
majoritt, thour,-h it indeed went on the otln side ; and
by t'is means tiro passed."--1 Kist chap. ii.
p.
The Imperial Ukase ordering. 4 new levy throughout
Russia nf two wen ia 'every .500 inhabitants, is given
literally in the liaiaborg Mari. - This measure is de-
clared to have been occasioned by the necessity of filling
up the army to the Peace Establishment, below which
standard it hail Nien, through the sasi)ensica or all
recruiting during the years 18 i G—l 7. • The King of
.Wartemhurg, it is :tail, feels inclined to make common
cause with, or at least to favour strongly, the Grand
Duke of Baden, in his quarrel with the Court of
Munich ; but the general Mier is;that these unhappy
disputes will he referred to that tribunal which is per-
'sans rant competent to.ocatla them, viz. the Allied
Sovereigns.