The National Register.
London, England, 1819-08-09 00:00:00

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NO. 1.106.—V0z.. XII.]

Volittcal Vat vosspect.

THE wretched and discontented state of so large
a portion of the Community, and the organized
assemblages of their almost countleas numbers,
throughout the mast populous districts of the Em-
pire, rani," thr the purposes of complaint, and
partly from the hope of nutling such an impression
upon the minds of their rulers us may procure fur
them some alleviation of the pressure under which
they struggle, 'constitute a subject too important not
to force itself slain the reflections of every lover of
Peace, of Order,.asnlaif his Country. The Revolu-
tions of States,. like the convulsions of Nature, are
things awful•to be contemplated, even at a distance ;
because !levee and desolation arc their usual attend-
ants, and because they are apt to involve the inn°.
cent.and the guilty in one common ruin. Yet, at
.he same time, us nothing can be more weak or
foolish in common, life than to shudder at every
blast as the forerunner of a hurricane, and to bear
in every noire the presage of an earthquake, so in
politics nothing can be snore unworthy a free and
manly spirit, uotking more fatal to public Liberty,
than a morbid sensiliility of. public danger it is
also the part only of the weakest and worst•Gevern-
meats to tremble at every symptom of popular com-
motion, as it is the part of the most wicked to use
yuck opportunities of grasping, at despotic power,
and subverting the established institutions. Such
a line of conduct can only admit of two interpre-
tations ; it most either be an acknowledgement of
imbecility, or a declaration of guilt. The wise
and honest statesman will remember that the whole
range of history can scarcely furnish a single in-
stance of any Revolution, or even important com-
motion in a State, whiclt has not been brought on
by some gross corruption and abuse of power. The
great bulk of any civilized and enlightened Society
will always be lovers of social order. Man is natu-
rally a social being, and therefure naturally disposed
to acquiesce in sacrificing a considerable portion
both of his labour, his property, and his frdom.
of action as the price of public protection and ge-
neral good. tie feels also a pride and a glory in'
supporting such institutions as he finds calculated
to advance the solid interests and character of the
Country to which he belongs, and will even shut
his eyes to defects which are not too glaring. It
:s only when he sees or believes that these institu-
are either incompetent to their object, or per-
• erred and abased in their application that lie be-
comes restless and uneasy. If men suffer, they will
complain ; if they are convinced that their rights are
invaded, or that evil policy has caused their misery,
it is neither natural nor desirable that they should
either brood in silence ever their situation, or
tamely sink down in hopelessness and despair. That
there is nothing formidable in the state of feeling
which pervades our manufacturing districts, we by
no means wish to inculcate. But the most formi-
dable feature is that there is much of truth in their
complaints, with, we fear, b,At very little incline-
'tient to probe the evils on the part of those whose
ditty it is, and to apply their proper remedy. Amidst
.all the wild and foolish nonsense about Annual
l'arliatnents and Universal Soffiale, their 'declara-
tions and resolves are still found to contain many
inclaucholy truisms which no sophistry .7411 evade.
The unparalleled weight of ourTimation is a plain