The National Register.
London, England, 1820-02-27 00:00:00

TIIE NA TIONAL REGISTER.

enable them to distinguish accurately the friend of
the people, from the supporter of arbitrary power.
Upon a review of the late measures in Parlia-
ment, what strikes us with the greatest surprise
is, the cry raised against blasphemy in this very
religious country, which deserves to be termed
at the present day, par excellence, hasula Sanetoruna.
" As well, to use a comparison of Dr. Johnson's,
might they have raised a cry of fire in the time of
the flood"—but the success with which the cry was
received in the country, while it proved the deep
religious sensibilities of the people, proved at the
same time the injustice of the imputation to any
serious extent—the alarm was sounded—the forti-
fication 3 were manned, and instead of a besieging
army, only a few contemptible stragglers were des-
cried. That very sensible men could conscientiously
put faith in the cry of blasphemy is to us incredible,
and it is accordingly with great satisfaction that we
find many of our Whig representatives man-
fully and strenuously resisting and exposing the
absurd cries of blasphemy and sedition, and uni-
formly voting ag..inst all those harsh and severe,
restrictive measures, which have been erected on so
flimsy a foundation.
In conformity with the principles of Mr. Fox,
and of the Revolution of 1688, the IVhigs in
Parliament pursued a singularly consistent career,
invariably defending the liberties of the people
against the encroachments of power, and acting
upon those broad principles of equity, which arc
not the segments of a circle, but the circle itself.
The feelings and :he sentiments of the hh:pen-
' dent Freeholders in general arc quite alive on the
point; and we are fully persuaded that they require
no exhortations from us to stimulate them in their
exertions to resist the dogmatical edicts, and defeat
the presumptuous attempts Ulan aristocratical junto.
Those who contend fur freedom against arbitrary
power, ought always to recollect that

"fI t,e is he uiui 1, who halls hii tinarrd just "

Our anxiety fbr the success of the Patriot cause
in Spain, and the horror excited by the assassination
of the Duke de Berri, have both been superseded by
the discovery of a most extensive plan of massacre in
our own metropolis,—tire particulars we have given
at length in another part of our Paper, yet prmed
as we are for time and room, we cannot leave the
subject without again recording our detestation of the
crime of assassination under any circumstance,
in any situation whatever ; in so doing we o:tly
echo we arc sure the opinion of every Whig in the
Empire.. Politically, tin' present Ministers :we of
necessity abhorred by the and yet, we are
convinced, that there could not be found one among
them who would hesitate to oppose his sword, at
the risk of his life, to the uplifted dagger of the
assassin, if aimed at any of the Administration.

We have received the Paris Papers of Friday last.
the assassination of the Duke de Berri. The pro-
ceedings in the Chambers of l'eers and Deputies (the
French Houses of Lords and Comnions) arc too long
for us :o attempt an abridgment of them. The Mi-
nisters of France, like the Ministers of England,
embrace with avidity any occurrence, however
me-
lancholy, if tiny can pervert it, to the purpose of the
curtailment of the liberties of the people, or to the
addition of the excessive power of the Crown that
is, the Ministers of the moment), and this they mo-
destly call the necessary strengthening the hands of
Government. We lament the full of the Doke de
Berri, not because we believe that he was by any
means an estimable Prince, but because we are
chilled by the horror of homicide under any, and
especially under so terrible, circumstances; but we
execrate that cool calculating political feeling which
can equally avail itself of the discontents produced
by stamtion, or the murder of a Prince, as the
means of depriving the people of their unquestioned
rights. The French Ministers have dared to intro-
duce to their doubtless equally pliant Parliament