The National Register.
London, England, 1808-05-15 00:00:00

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for the original error: for after all, though our law
considers the affairs of Debtor and Creditor merely as civil
matters, we cannot lielrfeeling that there are cases con-
tiwpatly as well among necessitous vermeils as
among extravagaot people of fashion, •where there is a de-
Free of criminality, as well as of civil neglect, on the part'
of the person contracting a debt and the good of the state
seems to reptiles-, that wherever a delinquency exists, whichl
is likely, by its own immediate effects, or by its exaniple,l
to injure society, society shall receise sonic provision
against other deliaquencies of a similar kind, by the pu-
vishment of the delinquent himself. There arc, it is true,
great number of caw in whicludebts arc very innocently
cantrac.ted, and in which, nevertheless, a failure on the
part of the Debtor is followed by imprisonment : but it will
not be fair to argur, that, in theme cases, an innocent man
is punished ; for his confinement is not a puuislnent, hut
privation, N hick, on failure of certain engagements, he
Las voluntarily undertaken to endure. We are well con-
y inced, that to take away the liability of arrest in all cases
of debt under twenty patina, would be to effect a material
I.iischief for it perpetually happens that loose and irregu-
tr persons, whom honour would never persuade to pay
'ieir debts at. an inconvenience to themselves, will do jus-
i•cc to their Creditors rather than be carried to prison.
The rod bas its beuelit, even while it only hangs in sight ;
prliaps it is not frequently necessary to use it ; but the
I•iouient its use is forbidden, almost every body will need
to be chastised.
e cannot conchide this article without applauding the
nature of those pines •f isaproventent, which the party
t:ow absent from power have absays had most. warmly at
L'art. Other Ministers bait directed their attention more
sacceadully to conquest abroad, and studied the art of
tiAzzliug the people ; but these statesmen have sought to
iarresse our comforts at house, mod eadnavouced to benefit
taeir country by solid Vaal rather than by pomp or show.

REVIEW OF POLITICAL DECLAIMERS.

he. XX.

THE INDEPENDENT `YIII•7.

The other day a Mr. Strider, who holds the Aloe of City 41
Marshal, was summoned un a charge of misbehaviour in Isis ea-
pueit.y of overseer of the watch. The contort of society cer-
taialy requires that there be suck people as watchmen, as long
there coatinue to be such people as thieves s but when the
public seat istels, iustead of preventing rubbery or securing rob.
Lera for tau prriervation of peace, think it to disturb peace by
attacking Itoacit men as they walk quietly along the foot-path,
it is hig4 time that they should be.obliged to make some repa-
ration fur their drunken tyronuy. This Mr. Nattier having
created a riot at a time when he was on duty•fur the purpose of
checking riot, was obliged to make suitable submissiuus, and
1:coital) was properly vatisfied.
What vie su b of those literary watchmen, or rather those
illiterate w midtown, ss bo assume to themselves the credit of

;iiipputeetitig the rights of the people by the pen, from the en-
e...., Asltcrokoicatsot tiiu,e oho are accused of desiring to subvert
Ak,, . , ,• .1,:-:m4e. riptt,s,..l.)). the so urd ? Shall oe out say, that if they prove
ti i ,
.e_A4 Vilikiein si accuers, they imitiedintely become trieniouls?
!4 ja _ . 4,.........
(
1 „.
i.* •-titiay•,?l,l •, Cost if for private emolument kilo 'natter
st lie-
,),P C. . 4"' titsiiS. in the circulation of -their publicittiotei, or front
~ ~.. •
..JL.,•; ~....Asee bribes .RI IN ), they pcostiiiite the culumus of their Neos-
, 1 , .•
.4 t 4 r4ei 11•.:tiow. vi latii..m, th;:y ar.: to all iuteutt mud put-
i. ,i.f.• -. .., , -

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TItE NATIONAL REGISTER: - MAY 15,

poses the traitors, and not the supporters, of their country's
cause ? May we not safely assert, that they, like the pawl& of
whom we just Dan spoke, deserve tio be punished for raising a
disturbance under pretence of keeping the peace ?
Yet this is the line. of conduct pursued by the SunthlY Nets:.
~et called The Indcpsodent /ride. 'We have found that Paper
MU. in its abuse of almost every thing that is re,pertable in the
country, for rank, for situation, for talent, or for wealth : 11r.
Fox and his party. Mr. Pitt and his party, all alike have been
denounced by the Plitors of this trumpery Print, as persto.s
totally without %me, or totally -without principle. Rational
and moderate men are decried as fools and impostors : and the
gods of the new idolatry are Sir Francis Burdett awl the l•tepc-
ror Bonaparte. Sir :Francis Burdett is :union, whom we stuom
he sorry to bet down in terms so contemptuous as those which
the Conductors of The independent IVhig are in the habit ri
applying to all Statesmen whom they do not like: hut Sir rr„n-
cis Burdett is a man whose doctrines to us appear deserving of,:
disapprobation, deep, and qualified by no consideration, eyrept
that respect which is always due to a gentleman against ohm
we •t:intend, and to our own characters. Sir Francis Burdett
had the misfortune to begin his career in au age when the moral
• and political worlds were distracted by a thousand mouderful
and wild speculations t when revolutionary madness ran hie
wild-fire among the people, and those alone who had been de-
-1 iuded into a conspiracy for the disturbance of their country, were
considered as theirs country's real friends. It is casy,to rum-rive
I , how lively an itopressioo alt these strange opinions, and all the
strange events that seemed to back those opinions, roust eetessa-
i rily have made upon a young and ardent tuitid, heated to such a
degree as to he capable of receiving any direction that should be
given to it by the inequalities of the anvil on w Bich it Na
thrown. At that time, when *latest every hotly %hit was pot
anictual eoartier of alarmist, was in some degree -friendly to
the principles of the French revolution, awl KA, inclined to
hope that such a revolution must produce some benefits to the
other nations of Europe, Sir I'raocis 11nrdett was scarcely- a
remarkable man. But when, by degrees, the generality of tbma
mistaken theorists, who had !tailed in licentiousness the birth of
liberty, began to discover the error of their polities, ail
..
K hen their sentiments began to subside (ice wore into the
( e regular channel, along which they had been accustomed to
sow, the few persons who after the palpable dbeeniti:are
11 of all the modern chimeras, ventured to adhere to (lime
chimeras. undismayed by tiro strength of such adversaries as
1 reason and experience, attracted considerable cativo, :t RA
for their get.ius, at least for iii-ir pertinacity •- - if net for
0 their courage, at a.tv rate fur th,..ir rashness. 'I
as,,
14 vre
I' out of thew persoii,, who having nothing to 1.”4', and ky-
le. to gain -steels, were little indirect to anandon tie hope
of reveluttesi, the only chance which could bring them to or
top of the wheel: but it was a singular ciretiminuec, ti J
among these sy retched r.dventurers, a loan of l'ittl'• and ford:,
whose talents were oi. no contemptible clas,;-,,ntl wholse s'',*ltion
could not be 'unproved by sitiy ettivige,rhould venture t 9, tottistre
a conspicuous leader. All Cie mulscrics of the t..est,,e.rect at this
moment before our eves, all Coy c xperience of/rtgcs that are
past, and all the abstract iu,..x hos of philose pity that base !no;
growing into indisputable truths for so te..o‘ centurie., have not
' been able to convince Sir FraoCis 1:. Arkzt of t:ie probaLle ivi,
chiefs of unrestrained liberty, nor co- time ah-olute inipoiloilii,'
of universal oqualizatiou. V, ieel., sc hid' is a composition Ai
globules, w ill tilouys find i.,tt lcsel : but botict, Or te11.1:
p.trticlei are out so regul,oly round and so cuuyettiently 060 '
cannot be preserved fur un instant in such a rendition.
It is certainly to he desired ti.st there be person' 111 c,,..,
consequence, and talent, who s'sail oppore tiii.i:e.el.es 111 1.." v
dangerous intimations Is faith WI 8111611.10l:q (19Vel.111:1011‘ I- A,
see` to eStabli,h ; but it is nisb necessarN al'''t
t.,-At oleo .:k;•Il
terrify the c..u..try by tt:4; pi ..tal iiiforwing Or 1""1'„