The Sun.
London, England, 1804-06-28 00:00:00

APPEAL TO, TITE- NATION.

A Constitutional Question has been ought for-
ward in a recent•Pttb:ic.ttinn, by a, N!,bie Lord, .6n
the ppoinm:nt_•of His -I+,ljjesry's late and. present
Ministers., •Asl.admire.the ardour of a young Po.
litician I 5 Italll),iss ovtfr this- palpable contradictions
ut an overweening zeal, with tills remark, hoWever,
that toe No,le Writer:stands certainly entitled ma
laurel for frcgtiently-deleating—himself,
He has taken up the bow of Mr. BURKE, as the
arms of a giant in political warfare. This, how
ever, is the bow vihich, before his death, having
'first wept over it, BURKE unstrung, broke in pieces,
and threw aside. The scattered- fragments of..it
*lre now, gathered by a N hie hand—but in vain I
M r. BURKE, truly sensible of his errors in attacking
the Monarchical Pow er of the Constitution,confessed
anddeplored these mischievous sacrifices made by him
to the, ambitious purposes, of Party. The Leaders
of Faaion during tie day being vigorously oppos-.
edi by, the -virtuous resistance of the Sovereign
ligAnsf such inroads upon the Constitution, resolved
to clip the wings of Royal Influence, in order to de.
militate the power of_ Majesty, From this con-
spiracy of a FaeliOn against Monarchical Power
arose the well-known Resolution, which combined
the general princil les of BURKE into one substan-
tial form for pratlical application, under these
words, " The influence of the Crown has increased,
is increasing, and ought to be diminished." Such
ebullitions of Parliamentary frenzy, and the mis.
guiding arthqrr of that genius which had supplied
fuel to the flames, became however -cause of deep
sorrow and private cnmpundion to that great man,
previous to his last moments. _

Herein, therefore, h contained a sufficient answer
to all that is urged, and it is the substance of the
Noble Writer's Tract, under the sanction of Mr.
BURKE'S authority : for that authority stands
stripned, by the renowned Author himself, of all
its weight in this Noble Writer's support. I shall
not in'rude further on the reader's notice the nume.
rous and erroneous misconceptions in this Trael,
where the theory of the Constitution, beauteously
decked out in one line, falls like a sacrifice in the
next to the confussi nof praClicai application. But
I shall proceed to a view of the, question, wherein
the Constitution will be found in perfed coincidence
with the last sentiments of Mr. BURKE.
" The principles of the British Constitution are
Clear, strong, and explicit, on the point at issue,
theoraticatly and practically, that the KING has by
his Prerogative. the sole Power to appoint, tire Corn-
mons the sole Right to accuse, and the Peers the
sole Privilege to judge his Ministers."
No ingenuity can fritter away these principles,
no reasoning invalidate or Undermine them. Any
word or action hostile to these principles is not
oply repugnant to moral feeling and to right rea-
son, but it is violatory of the Constitution. This
dodrine is not framed for any present purpose of
Party, like a shield to be spread over Mr. AD;
DINGTON'S or Mr..P.mr's appointment ; it is the
spirit of the Constitution defendieg the just Preto-
gative of His MAJESTY, in the exercise of his sole
liight—the choice of His Missittees.
The progress of E'aftion in this Country, during
the period Lila few years, though imperceptible per.
helps to some at first, has now made such inroads up-
on the British Government, that the departure
from the constitutional form must be obvious to all
men who will only open their eyes. It is not long
since our Fathers boasted of British Monarchy.—
But where is the Monarchical Power at this day,
where .is the Aristocratic Power, or what is 'the
Power of the People, if a few interested families
and a. few ambitious men can form a Parliamentary
&Won paramount to all ; if the Fiat of this Par-
liamentary FaClion, like the sentence of Diffitors,
can dispose of Peace or War, consign our lived and
properties to the purposes of their private interest,
seize upbn the Offices of State, overturn the Rights
of Majesty, and barter the places of trust and
power to their mean minions and unprincipled sup-
porters ? Let those Gentlemen beware l In France,
me of the Aristocracy,—Maddened by ambition,
joined with certain popular Leaders for the usurp:.
tio'n of power., They !.ucceedtd. Beginning first
in the Parliaments, the Kt of FRANCE' was gra-
dually reduced by them to pretty much the same
rigure as the k?i de carreaux.. Having gOtten the
,1%.1 tic, and cons. quently throUgh the Kingly Au'.
thor'oy, the Nopte, into their hands, they hoped to
'null! both like.D.icqators. Bat the People feeling
this, and seeing Royalty stripped of its. power,
turned upon them, snatched the power from their
hands, and hided both this Fattion and Royalty
under liorrihie' Revolutionary roins. And what
followed ? Who reigned then ?
.Wht; reigns now ?
History is a sage and awful IVlonitOn. But let us

recur to the Constitution, and listed to its voice

also.
Not only the People are barred by the Constitu-
tion from all interference-with the appointment of
Ministers, but the Pdtlionient likewise. I shall

pruve this : but it may not be imi,loper, previous
to this Constitutional Defence of His Majesty's
Preragatiie, to Ihew concisely that it is• chorally
incompatible with the Fonftions of
tit.e Houses Of Lards and Commons to nominate or
two-recommend Mittibteri.

The House of Lords
„cannot do this, because they
itte'thetr judges: Wet they to sit in judgment on
-such persons tbr'rnai.:idminisi ration, whom' they had
:.hemselves eltokn and appointed, this would in fa Ft
be sitting in judgment on their own anions. And
in like manner, were the House of Commons to

inare or. recommend Ministers, and these •Mini-

lters.to prove cfilprits,•what impartial justice could
be expetted from such sham prosecutions, where
;he Commons would be prosecutors, and the Lords

jctigis, of Ministers nominated or recommended by
-themselves ? These ideas certainly appear repug.
rant, in a moral and judicial view. Let us now con-

loit the Ctynstitution:

Groaning for ages beneath a weight of tyranny,
il;rough the abuse of power and contests o 6 ambition,

cur•ancestors were at length consolidated into one

gcneral body sufficiently powerful to resist those op-
_p!essions. Lashed by contending tyrants, as by