The National Register.
London, England, 1818-06-29 00:00:00

No. 549..—V0L. XI.

I'OUTICAL DISQUISITION.

CONSIDERATIONS UPON IIIE PRESENT
s'l A FE OF POPULAR FEELING.

The pu:die spirit of the country has at length been
roused. 1 he unpopular conduct of the Government has
gi• birth to this spirit of opposition to their me&
a.tr".;, and we trust that nothing may occur to damp
its ithlour or check its generous and important exer-
cise. All the vices however of the Government are not
the growth of one single year, or day, anti it is scarcely
reasonable to expect. that they could be either reme-
died, or cAnpletely chan;el by one attempt, or at one
especial period. Evf ry effort at political changes
should be cautiously alopted, and fitted to the existing
state .)f things. All stollen changes ate dangeroua,
and cannot take place as affecting a nation, without the
most in-minent peril to the general safety. rut n:.en
the general safety is threatened by those who should be
its guardian and protector—when Governments only
appointed for the public good, convert the trust re..
posed in them to their pri-fate advantage. the people can
loose little by any charge however sudden which may
fol.ow unon tn..:11 conduct

We never with to make the bulk of people dissatis-
fied with their condition, or hold out to them a prospect
of instantaneously acemuelating an indepeudant
or of becoming the legivlatiTs of the country But at
the same time we have never ceased to reprobate the
iniquities practised by the Government of the
country towards the penceable and suffering people of
this erarire. However all them: iniquities have re-
coiled upon themselves and they now feel the hostility
of the public exhibited undisguisedly, in every quarter
of the ccuntry. Friends to reform in all its whole.
some latitude, we of most decisively to that wild
and sweeping reform, which means little short or anar-
chy, and would end in little less tl..et ruin. We
would have every householder have a vole, and copy-
hold as well as freehold tenants enjcv the elective fran-
chise. But in tl.e present state of things, we do not
think it would be a prod of wisdom to go farther.
Every man by nature is equal to the other, '.ut whea
men enter into a state of society. they roast ! c satisfied
to yield up a portion of this natural a. rty, in order
to have protection for that quantity which it is neces-
sary should remain to them. And were all men
equally wise, intelligent, and just, perhaps then, there.
would be some vason for c. ind:vid Jill to set up
his zlaim, to be the durnsitar% of power. But as all
this is directly title r.vive.i:.w. power of governing mu:t
be confined t 3 ate....,swirAing them however ri spensi•-le
for the manner in ahien they use it. This as the
origin of Governments ; but in the pra;relli of time,
they converted this pue, - deli-gat-A fur the
good, to the purp me of th it oen atebiions or evil
views, and have tatterly.r eumc a curie, a :I place
of a tileisitt; we reant.ind.They have acted the people
as if they %En, become their private property, is if ti,, y
had no tic_ to le•nrod of th it :or their cculard-
Ctip—in fact, as if they were bor.! In obey tls..ir oval
and pleasure. minister to thei, gratiticatirti., and be-
CJMN at utter the poppeti of their sport, at.d the play.
Olney of their fvuey. It G
_overtone:lts of Lured,.
had not had some suelt feeling; as chi guides, the
rtistakeis of 6.4 cooduct, sho::l,± not have
'Pen, nr heard of the traieters made by the Congres•
cf Vienna, the Ilrea;.iag sod the inclination to

tiespotisL-. which were 1:111%, evineee.: ncr in cl rest Uri-
sin, OP Wl' sirlu neiun 1/i the put?lic tv. wit hout a
shadow • rt.xcuse to lustily so oppressive a pre:•efoliwi..
But liine‘ and Governments may now team that
all tilose orlire'slons cannot tip continued for ever.
There i. a pet;oi Hp to vs hich obcdiatce will not be
gireu, anl from that period, v. ry oiteu at least, it-