The Sun.
London, England, 1817-12-17 00:00:00

DUCTILITY OF,THE CROWD.

There is so much gond sense in the following
Article, which displays an' air of vigorous origi-
Jialityin the style, that We readily insert it by the
desire ;01 an.. aid . Correspondent. We- confess,
however, that we do nt;it see the- immediate Britt
o.t the Writer', except it. be' to vindicate the me-
mot.}' of a.late persecuted Nobleman,. As for the
c iprict of the multitude, that was well knownsbe-
fore they were; characterized by SHAKSPEARE, un-
der the designation Ot the " fond (foolish) MANY."

" In the whirlwinilof the passions the reason
of Man-lies still. It is only when the storm sub-
sides that 'the .judgment, breaking through the
which obscure its course, comes. forth to
assert ill dominion in the moral sunshine of the
under,tanding. Among the great, the collisions
of inlet est, the vividly of genius, the confliets-of
ambition, the contagion of party, the fermenta-
tion of confederacy—in. the low awl vulgar, tire
'congregated workings Of mjlice, sof igifOrance, of
envy, Arid the total destitution of all the charities,
obstruct the sight and vitiate the opinion. Men
see'with.the eyes and feel with the perceptions of
the it comates in popular agitations. Injustice is
vindicated .by, nunilrs, oppression concealed
within the mist of expediency, and the cruelest'
per?ecutinii sanctified - 6y: the fashion of the mo-
Ment. Neither genius, nor virtue, nor•a long life.
of jitiblicservicenonor celestial attributes, can
save the that is 'destiiied for --sacrifice.—
Universal history concurs in the universal suite-
, lorliyof SOCRATES to all.cotemporaries. They 7--
• even they, who question CHRIST'S divinity are
sraggvred at the spotless perfection of his morals:
'Yef, no two beings were ever run at .with more
pOpular fervour than were the illustrious heathen,
' and the heavenly founder of christianity. The
•Godand the godlike mortal were put to death like'
Malefactors—the besotted crowd in both cases
- being eu,4er that upon their beads' should be the
irloOd of both. Protesting agbinet any profanity,
would refer to the sacred weather of this illn—
itration no farther than by recalling' to memory
tithe blessed benevolence of that last prayeeforhis'
ene'nkleC,- upon a principle which -deseribes- the:.
ArOpulace.'"throngh every age, 'viz: ,'T'frat'''they-;
%new riot. 'Ow they did.' At the instigation of. a;
"r*.feaV, the many insisted upon devoting- the most.
pious man in lthens—Orfthe score of impiety. He,
velio lived in the 'constant contemplation of the,
Onlnipotent, was di'spatche'd from the face of the,.
-earth—as a denier of his "existence. ' • •
" Bnt
,SOCRATES had posthumous justice.'
His destroyers' %vire slest royed in turn that
senseless fury which commonly marks the dispen.-
.sation of the people; the murderers- of - the fore-
most of mankind fellnpon their own Copartners in
guilt;' fancying anindeninitylor one Crime in the
perpetration of many more. It is true, no laW. is
tnoretiist; than that the
.devisers of wickedness
shot& perish by their own arts'; arid to the lovers
of even-handed' retribution it is consoling to see
those who. make the 'public the tools of 'their
scbeming, fall by_ own -instruments. Bin
these capricious reparations come too late, 'l he
ear of . SocttATEs was cold and dull when the vep-
. geanee of the mass of his' peiseentors overwheltrivd
a portion of their accoMplices. The grand pro-•
genitor .of the mischief is the trick of making the
prililic. parties to crooked courses. -Rotten to the
core is ;he philosophy which implies that the bias
Of the human animal is towards-good. If there
'belt principle whose generality admits of no ex-
, Ception, it is this--?-that the people are never pain-
pered but for a bad purpose. -Flummery is a viand
serve/Ito the community only for illicit ends ; and:
the ascribing of infallibility. to its deeds is the
sitprethest of. impostures. As capricious in its'
equity as in its tyranny ruthless, while no trust
can •be placed in its impartiality, its -despotism is
insupportable. The most luminous wisdom in all
the gravity, first of silent-meditation, afterwards of
social council, journeys—slowly—to doubtful tie-
termination ; resolving, perhaps when most de-
cided, only upon a choice among evils. But the
crowd is never at fault. It dashes on like a pack
of hounds ; yet, though led by the ,nose, it wants
the hound's instinct; and trusts for the trailto
precarious guidance. Equally devoid of retro-
spect foresight—' wanton' but without
heed' and giddy' yet not • cunning,' the mul-
titude, in the confident port of ignorant rashness
rushes to conclusion in full gallop. Incapable of
understanding the prnportions of a pig-sty, it
pronounces upon impala; works ;' and, though
as blind to the merits at issue as the grubs under
gr./tutu!, Vociferates denunciation of mighty con-
cerns and great tneu, just as it is played upon by
the wiles of the wire holders—who, even at the
moment of making its gullibility a stalking 'horse
to their own pursuits, despise it, utterly. -
'" These truths are specially unveiled in a let,-
ter to the late Mr. %VINDHA-M, when Secretary of
State, written by another Member of that Gentle-
m'an's party. The letter is dated the I lth of Oc-
/ober 1806. Of it, though never published., there
arc divers copies. Its general purport is .extrane-
ous to this discussion.; but some of the passages
happen to 'be most peculiarly apposite. For
exaniple' ,s.
4 .."rhe 7ent,h Report' . (meaning the,,,doctiment
out, of whiCh grew the impeachment against the late
Loud MeLvit.Le), ' became the next topic ofpo-
:pulay interest. How that .business was •handled,
though at that time yon slid not Conte much to
Buba,s, you,. -1 believe, are not ignorant,
the:night of. the 9tlt.of April ;(1805,-tise n girt
after the vote of the Cornmons agaidstotiOrdMi
..vitn,s) -Mr. said to me' Pray Pray stir the coon-
-try if you can. •We !cOtild work- with.• tiouble
effect, within„doori, Jrtve iiere
,pupported
rwithout.' t"ete all in
ithe nii-Fils't of
-your rural enjoynie`..tsYduring recess 4J !vas
at the anvp;•he
.;.country,' vpiittere td. say, the 'uniformity of •
sengation,4lyHtieve-t- equalled Of toil
yl9l, .form„koinektiesf,..w.hen yOu learn; that
tlrivAkitess to the King front West-
141ineY.s<41i14.4g,i
4 ~tyci.tt en the Mid-
idleses. 'Which %vele written. 14-Mr;
- .
C-- ; a part of one Resolution Which ryas Worded;
in a note to me, by the Duke of --;_every line of
every Resolution, Petition to the House of Gout-

Irons and address to Oge King, (tliongll all lAA-
ciently varied not. to detray their corn-win origin).
from the City of London ; from IVeStminster ;
from Middlesex.; and from' the Borough of
Sowthwark, were all written,. by,nte. •The conW•
try caught the example. of the capital,' &c. &c.

Not SHAKSPEARE himself has depicted the
Malleability of the populace and themanagement
of their agitators-L,not 'Oren Shakspeare has given
so clear a peeP at the Eleusinian mysteries of po-
litical caballing astbe passage just quoted. The.
Monarch upon 'his throne was obliged to bear a
part. in this, swelling scene,' against one of his
faithfulest servants. In virtue of the privilege ac-
corded to the Corporation of -London; ` condign
punishment' 'uppri' his. Naval Minister was invoked
fromthe Sovefeign-L-to his very. beard—thizearot
a private individual being the leeer that lifted this
seat of empire against a Nobleman, the fidelity
,and generosity of whose character are known to
have excited the esteem ,of this his opponent ;
whose sole Motive in 'clothing his own conceits
with the pomp and circumstance' of deliberat,
ing cities and assembled counties was .the mere
ardour of partisanship. 'Tis true, that in pro-
claiming the results, of
.all.ctivveniious some one.
person- must be, penstnan—but never, in any age
or nation, not even at Athens, where almost every
distinguished man was successively immolated, up- •
on the altar of public baseness or folly,. were the
contrivances' of political factorshipio maskedllll.•
der the trappings of the popular. voice ae in the
case of Lord MELVILLE. ' In that of Mr. flitsT-
,l N.GS, the name oftbe nation was unabused.' His
impeachment wa's the sole act of the•HOUse of
ComMons'; and lengthened life has given to that'
venerable Gentleman the rare solace of seeing the
reverence '(when he lately appeared in the lower
House. upon the renewal of the East India,Char=
ter) manifested towards him—as if atonement
were conveyed in the courtesy—by that branch
of the Legislature which had formerly amerced
what must be dearer to such a man than life—his
fair fame.

- " Let it' not be imagined that these observa-
tions'imply a sacrilegious disregard to the dead,
or .any insinuation that the chief assailants the
proceedings alluded to, were conscious of other
than honourable Impulses.• Human conscience,
however is a fallible monitor: Not to be
righteous. over-much'--not to trust' too :im-
plicitly to the illusiveness of conscience' are,
warnings which would be suggested by knOwledge
of man's mind, even if they were not enforced by
apostolic authority. Purity.of heart eloes not ex.-
elude 'error of head—not esen in the impeachers,
!nighty as they
,were, of Lord MaLvnt,e and Mr.
HASTINGS. Yet such surely were their mental
powers, that if Seized' with 4eonsciencet for
calling the Ruler' to account for his
that Grand Endowerhad showered intellect upon
their minds in such prodigality. that they :could
prefer a plausible impeacbthent against himself---
for his architecture of the universe. • . •,• •

It would, however, be paltering with truth
and, candour—it would be falsehood and-fraud,
to disown that ,the prosecution against Lord
ATELvILLE .was in reality
.a contention 'for the
administratiow.olthe9ovettiment. In Jacohioic
lore, such a pursuit is bunting for loaves and
fishes.' I affect to call the struggle by a truer
appellative. Though reprobating the apothegm,
that tricking is' all fair io love' or in politics ;
yet is the strife of English Constitutional parties
for ministering the .Constitutional Government -of
England, the.ambition of, elevated souls. If the
emotion, be sober folly' it is as the poet termed
it— -

' The sober folly of the wise and. great ;'

for in any other class the passion would be ludi-
crous. A desire to be intermingled with the high
relations of the country—to be incorporated with
its history—to redeem it from adverse, and to share
its prosperous, 'fortunes--to promote and to par-
ticipate in its-glory—these are excitements which
the slang of malignity cannot degrade ; and which
nothing should ever extinguish in those who are
qualified by nature and. fitted by station for the
loftier spheres of society. The altitude of Lord
MELVILLE attracted the siege, which in his person
was laid against.the whole body of his colleagues.
That the Government was the urotiveis truly and
fairly avowed in another passage of. the letter to
Mr. WINDHAM, before quoteo. words ate as,
follows

I am sure I.need not remind yon that in dis-
posing the public mind to a change of administra
tion, the present Ministers (the Whig Government
of 1806) had no more immediate agency than so
Many of the Emperor of China's. Mandarins. , It
is not that the present Ministers. Would not have
done the thing with transcendant powers ; but,
Parliament not .sitting, the opportunity did not
exist. The business was done, to their hands.—
Mr. Pyrr"s death intervened ; and prevented any
ParliaMentary strugle.'
" Such is one of the passages in the letter to
Mr. WI ND HAIIT, not unaccompanied, however,_
with a comment. pretty. similar to (Mr. Grapoat's
notable observation, upon the unennal division of
the spoils after capture of the fortress,,
=:•". Notwithstanding whatever may haie seemed
exceptionable idthe,promotion of the impeachment
alluded to, the demeanour of the promoters after
they had won the prize, does honour to their ashes.
Not one Minister opened his lips at the Peers'.bar
nor was there ever a whisper of any tampering to
tinge the stream of justice.
" Beautiful • Constitution of England ! , What
emphatic contradiction have not those two im-
peachments afforded to the fanciful foppery of .the
theorists who, looking askance at -eve/thing, can
discern nothing: but. deformity in that frame of
Government shied like the, appetite that grows,
by: what it ''feeds on; augments admiration 14
mote it is studieth Had.. Athens in its civil frame
possessed an intermediate .Body, alike indepen-
dent Of the Man as ,of the Million; and ,fitted,
to, restrain the encroachments .of -both—par-
taking of the : civil properties of each, but
usurping *On neither—a Body, whose •solid
firmness -(`in spite of individual fbixibility).conhi
not be shaken'., a tyrant's presence, or by.the
depreVed 'fory• of a raging rabblesto'Althe,ns, to
that' celebrated nation' had not :,adtinfed.the tin--
dying disgrace, that those immortal -riatnes• (the
dreMes''OleriComitists, the ,modelszial exccitence,
the stars by which, for five and. twenty centuries,
the beat and brightest of the beaten race ,have set

their moral compass) • were, one after another,
clinsign'ed to the doom of Baralids" the robber. A
sort •f death-bed repentance, indeed, came at the
heels of all these iniquitiee;-but the contrition cyas
only momentary. Like the dogs to the vomit,'
the populace, ever false and silly, 'soon relapsed
into their wonted turpitude. The Dutch can-
nonized the DE WlT'ig j aye—after they had first
tortured their bodies and'swilled their blood. But
John Bull is never inhuinan.•

" Making it my occupation to speak plain; I
profess, for tine;that.l prefer the non-trial of such
a point. It is not yet_two years since the follow-
ing scene took place in a region of .gaiety—reven
in the Theatre of Covent-garden. That trans-
cendent artist, Miss O'NAILL, playing SOLIT,MERN'S
Isabella; was, in the third act of' the piece, sod—
denly seized with illness and forced to retire, all
but lifeless. After a' considerable interlapse, the
impossibility of :Miss O'NEILL's going on with the
part was very impressively announced to the sym-
pathising audience ; and allowance earnestly be-
spoken forMrs..FauctT, who, to attempt all that
circumstances admitted in Mitigation of the dis-
appointment, 'would endeavour, with the book,
to forward. the completion of the drama. The.
consenting appro. batinn of the house ratified this
substitution.

" No sooner, hoWever, had the Lady advanced,
than she was greeted with a chorus of hisses, liar-
monised.by a round
,ot yells as fell and ferocious
as from so many Alpine wolves. That tneritorious
.actress and beautiful woman, in return for a com-
pliance made up of every amiable ingredient, was
hooted off the stage with us little mercy as if she,
not Providence, had curtailed their enjoyment,—
to the only mode of repairing which, themselves
had just been acclaiming parties.
. .

" The historian La GRAIN, after narrating the
sacrilege of the populace to the corpie of the Mar-
shal D'AtecitE,,•which they dragged from the
tomb ; cut into `thousands of pieces ; and made
their dogs devour,, closes his ;account in these
words 'Tis' certain that a- herd of mad bulls
%%ill as soon hearken'to reason, and are less to be
feared, than a mutinous mob.' Now every mis-
cellaneous collection is -a mob ; and every mob,
when least 130, is only a.. many-headed fool.
With however moderate an opinion of the
good sense- br good,manners a man eaters" a public
scene, whether it, be for- pleasure, or far politics,
lie must have an egregious taste, or luck quite be-
side the ordinary march of incidents, if he, does
not crime away;,. with -an abated feeling of both.
It an English Brutus or Anthony could be listened
to, the same- results would follow as in the play ;
and the audietwe prove aS,wavering and worthless
as the,Roman•rabble.7--But the Mass, whether in
a town hall or a theatre, gives scarcely an ear
even to its own panders; and is always deaf, though
never dumb, toi the other side of the question. Till
the fit, referred to in the words servitque animis
ignobile vulgtis, -that, paroxysm has
spent itself, argument might as well be addressed
to the roaring seas as to a raging auditory. The
ntultittple bears in hySieriesand decides 'in con-
vulsions. those lies the guilt, who ascribe
reflect ion to any fermenting concourse—who, in
popular ebullitions, confound scum with, essence
who identify fragments of the scattered public
with the body-of the nation ; dress abiurdity• iu
the semblance of ‘visdoni ; and colour the emana-
tions "of noise and nonsense with the cast of
calmness and sagacity. More heinous still would
be those tactics.if rendered conducive to personal
oppression ; and if, morally' indifferent to -right
and Wrong, ,they should extort from the bad of
litirna'ninature what the good refused ; or, in the,
language of Virgil, if, failing to move. the super..
nals, they should dive to the depths of Acheron for
the attainment of their obliquities.
" Decemlrer 15, 1817.

D."

From the LONDON GAZETTE, DEC. 16.

BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED.'
J. Baker, St. James's-it-reel, ,dress-maker. 7

. • BANKRUPTS.
Ladbrook, Draycotc, 'Warwick, farmer, Pee. 29, 30, and
Jan. 27, At eleven, at the King's-Head Inn, Coventry. At-
torney, Mr. Carter, Coventry, .
M. White, Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, bleacher, Dec. 26,
30, aJan. 27. at eleven; at the Lion HOtel, Nottingham.
Attorney, Mr. W. Chippindall, Great Qneen-street.
W. Gilbert, Bath, baker, fan. 2,3, and 27, at one, at the,
Castle and Bull Inn, Bath. Attorhies, Messrs. Nether-
. sole and Barron, Essex-street, Strand.
R. Collyer, Chelteghani, phrter-dealer, 'Jan. 5, 6,'aud 27, at
eleven, at the George Hotel, Cheltenham. Attorney, Mr.
NV. R. King, Syrjeant's-Inn, Fleet-street.
• DIVIDENDS.

Jan. 9. D. Newbold, Birmingham, lin-plate worker
Dec. tO. J.. Jones, J. Owen, and H. Abbott, Bucklersbury,
merchants—Jan. 20, J. Whitehead, M. Howard, and J. Had-
dock, Cateatun-street, bankers—Jan.'B, 3. J. Wood, South
Hamlet, Gloucester, coat-merchant-Jan. 6, G. Meliss,
Feneburch-street--4thi. 6, D. Morgan, .Neatb, Glamorgan-
shire, ironmonger —Jan. 10, A. Anderson Philpot-lane,
merchant--Jan. 8, J. Howard, Bridlington-quaY., Yorkshire,
ship-builder—Jan. 8, It. Wigan, linen-draper—
Jan. 6, E. A. P. Lob-ato, Finsbury-street, merchant—Feb. 3,
Molyneaux-street, Bryanstone-square,,linen-dra-
per—Dec. 23; 21. Mowbray, G. L. Hollingsworth, J. We-
therell, W. Shields, W. Boulton, and W. It. Stokes, Dur-
ham, bankers—Jan. 10,'.J.'Adlington, Chesterfield, draper—
Jan. 3, T. and J. Dowley, Willow-street, Bankside, coal-
merchants—Jan. 17, J. Hand, Wormwood-street, warehouse-
man—Jan. 10, A. J. Mackesuie and 11.1 loper, Cross-street,
Finsbury-square, merchants—Jan. 9, W. Davy, Norwich,
gun-maker—Jan.'6, J. Francis, Hunsdon, Hertfordshire,'
corn-factor—Jan: 16, •117: Hewitt, Cargo, Cumberland,
monger—Jan. 12, J. Blount, Lancaster; dealer—Jah. 6, W.
Wall, Maidenhead, lierkshiresurgeon-I-Jan. 9, G, Cautton,
Aston, near. Birmingham, •Wire-worker—Jan. 8, J. Dowley,
Willow-street, Bankside, coal-Merehauti—Jan.2, A. Adair
and D. Cunninglcam, Winchester-street„ niehhants—,Jan. 9,
M. C. Millers, Liverpool-, niilliner.LJan. 9, T. NewcoMbe,
Bowbridge, Gloucestershire, clothier—Jan. 24; D. Gra; hs,
Canterbury., draper—Maaeli ,21, W. Easterfield, Fleet-mar-
ket, haberdasher. " '