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

dY#
UOrt°

No. 1205.—V0L. XII.]

liettogpect.

ME wretched and discontented state of so large
a portio❑ of the Community, and the organized
assemblages of their almost countless numbers,
throughout the most populous districts of the Em-
pire, partly fix- the terepoges of complaint, and
partly from the Lope of making such un impression
upon the minds of their rulers as 'may procure fin-
them some alkvietion of the pressure under which
they struggle, constitute n subject too important not
to force itself upon the reflections of every lover of
Peace, of Order, and of his Country. The Revolu-
tions of States, like the convulsions of Nature, are
things awful to be contemplated, even at a dietuneue
because havoc and desolation arc their usual attend-
ants, and because they are apt to involve the inno-
cent and the guilty in one common ruin. Yet, at
the same time, as nothing can be more weak or
fixdish in common 4 life than to shudder at every.
blast as the forerunner of a hurricane, and to hear
in every noise the presage of an earthquake, ro in
politics nothing can be more unworthy a free and
leanly spirit, nothing more fatal to public Liberty,
than a morbid sensibility of public danger It is
idso 11. e part only of the weakest and worst Govern-
nu•nts to tremble at every symptom of popular com-
motion, as it is the pert cf the most wicked to use
such opportunities of grasping at despotic power,
and subverting the established institutions. Such
a line of conduct can only admit cf two interpre-
tations it must 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, which has not been brought on
by softie gross corruption end abuse of power. The
vreat bulk of any eiviYetel nod enlightened Society
tviil always he lovers asocial order. Man is natu-
rally a social being, and therefore naturally disposed
to acquiesce in secrificing a considerable portion
both of his labour, his property, and his freedom
of action as the price of public protection and ge-
neral good. He feels also a pride and a glory in
supporting such institutions as lie finds calculated
to advance the solid interests end character of the
Country to which he belongs, and will even .shut
his eyes to defects which are not too glaring. It
is only when he sees or believes that these institu-
tions are either incompetent to their-object, ar per-
verted and abused in their application that he be-
comes restless Will uneasy. It nun suffer, they will
compluin ; if they are convinced that their rights arc
invaded, or that evil policy iris caused their misery,
it is neither natural nor desirable that they should
either brood in silence over their situation, or
tamely sink down in hopelessness and despair. That
there nothing formidable in the state of feeling
which pervades our manufiecturing districts, we by
no means wish to inculcate. But de most finani-
dahle feature is'that there is mach of truth in their
complats, with, we fear, but very little iaclina-
tion to probe the evils on the part of these whose
duty it is, and to -Indy their proper remedy. Amidst
all the wild and fu lisle nonstm!,:i about Annual
PLe.:iaments and Universal Star:fee, their declara-
tions and rcii,:ives are still foutid to contain many
melancholy truisms which no sophistry can evade.
unparalleled weight of our Taxation is a plain