The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-31 00:00:00

rtr 0

No. 9.13.—V0L. XII.]

Volitical ;lett°vett.

EVERY man who feels the Ilightest interest in
•public affairs, will not fail to be impressed with the
extraordinary character and awfulness of the times
through which we are now passing. The news of
this last week needs but be. simply recorded to rouse
the most torpid from their apathy, and to make
them open their eyes to the prospect that lies before
• them. The great• County Meeting at York, held
for the sole purpose of addressing the Prince Regent
-in a Petition for a full and fair enquiry into the
fatal proceedings at Manchester, conducted with a
moderation suited to the solemnity of such a cause,
with an ability which has excited universal admi-
-.ration and with a courtesy towards those who dif-
fered in opinion, which even the raost•bigotteti par-
lizan could not but honour and admire, has been fol-
lowed by the dismissal of Lord Fitawilliam from the
Lord Lieutenancy of the West Riding of tleit County,
for no other crime than that he personally attended
those deliberations. To what lengths will not the
impotency of passion and the despairof wicked men
sometimes drive them ! Can a pod Cause, even for
.n moment • rued such measures to support it ? Lord
sritzwilliam is seventy-two years of age, his life has I
been a course of tried and unsullied loyalty, of services
eenferrcal upon his country of the most signal and
valuable kind. Ile has been deservedly looked up
to by moderate men of every party as a rare exam-
ple of genuine patriotism and unsullied virtue. For
men, such as compose our present administration to
vr:slaue, to dare, to wreak their paltry vengeance
upon such a character, to flatter themselves that it
can do either credit to the work they have under-
taken, or discredit to the object of their wrath; is
to suppose that the reason of mankind isgone, and
that justice anti injustice have • changed their sub-
Siance and qualities each with the other. No, that
venerable Nobleman, may retire to the enjoyment
of an unsullied fame, which will never attach to
Lis opposers, and remember with conscious satisfac-
tion the wise remark of Addition,

" When proud and impions mee brie sway,
" The poet ut lionot: is a private biailoll."
The other grand nizasure of his Majesty's Ministers,
soil a very fit accompaniment it is, is to call out
Ilt4 Chelsea Pensioners, and encrease the companies
of marines, to do garrison duty, and thus leave the
regular army disposable for the open and avowed
,I;ject of governing the people by the sword.—
Eleven thousand six hundred men are to be imme-
diately added to the army ; whilst not a single
cbject can be pointed out for their services, but their
own fellow subjects, and this heavy expence is to
Le incurred at a time when -the revenue of the
country is not only inadequate even to defray the
interest of the public debt, but week after week
most rapidly and alarmingly decreasing. 'The funds
are day by day depreciated, public credit has re-
ceived a shock unknown in any period of former
days of tranquillity and peace, and in short, the
Avhole Eibrie of society amongst us is shook to its
very centre. Two things alone -remain to our
wretched and harassed country, to relieve us from
evil councils, or to prepare fur a tremendous struggle
Law und tinte are now in direct opposition ; Our
me engaged on contrary sides and girding them-
iii all the li Lbiliments of conflict. English-
men never submitted without a struggle to the loss
of freedom, thq were never patient under the yoke