The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-24 00:00:00

DEC. 24.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

usual way of living, and to try to get him reinstated in the ;yin y ;
he remains as he did. I was to have my annuity of 4001. a year,
as promised by the Duke of York (but not performed), con-
tinued to we or my ; to have all my debts paid : thuze con-
tracted whilst I lived with the Duke of York, and what I might
owe since Mr. Camrie raid the twelve hundred pounds, for
which he kept my furniture and diamonds, and my pre,,ent hon-e
of furniture, pa;cl. To these promises, mast faithfully given, ta
be most sacredly kept, and by me believed in the firmest man-
ner ; or why should 1 have refused, and exposed the proposi-
tions of affluence held out to we during the time of the inxestitt-
tioa by Parson Williams? This is quiic enott4h to answer the
whole; it is uscle,s to say ant thing of the situation I have
placed myself and family in the pithlic view by the late proceed-
ings ; hut had you eves' thought, I ask, to pay me out of your
own pocket, you would still he the gainer. From what I have
here stated to you, I cannot, in duty to myself and children, re-
cede from. And I expect you will lose no time in making my
mind (w hich, God knows, has been harrassed enouch these
six mouths) easy, and comply with my wishes, that I may get
into the country, to avoid, if nothing else, the public gaze. 1
keep a copy of this letter, and shall feel at liberty to do «ith it
what I please, if not attended to by you; hut of this 1 do nut,
cannot doubt, when I consider all things.—l am, dear Sir, your
most obedient servant,

Westbournc-place, Sloane-Cguare. MARY ANNE CLARKE.

MEETING of The FRIENDS of COLONEL fr,IRDLE.

Monday, in consequence of apublie advertisement, there was
a pretty numerous attendance of the Frietuk of Cohluel IVardle,
at the Crown and Anchor.

Air. NIA LIET (the Chairman) declared that he was utterly a
stranger to Colonel Wardle, and hardly knew his person by
sight; and, therefore, it must he allowed, that the recommend-
ation which he felt it his duty to, make, could only he dictated
by public fund ves, and front what he conceived was due in jus-
tice to that individual, who had done so much, and suffered so
much in the public cause. W hes Colonel Wardle came forward
in the House of Commons, alone and unsur, ported, to bring the
most serious charges against a person so high in rank as the Duke
of York, he had to encounter all manner of prejudices, both
from those who were in power, and those who were out. The
whole host and phalanx of corruption were in anus against him,
and all the talents of the House of Commons, and the golden
eloquence of the Chancelkr of the Exeheuer were against
The charges which he had so manfully brought forward, he
maintained with such ability and perseverance, that the illustri-
ous object of his acrusation has been punished for his offences.
With respect to the Duke of York, his case was by no means
singular; and his Royal Highness might be well surprised at
finding himself attacked for an offence which was so very cora-
mou. Corruption had taken possession so generally of every
department of the State, and was considered so much as a -.natter
of course, that the times we live in appeared very much to re-
semble those corrupt times, in the decline of the Roman empire,
when as the Historian says, " Corrunipere atque corrumpi,
seculum est.". Although the guilt of corraptien is so common,
that the Duke of York might well say that he was not more.
guilty than others around him, yet Col. Wardle had great merit
in selecting an illustrious deeinquent, whose punishment would
afford the greatest example to others. Men of the highest situa-
tions in the State should he punished with peculiar severity,
when they violate the trust reposed in them by their country.
awl place improper persons in the most important situations,.
if a poor miserable w retch, ignorant of a written law; should
violate it, his ignorance would not excuse him ; and the law
would often re,quire his life as an atonement. If the law visited
with severity the crimes of the poor and ignorant, with how much
greater severity ought the crimes of those to he visited, who,
from high rank and liberal education, were supposed to understand
and tel the unwritten law of honour. and had violated its dictates
In every point of view, in which the accusation of the Duke of
York by Colonel Wardle was viewed, that Gentleman was
entitled to the highest praise. As to the action about the Up-
holsterer's hill, or those other proceedings which had grown
out of it, he saw nothing to tarnish Colonel Wardle's reputa-
tion. He would allow, that he had been sometimes very indis-
creet, hut he could sec no fault beyond indiscretian. A verdict
had been obtained against him for a large sum of money ; but
even if it were true that he had voluntarily made himself liable
to the pa,,lucutp that circuaptaace would be no inveachmeat on