The National Register.
London, England, 1818-07-06 00:00:00

ON THE PRESENr ELECTIONS.

EVERY mind is now occupied with the elections.
The people have now an opportunity of re-asserting
those privileges which they may have lost ; and if they
omit to profit of it, every evil consequence that may
hereafter befal them, must lie at their own door. We
have never wished to place any one class or order of
society, improperly above another, but on the contrary
have invariably maintained the netvssity of each pos-
sessing its proper eminence. The proud aristocrat,who
would trample all beneath him who did not equal him
in title or in wealth, we have equally reprobated, as
tl:c fitetious demagogue—who only magnifies the mis-
fortunes of the humble, and makes them feel averse to
their superiors, because he may the more easily have
their passions at his command—to turn them to his
own account. We dislike both of these extremes, and we
have not ceased to reprobate them. We are of opinion
that the prevalence of either would produce our ruin,
and totally destroy that constitution which must be the
pride of every honest Englishman to maintain. In
this conviction our course has been straight-forward.
W'e have pledged oerselves to state time " truth withont
fear," and from this pledge wehave never swerved. Wt.,
have sometimes been accuseelof violence; that is of having
used intemperate language, with the addition of itsbeing
intended for improper purposes. Bat this we can deny
most safely. Who in degenerate times can measure
all his words, or balance his expresss'ius—suit them
alike to the strong ,ar of liberty and mind, or to spurious
loyalty,— and as spurioussensibili ty ? Who,when.inroad
after inroad, was vetting on our liberties, could use the
soft language in which lovers woo, when reprobating
those who made them—or should we have lauded acts
we were bowed to deprecate, and panegyrized conduct
which we abhorred ? Unless those who charge us with
violence are prepared to go this length in their accusa-
tion, we must be held completely acquitted of such a
charge.
Sell, very seldom claims much of our attention, and
should not now be noticed, did we not wish to place
our motives fairly before our readers. Firma and un-
bending in support of King, Lords and Commons, as by
law established, we never will consent to sec either part
preponderate to the injury of the other ;—nor mu-
tilated, or curtailed of its proper inffienee, without
using our best though humble exertions to restore it to
its pristine glory, its proper basis, its necessary conse-
quence relative to the objects which it was granted to
accomplish or procure.
'We shall not here enter into any discussion upon
the rela`ive excellence of Governments ; we do not
agree with many who think the cheapect is the
beet, but we think that—the. Lest, under whisk the
people enjoy the greatest protection of liberty and
property, where the laws are most equitably admin-
istered, and religious prejudices least predominate.—
But be this as it may, we arc bound at present to de.
fend the British Constitution as established in 1688,
and if it has stall:red any dilapidation, either, front the
shocks of time, or the rude hand of Government
or people—to repair as soon as possible. That it has
suffered, no rational Englishman can deny; and that all
possible ilispatch should be used in its repair, is too
great a truism almost to require assetting.
We wish to avoid all harshness of expression when
we possibly came, amid if we have been at some times
betrays.: into any, we are mere ready to acitaaw ledge
tsar ereor, than wilfully to persevere in it, by the way
tf skewing our sense of consistency. I It-nec we shall
t of elmaraetsaise the past conduct of the Government,
es perhaps we might be justified in doing ; we shall
ruathir say, they acted as desptits er as tyrants. The