The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-01 00:00:00

AD DRESS.

The prevalence of disloyal and seditious principles, to a
great and alarming el:tent, among certain classes of our fel-
low-subjects, is unhappily too notorious at the present time
to admit of doubt or discussion.

Possessing, as this nation does, a Constitntion which is the
envy and admiration of the world—at peace with every other
country-covered with the glories of a long, an arduous, and
a triumphant contest—enjoying an impartial Administration
of Justice—andlubjected to the mild and paternal Govern-
men( ofa Patriotic Sovereign, it might have been hoped lhat.
all ranks and degrees Of men would have beet in hunible
gratitude fur such uneg:tnipled blessings to the Altnightrand
Merciful Disposer of human events.
But that this is far front-being the ease, and that, on the On-
trary, a spirit of libstlity exists against our most sacred and.
estinusbl,.- Institutions; ,we.. have only to appeal- to tilr tifte
form teit.-:miony (if t Mist! nurnerups loyal Addresses
have of late been-laid sat The foot of ttae Throne by Corpora-..
lions or Meetings of Individuals. Framed by bodies- of men
in differentand distant parts of the kingdom,. without CM,
cert or communication,- aud- containing opinions drawn
from actual observation and conviction these Addresses in-
disputably prove at once the lamentable existence of the evil
and its tearful extent;—they prove that it menaces nut the
predominance of this or that party in the State, but the safety
of the State itself; not the separate interests ofthis or that
class of men, -but the liberty, the property, the security of
.All.. • . • -

The Consequentes which .have already resulted from tlii
'perversion of public -principle, are but too obvious. Among
-them are to, be numbered, a daily weakening of the bonds of
union between the humbler ranks of society and their natural
guardians and 'protectors—insubordination—disreprd of
the laws, and frequent attempts to obstruct their operation—
increase of crimes—denunciations of hatred towards the
greatest and best men in the country—mockery of Religion—
queruicns impatience of all oontrr.ul and restraint—vain and
ostentatious contempt of all sound learning, experience, and
knowledge—interruption of the courses of honest industry
—and . derangement of the great concerns and ciao prizes of
the nation.'

The Causes of the evil are no less apparent ; it may be dis-
tinctly traced to the machinations of a comparatively small
number of individuals. These persons act partly by means
of the turbulence and excitement of public meetings, at
which the most unfounded and inflarhmatory speeches are de-
livered; and partly tbrongh the medium of a .licentious
which, e.ithout excepting even the day, of sacred rest, inun-
dates the nation with an unexkinoled profusion of slanderous,
seditious and blasphemous publications.
The mischevious 'activity of the popular agitators has not
been capricious of transient : they have pursued their course
systematically; and the iofluence which they hare acquired
over the minds of the less-informer,' classes, of society, hiss for
several
.years beets regularly and rapidly increasing. if it
has occasionally ceased to attract public attention, it has ap-
peared at every-new manifestation more formidable; it has
been nourished by every art which a pernicious ingenuity
could devise; and it has en!isted in its Livens: every personal
feeling of its ignorant and deluded victims.
The Press, that 'great and invaluable blessing of civilized
life—that mighty engine for diffusing the light of Liberty
and cf the
,Gospel—has unhappily become, in the hands
evil men, a lever to shake the very fmundations of social and
motal order. Its power, which within the last century has
been multiplied an hundred-fold, may now be almost said
to reign paramount in the guidance. of public opinion; and
to those friends of their country who reflect deeply on this
fact, it :cannot but be matter of serious alarm to observe
that a very large proportion of our periodical publications is
-under the direction either of avowed enemies of the Consti-
tution, or of persons whase sole principle of action is their
own private and selfish interest. By these, and by occasional
writers of a like character and description, every artifice is
employed,with -daily increasing boldness, to render the people
discontented with the Government, and disobedient to the
Laws; to persuade them :hat they are betrayed by those who
should protect them ; to seduce them from -their affection
and allegiance to their Sovereign; and, finally, to hying
about a Revolution, to which (however it might gratify or
enrich themselves and their associates) the wealth, the pro,i-
peritY, the internal happiness, and the political greatness of
the Empire, must inevitably be sacrificed.
And it is clear that isolated, individual exertion, would be
utterly inadequate to cope with all the evil energies now
arrayed against public order and the public peace; so it is
to be feared, that the Gaverumunt and Legislature them-
selves might find the Contest didieult, without the active,
zealous, and persevering co-operation of the loyal and well-
disposed part of the community; which co-operation, to be
effectual, must be the result-of a regular and systematic union
of individuals.

Persuaded that by these means alot:e the progress of sedi-
tious principles can be arrested ; and feeling that to arrest it,
if posfible, is the bounden duty of every good subject and-
sincere patriot ; the Members of this Society have adopted
the following Resolutions .-
Ist. That they will use their best exertions to maintain
order, and to support the due execution of the Laws.
id. That they will employ their influence, individually and
collectively, in• discountenancing and opposing the dissemina-
tion of seditious principles.
3d. That they will encourage persons of integrity and La.-
lent in the Literary World to exert their abilities in confut-
ing the sophistries, .dissipating the illusions, and exposing
the falsehoods, which are employed by wicked and designing
men to inisleastthe people. •
4th. That they will resort to• such lawful measures as may
be des'med expedient to restrain the poblishing and efreulat-
'ing of seditious and treasonable libels.
16 wishing-that the licentiousness of the Press should be
restrained, this Association is actuated. by a sincere desire to
secure the true Liberty of the Press—that liberty which sub-
sists only under the protecting shield of law, and which is
cure to be one of •the first sacrifices mfide in a Political Revo-•
Intion. Stich 'a liberty is absolutely incompatible with the
present licentiousness; and the one must soon destroy the
other. The' alternative, however, is yet before the •natioti.
The Methbert of this Society have no wish to preset the pints
tp.disctssiinf,•nor even harshly to censure the excesses 'awl
honest though mistaken zeal ; but there are publications
(and nnfortlifmtely many of those circulated anion:; the la-
(souring classes Tire of this description), on the etiminality
of which no rational dsmht can be entertained. These works
consist 'tilroot wholly of scurrilous slanders, and of the ino,t •
I.xlte and intianimalory statements respectio; public institu-
tions and public men ; they abound with personal calumny,
and offer direct incitements to violence and crime. In short,
they are ins eteralely hostile to public nod private virtue, and
favourable 'only to whatever tends to degrade and debase
mankind. All that is estimable in the country would be be-
nefited by their suppression ; and nothing would be'so math
imprOved and elevated as the Press itself.
This Association is established on the broad principle, not
of supporting-this or that Administration, but of opposing
• the attempts now madeto overthrow the Civil Institutions of
the State. Other Societies have for some time existed, for
the protection of Religion and Morals ; but, with the excep-
tion of a few Local Associations, the present is the only one
exclusively destined to the very important object of opposing
the prootress. of Disloyalty and Sedition. In order to attain
this end, it has been determined-
1. To establish a Fund, by the voltilliary contributions of
the Members, at such rate at each ind vidoal may think fit.
• 2. To appoint a Committee for con lucting the husinesl; of
the Society.
3. To' adopt a system of Corresponlence with those-Mem-
bers who live at a distance, and_ with such Associations as
may be willing to co-operate in promoting the saute objects.
Most earnestly, therefore, does this Society call upon all
men of all ranks and of all political 'patties, upon all to whom
the maintenance of civil and religious liberty is dear, upon
all who value the internal peace of tile 'country, of the per-
manence of the Britisis-Empire,4 to jot them iii a strenuons
endeavour to stem the torrent of I host disorganising and de-
mistatising principles,. -which would level..to the dust the
fabric of the Constitution, and bury under its ruins an the

com'w-is and enjtiyments, all the charities and endearments,
of social life. ;
CHARLES 'AIUR.II.II7, Honorary Secretary.

- .
N.B. D-cmations and Suliseripli,ms to the FUnd of 4‘ The
Constitu.tional -AssOcialino" :wOl be received by "Itithard
Rot h,weP., Esq. Alderman, Treasnree'y No. .10' King Sireet,
Cheajpsidel,by Messrs. DrumniCon.l and Co. Charing
Cross ; Messrs. Mortands, Anriot, 57; 19411-;
Messrs. Marsh, Sibbabi, Stracey, Fain-it-ler-oy, and Co. N0.,6,
Berners Street ; Messrs• f lett Street; %ism.
dOnes, Loyd, and Co. No., 43, Loilibury ;'Sir ‘1 Cu'it'is.
aml.Co. No, 15, Lombard Street ; Chatterii, Whitmore, and
Co.. No. 24, -Lombard Street ; Messrs. -Sies, Snaith,. and
•CO. No. 5, Mansion-house StrecA, London ;,-• and: by Sir
John Pinhorn, Weston, and Son',. No.' 37, High Street,
Smitlitvarti.
Other Communications, intended, f6r this _Association,.may
be made by Letter (post paid) to the Clerk,
" ii. Jcrnaet Stai,:re,,' No. 3, Throw,norion Street, London."