The National Register.
London, England, 1812-05-03 00:00:00

DISTURBANCES :N FETE COUNTRY.

We have received the following communication from a
quarter entitled to our most unbounded confidence. It
points out some of the call;CS (.f the continttailce of the
'tots, if not of their origin ; and if it answers .no better
effect, will, we trust, put our mock-fn patriits on their
guard, not to use lanBuage which becomes the watch-
word of sedition.

Rochdale, :Nrril 34, 1812.
" Your anxiety would be a !ilk excited by the accom;t I I.;tely gave
of a di-position in the people of these parts to iecc me tumultuous. We
lave been threatened wi h another repetitio9 of this kind to •day ;
but. by proper vigilance, it has bet.n e arc too marry
sufitTers,G d knows, from the sctirc;ty or wiTh i.nd the dc..rni:,,r, of pre-
visioni; and both these circumitances, I trurt, v. ill Anon 1-; removed.—
Yet, tht.• appeal (Areal zref;t, and the ore easily
di;tinguidiable. Never did 1 rem burst of disrt gar('
to a!I order and decorum, nor such r.n h.stance of sav:n;e ferocity to
sp-zeatl s 9 instatitan ottsly. In some detrJee, h )wever, this may be ac-
countedik.r in the following manner. Iche grocater part of the concouse
were vtraugers in the neighbourhood, who were instructed in every art-
ful plan toinvelre the p,aceable inhabitants in their vortex of mischief;
but, I am happy to observe, that their insttations h.:LI not the desired
effect.; and, in several instances, where tl f•se marauders have gone to
l'actice their work of dcstrution in win. r aciiiiinhig districts, they mgt
with resistat:ce and comiamy. Tiiis has not faiied to appall
them, and they ;:otv say, that the orch•rs cf (ctzcr::l I.n.cld :.re not to at-
lade any more tacto:;es opt rely, ;:or to Ct. troy them secretly by fire,
en.d to assassii-at,' th2ir owners. .1.lt:s1!, n:‘,:c threat than reality, but it
skew= tire diabolical nature of tht i: motives.
kvery precautian is adoptt,i to r:_et the case in proper way : The
most judicious arrangemenr of that part of tic.! military „hick can be
trarst.relled upon, is not-nci;l..ct. ;—the and W;:rd Acts are go-
frig to he enforced in lare ttrct:t:d us—and nothing is omitted
which ought t) he done by the !.q,istratt.s and Depti!y I.ientenant4.—
#,3pcn acts of violence, we may then will be prev: reed ; but •e
cret lurking evil must not be .:vcrl.,oked. \l.-e must not think twit
tec,:use we have stopped the prcgria-s f incd:s, the 'hitt irt. id :tumour i;
entirely done away.. Tll r; :s still a zank...--worm of disall'ection in the
sri -Is, of many—and this mu-t u. carrfutiy ',Nat ur the disorder will
break out with more violuv:e th•ni t ver.
Nothing, I think, can he more unfortunate, at this time, than the vio-
lence of party-spirit in the higher ranks of men, ~vhich is so son- corn-
siunicated to the lowest. The late procet dings of the Common Coun-
cil mndon, have contributed in no small ,'..Tree, to e.taspet ate the
spirit of discontent. amongst us. Th., most important parts of Waith-
anan's• speeche, have been printed here, and eircuiati d amongst the
tower classes of the conuntinyv with the wmost diligence and care; the
party language and upn,ar i.: the of Commons, only a few nighr
werc eLlioel, with the gre:itrst avi,lity, by the promoters of our
Ure disturbances. Surely the inc i;:b.•rs of that great assembly can have
r :dea of what is g Ang for.vard in th,_! country, otherwise they would
be mare moderate and ttuarcled in what they say. What enc:iuragement
do ti.ev not unc.on,citatc;y for riot. The meoings. of the Com-
m.n: Counci; of atm :.othb g hut a scen•_ efliksing, shouting, and
abus-2; ctrl the still higher assenth:y of nation is disgraced with every
exi't•C3SiOn and iicsture, which can prod kce violence :.td influence the
of the people at large.—lt is a wise maxim that, " of two evils
,hoold choose the least;" and though public abuses should be check-
et-L, ar. much ;urpos-ible, yet th,.-.;-e is a certain wise delicacy in the man-
ntr tamch:ti:r them, e pecially in a free state like ours, in which liber-
ty :.;1 I .p.s! iv tntC, lici.l4l.JUsilesz.