The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

perhaps tells you that the whole mass of blood is vitiated,
and that to restore hee&lth to the patient it must be changed
entirely by emptying the veins, and transfusing. the blood
of some young healthy animal in its stead. Such in at-
tempt was made on the human body—and the deluded
patient expired in the operation. When the body politic
discovers ruploms of disease (but not till then), men of
prudence v- ill act as persons of common sense usually do,
when a friend whom they velue is taken ill. They call in
a physician, 1$ hose learning, skil!, and character, have been
established by a long course of successful practice. We do

sot it such cases consult the impedent and ignorant moun-
tebank. who announces himself as the cratuilcus benefactor
of inankind.—Who without regard to his friends or to his
eountr,men, has quitted t14:.,m all with a vi^w to diffuse the
/timings of his knowltilge over a more extensive field.
The credulous and gaping crowd, however, surround the
man who professes this universal philantliroriv, they swal-
low his pei vicious dregs, and ARE Poi
Anot:le: impostor succeeds, announces the same disinter-
ested pi.ilanthrophy, the same generous el!achtnent to all
mankind, and the same credulous g a pitl multitudes believe
—are imposed upon and suffer.

The people are not less imposed upon by political quacks
who promise to relieve them from difi:.,rtler. whether real
•r imaginary, Which they impudently tell them are Leyond
the power of regular and responsible advisers.— The poli-
tical mountebank Registers his patients, sells his doses, fills
his pockets, and when the people shall be writhing sander the
agonies produced by his Regimen, the bold empiric will
only be heard of—in another hemisphere.
Whenever I hear of a man who professes this universal
philauthrophy, I suspect his heart or his head, and almost
involuntarily secure my pockets. If upon enquiry I find
him is his private character mulling the duties of an af-
feclioa7Ce Ins band, and indulgent parent, a valuable friend,
a kind utast.er, a benevolent and conciliating neighbour,
1 feel for his mistake in supposing it possible to extend
ibe circle of his regards with any effect to all mankind ; or
in supposing that he ought to be unhappy, hccaus a por-
tion -of his countrymen do not possess some imaginary
bliss, the attainment of which he is desirous to secure for
them. In this case I pity and deplore, a conduct which
I feel myself not at all disposed to imitate. But when I see
men, who have scarcely known any other relations in so-
ciety but those of servant and master, who have com-
Meaced their career with treacherous duplicity, who have
vilified and libelled their benefactors and masters, who have
treated their dependents and servants with cruelty, bruta-
lily, and tyranny, who expend that wealth which fraud,
imposition, and deceit, may have supplied to oppress age,
indigence, and ielirmity ; when I see such men proposing
theinst Iwo for patriots, can I hesitate a moment in believ-
ing (what every man of sense has anticipated me in saying),
that such professions are only employed to deceive and

gull the popzita(v, in order to obtain that share of influ-

,
once that • lead to the attainment of their own private
' ends. Eve. you, Sir, will not deny the importance of
learning hove the man to whom one talent has been en-
trusted, employs it before a second is committed to his
are. A man is molt intimately connected with his parents,
aildren, and dependents; with his friends, neighbours;
and countrymen next, and his affection weakens as the ob-
fort woggles wore mate*. A paitls throvta into tile wa-

AUG. 2s.

ter generates a series of concentric circles; the first arc
stronger than the second, and so on to the end of the chap-
ter—what was at first strongly marked, becomes at length
scarcely perceptible. It. is ',lie same with our afreciions;
they are stronger neatest the center, and vv,.•sen very remote
are scarcely sensible. Estimating your philanthropy by
these principles, what reason have we to believe that your
professions of regard for the people of Hampshire, or of
England, of whom you have only the slightest knowledge,
are more founded in truth than the promises of a mounti-
-I)ank of any other description. The one defrauds aid de-
, ;odes the people out of their money by promises which, if
it. were possible they should be fulfilled, would ensure to
,hem a blissful immortality; and you, Sir, and your bro-
ther Reformers, would cheat the peop;e out of their com-
forts, and out of their happiness, by promises of an ideal
Reform which you know to be 'mow actieable; of an ideal
iberty which they can never enjoy, by an exemption from
taxes which they never did, or could pay ; and by a share
:n the legislation of the country, which itiej never tiid,
arid never could exercise without destruction to them-
selves.

The language of the real patriot is as different from the
jargon of factious and visionary demagog: es, as your cha-
racter is from that of an honest man. The real patriot unites
loyalty and a feeling of lirivate honor with a sense of peb-
lie duty—is select in his object, judicious and honourable
in his means. lie disdains to court the capricts of public
opinion, or to catch the momentary breeze of public favor.
He seizes the confidence of the people by the cliorts of a
mighty mind, and wells it only for imr‘rtaat public pur-
poses. lie not .only reverences his country and its laws,
but he reeerences his King for the sake of them both. His
moderation partakes of wisdom and magnanimity—he
knows what to prevent, when to forbear, -when to inter-
pose. He does not risk the opinon of the public, by wast-
ing,his strength upon the fleetin; occuerences of the day,
but husbands his courage for exertions ef diaiculty, and for
moments of danger. He will not dissipate it by wanton
attack, but reserves it for the period, when resistance
may be necessary and effectual. his ambition is not tar-
nidied by the baser alloy of vanity or interest. The only
con3ciousetes such a man possesses is in that rectitude which
does not look for its reward, in the tumultuous applauses•
of a giddy populace ; but in the calm approving voice of
the age which his virtues have ennobled, in the grate:el
plauthts of an admiring posterity. Yon, sir, find
something more homogeniel in the reverse of this portrait,
to the coutemplatiou of which I shell at present leave you,
proposing (if I can find leisure) to examine, in a succeeding
paper, the etrect likely to result from your plan of ad-
dressing the Ling to alter the elective franchise, with a
view to bring us back to what are called good old times
and to incapacitate perions holding places under Cover*.
meat from sitting in Parliament.

PRO IN CI L 5.
suptar Assizup--caoyDoN, A... 11.
CRIM. CON.
GRAVE:IIIM V. ANDIVISON.

Mr. Serjeant Shepherd said, the Plaintiff was a fiteraer, ref?.
dent in the neighbourhood of this town, and %rasa man estimat-
ed to be peculiarly skilful in his profestioti, which indeed stab
the primary• clone of hi.; misfortune. Toe Defendant wa a
young gentleman of considerable %Vett India property, whe
wished to bf.coine acquaintv:i wit h the of England,
:stid as the Plaiatif was estsemod a skilful agriculturist, be isaa