The National Register.
London, England, 1812-06-14 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

SIR—As amidst the struggles of contending parties, you have dis-
dained to sell yonrscif to any faction, and as impartiality has ever dis-
tinguished your paper, I trust, though a man of no party, you will give
this communication a place in it. lam the more confident you will do
this from a conviction that you must participate in those feelings of ab-
horrence which I shall have to express, while exposing the atrocity of
one who has had the effrontery to offer himself to public notice as a pa-
triot, while, throughout his iniquitous career, it has been his apparent
object to work on the worst feelings of the mob, by endeavouring to in-
flame their passions, under the pretence of calling for a reform.
The mis-rable helps.; to whom I allude is, the Editor of a contempti-
ble weekly pco.t, entitled the " Independent Whig." He has lately
contrived to get a stib,cription set on foot for him, in order, I suppose, to
satisfy the world of his Indtpendence, but this is so common with those
who engage in the Trade of Patrioas„zB that it was hardly worth while
to notice it in his case on the present occasion. That to which I wish
to call your attention, is a part of the diabolical and infamous contents
of his last publication.
Cn the death of the late lamented Mr. PERCEVAL, those Journals
who had her, n most opposed to his political course, seemed to join
the public with honest warmth in doing justice to the virtues, and
in mourning the loss of the departed Statesman. The sympathies of the
Independent Whig, however, were reserved for the case of BELLING-
SAM. This friend to the Constitution, apparently exulting in tlyt act
of atrocity which spread horror and consternation throughout the land,
could only fee' compassion for the monster who committed it, and those
belonging to'im. lam aware, Sir, that as BELLINGHAM has paid for
his crime with his life, it may appear unfeeling to speak harshly of the
dead ; but, Sir, those who provoke such language, ought also to have re-
inenihered that, and had they acted not with forbearance, but common
decency to- ards the memory of Mr. Peacevot., who is also no more,
I would never have attempted to disturb the manes of his murderer.
The columns of Tine Whig have, however, been thrown open to the
most infamous calumnies on the late Premier, and swelled with the
praise., of his assassin ! I shlll, without loss of time, introduce to your
notice a part of what has appeared on this subject, just olserving by
the way, that this is the Journal which has always professed to be most
anxiou • for reform, and of course most friendly to reformers, and to
that staunch reformer Mr. Hunt, who last year so handsomely de-
clared, tha• the head of Sir Arlen RY Gloss would look well on a lamp
post. Speaking of the death of Mr. PERCEVAL, The Wittig of last
Sunday says—

" We ought to lament, that we have lived to see the day, when
there bath b-en found a wrong without a remedy;—to lament that a
British snbject, despairing to get relief even from that avernhly ex-
pressly instituted for the redress of all grievances, should think himself
entitled to do himself justice by an act of violence—and above all
we must lament, that he by whose means such injuries have been
done to our rights, should have escaped without being called to an ac-
count for them. in short, either we have been led into strange errors
by the great authorities before quoted, or PERCEVAL was a breaker of
the KiNc's oath, which, is plain English, is called a ' traitor.'
" Either that is not the law and constitution, which is here laid down
by these grave and great authorities (writers previously quoted) or Nit-
er:Nat. appears to have broken the KING'S oath, which is an act of
high treason. But if PERCEVAL acted the part of a traitor, at least he
vs as fortunate in not dyin the death of one, and consequently the act
of R/ILLINGHAId may have saved both the Minister, his family, and
friends, from a greater degree of affliction !"

Here, Sir, you will see it is not indirectly stated, that Mr. PERM.
lIAL was a traitor to his country, and as a traitor would probably have
suffered an ignominious death, had not BELLINGHAM enabled him to
escape. But, the late Minister is stigmatised as a criminal who de-