The National Register.
London, England, 1809-09-03 00:00:00

TIM NATIONAL REGISTER.

570

Confidence renewed. But I have alrea4 outstepped the bounds
.of a letter; and am, &c. -A Co 'SST ANT READER.
Kent Road.

"We received the above interesting Letter from an unknown
Correspondent. His remarks, though not always just and dis-
passionate, contain such bold, ingenious, and original.allusions,
that we have no doubt of conferring considerable pleasure on our
Readers by inserting it.

TO tILE EDITOR OF THE NATIONA:L. REGISTER.

Sift,

The influence which the Edinburgh Review exercises over a
considerable portion of the informed part of the public, imposes
a particular necessity of minutely examining its statements.—
The writers for that publication possess considerable claims to
extensive information, vigour of judgment, independence of opi-
nion, and minute industrious investigation. These qualities,
which it displays in a far higher degree than any other periodi-
cal work in this country, are unfortunately disfigured by party
bias, an extravagant love of paradox, point, and sarcasm. To
gratify the miserable interests of a party, whom they cannot
tail to despise in their hearts, they arc weak, or base enough
to belie their indqsendence, and to indulge their rage for hypo-
thesis, will torture occurrences to make them subservient to
some theory they desire to establish ; hut for the pleasere of a
sarcasm they make no scruple to sacrifice party, paradoxes, and
the gravity of reviewers. This unaccountable, and to all ap-
pearance, irrisistible inclination, is not confined to lighter sub-
jects of criticism, it is as conspicuous in those articles, which
refer to some new discovery in science, or some recent explo-
sion in the political world ; as it is in their caustic remarks
upon the progress of Methodism and the suppression of vice. I
hare, however, no inclination to condemn, on this account, a
public:ldols, which tends, infinitely more titan any other now
extant, to diffuse a spirit of research, in matters of sci=ce,
und promote the effects of taste upon objects of literature. I
would even excuse its dogmatism, and smile at occasional sallies
•f its arrogance, and its pretensions to fix the vary lug course of
opinions and occurrences. I would overlook these as frailties
incident to critical pride, as trifling defects, serving- only as a
shade to set off' the splendour of its merits ; but on seeing it em-
ploy argument and sophistry, prophecy and declamation, to •x-
-wggerate the difficulties and discourage the efforts of the commu-
nity; make wilful mistatements and glaringly erroneous calcu-
lations, in order to magnify our losses, and excite despondency
by the-prospective view of their augmentation; I feel both re-
gret and indignation at so criminal and worthless an abuse of the
indueuce it may possess over the minds of its readers
It.is.not possible, Sir, to peruse the contents of the last num-
ber of .this work, as far as they refer to our internal and ex-
;ernal affairs, without lamenting the existence of those passion•
amongst us, rhich can tempt men, who might 'atm the sup.cri-
inky of their understandings, to disfigure the simplest facts ; and
employ this misrepresentation, to prove that our situation is al-
nos; desperate, and that all our efforts and sacrifices, without
the interventions of some convenient miracle, are inadequate to
remove the impending calamity. It, is fortunate, Sir, that mo-
dern poWicians,like ancient dramatists, have some Deus ex Ma-
china, to cut short the catastrophe, and help them out of their

embarrassments. Miraculous intervention seems familiar to
them, as it does to the followers of Johanna Snoth«)t, who also
blends religion with politics; and has prophetic vi4onc, which
mark the fate of Empire's, and keep alive the credulity and en-
iblitialun a her pgrly. This eitrpagaace, as lung as •it is

SEPT;

kept in check by the vigilance of the magistrate, and the good
iense or the public, will excite otil•y lat!.;hter, when it is attri-
buted to a, fanatical insane devzfree ; butt its s squenct s are
alzaming, when it introduces itself into the calculations of states.
men, and tie discussions of pUlitical writers. I am, Sir,
A SUBSCRIBER/a;