The National Register.
London, England, 1817-04-21 00:00:00

'br Aft,

No. 480.—VoL. X.

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

1101111ETT'S SUCCRSCORS; AND CANDID sTRIc.
TURES ON LOIZD SIDMOUTti's
TER.
IT is laughable to notice the bustle which Mr.
Cobbett's flight has ocnetioned amongst the Register-
People—the Two-Penny Politicians—who are seramb-
.ling for his quondam customers, and offering their
respective wares, as eaali contenting the ouly " /egili-
nate" claims to " universal suffrage," and the weekly
contributions of the " pour, pennylem, starved, famish-
ed) dying journeymen and mechanics of Great Britain."
It is nut for us to decide upon the merits of the re-
spective commodities of these enterprising venders of
" little nostrums and big blunders.' If, however, we
might venture an opinion, we think the Old Bailey
Register-man has the best claim to the succession;
and we feel sontewhet justified in this opinion on ac-
count of the " coincidences of Mr. Co6lett's last ild-
dr.ss, and my last Numberl ' Besides, in the comp=
of about as much of the 011 Bailey-man's large print
as would make half a score of our lines, the " rerhtm-
lsts" of Saturday week, hits contrived to introduce the
personal pronoun I, about a score of times; reckoning
nothing upon the " my's" and "mysey's." Now, this
notable knack at egetisin perfectly st-la-C;b6cti.
Again, there is the same blustering, bung-ling sophistry,
the sauce vulgar personalities, the saute pretligality
abusive epithets, the some wane aLtempts at low
cation, and the saute wholesale dealing in extraneous
extract which the late Mr. Cobbett, in kis wane, so
ana2ly favoured us with. "Be sure (therefore) to ask
for 'a Register, the only genuine Cobbett,
price 211" Not a line, however, appears in re/4 to
the "calumnies" about Colbert's debts which have
been an widely circulated. Ilis printers must send
their accounts to America, and they will be "justly
paid;" but why not pay them first! Something, how-
ever, is hinted about " Mr. Cobbetea ertors;" and they
are " wretches and fouls" who will not believe that
"he was sn great a man, that they cannot remember his
faults." What "wretches and foolir must not his ere-
elitors, his printers, and his landlord be.
Bat here is another " Weekly Political Register,
t.).!" This, lion ever, has bet few ciente+, compare-
titely, to the Cobbettian dynasty. Mr. Sherwin dues
net merely talk, unfortunately, he appears to hive
been more in the habit of writing, and has evidently
been at a better r.elneii than the " only-genuine" man.
Besides, he does net deal so nmeli in " full cans" and
ex our devil calls the "big print" and the
" running-hand," with which his rivals are an plenti-
fully larded ; and when he attempts to be vulgar, he
is evidently climbing up hill ; in short, we would ad-
vise Mr. S. to give up his external imitations of Cob-
bett, we mean as to the appreranes of his Register; for,
with the exception of the following very handsome
tribute to the character of the "Wilted Fenn-tend" of
of Spain, he appears to have but little of the Cubbett
about him, we mean as a writer on politics: "In
Spain," says this modest and amiable reformer, " we
have restored, or rather the Government under which
we live, has restored a wretch, for whom leirgtiwge has
net a name. Every thing which we have been taught
to believe, or conceive of hen, may be found in the
etharacter and actions of the "irY'ernal Firdinand!"
This is in the true style of Reform--. Lord George
Gordon was persecuted, in this country, for a libel
upon the Queen of France ; as also was Peltier for
another on Buonaparte, whilst that gentleman was
First Consul ; but, we suppose, the cause of the King
of Spain is so hopeless that he may be libelled with
impunity. Well, we must own, Ferdinand Is no great
favourite with us, though we certainly do prefer hint
to brimstone and fire, to eternal damnation, furies
sad fiends, anti to all the inconceivable miseries of
that place "where hope ne'cr comes that comes to all,"
and surely it man who could spend a large portion of his
time in embroidering garments for the Virgin Mary
nould hardly merit the character of " inf.ernal," what.
ever other epithet he might deserve. ilk conduct to
she members of the late Cortes merits severe censure;
sow do we think he ol'oght to be praised for his resto-
ration of the Inquisition and the order of the Jesuits.
Much eutzferation and misrepresentation, however,
have been indulged in by his enemies in this country
on these points.

Notwithstandin,; these are our opinions or the spirit
and tendency of sue!, writers as Mr. Coblsett and those
wise ape his vulgarity and his egotis•n, we oertetuly