Star.
London, England, 1830-08-02 00:00:00

TUB PUBLIC.

And what is the public ? What is that great leviathan which is
greater than kings, and wiser than philosophers, and more just than
judges ? Which is arbiter of all controversies, to which is the last
appeal of the injured—which looks calmly, deliberately, and saga-
ciously, on all the agitations and conflicts of humanity...to which
the mightiest of men look up for support—and to which the most
learned look for applause and the most sagacious for countenance—
trom which the conqueror receives his lautels and the poet his bays
—which finds in every individual a most humble and obedient
servant—which pronounces the most irreversible decree by which the
poet lives or the rhymester dies—which, by its fiat, gives Immortality
to the artist or consigns the dauber to contempt—which consists of
niyriads of contradictory elements, and yet holds one even tenor of
its way ? What is this wondrous thing called—The
abopublic ji Is
it fish, flesh, or fowl? Where is the place of its ? Where
its awful presence-chamber ? Hath it any favourite vizier, or prime
minister, or confidential valet, or kept mistress, whereby its ear may
be ably gained and its favour indirectly purchased ? Bath it pas-
sions to which appeal may be made for the purpose of blinding its
judgment ? Hatt' it deep feelings of resentment that it may be pro-
voked to anger, that it may hate, persecute, and exterminate those
who hold its wisdom in contempt ? Is it ruffled and disturbed by
the unhandsome language with which it is oftentimes assailed by
its disappointed suitors ? Bath the public any heart, any bowel',
of compassion—is there anything in it ? Can it be moved to
pity, or is it not as hard as the iron man, Talus, whom Spenser
sweetly singedi ?
It is composed of human elements, but it hath nothing human In
its composition ; no relentings, no forgivings, no resentments, no
caprices. Compounded of fallible beings, it is infallible in its judg-
ments. Made up of passionate beings, it is most dispassionate.
Consisting of partial beings* is most impartial. A combination of
impatient beings, it is of all animals the most patient; the long-
eared quadruped that drags rand and cabbages so perseveringly
along the many.sounding streets of the metropolis, bears not the
hearties* cudgellings of its unfeeling driver with a more exemplary
patience titan does the public bear the rudeness and insults with
which it is hourly and daily assailed.
The public is never ashamed of itself. It never blushes for any.
thing it has said or done. It is never put out of countenance. It
makes no apologies, and cares fur none that are made to it. It re.
ceivee the incense of flattery, but it heeds it not. And if mighty in-
dignation vent itself upon the public, the public takes not of it
notice enough to laugh at it. Surely the public is an ass! For
bath it not long ears, wherewith it gathered' in rumours and swat-
lowcth intelligence ? Ilath it not a tough hide that will bear much
cudgelling ? Hath it not a strong back that will support heavy
burdens ? Bath it not a grave aspect that smileth not at a joke,
and that is inapprehensive of the wisdom of a hoax ? is it not ex-
ceedingly pertinacious in going its own gait and keeping its own
pace? Is it not despised by those who drive it, and contemned by
those that it toileth for?
Furthermore, is not the public a most useful animal ? What
could we all do without it ? Bath it not much moral power, re-
straining offences which ropes cannot reach, and exercising an un-
defined and undefinable influence upon every individual ? Who
is there that is totally insensible to public applause, or absolutely
reckless of public censure P What multitudes are there who owe
one half of their negative virtue to the wholesome fear in which the
stand of the public ? And is not the public the promoter of much
positive good ? Is it not the prompter of patriotism, the pa-
tron of the artist, the muse of inspiration to the poet, the tongue of
eloquence to the senator, and the pen of wisdom to the philosopher ?
It is a puzzle to say what the public is, but we guess it may be de.
fined to be what the wise men of Gotham defined a lobster to be, viz.
.—lt is a something.. Ssmday Paper.

CAPT. MOIR, CHELMSFORD, SATURDAY.—The
anxiety excited by the approaching election has lost all its interest
with the inhabitants of this town since the dread doom of the unfor-
tunate Captain Moir has been pronounced. Immediately after the
trial Dv. Pritchard ordered post hones to his carriage, and, accom-
panied by Dr. Venable', and other medical gentlemen, as also one
of his solicitors (Mr. Burton,) left town to lay before the Secretary
of State such evidence of his being affected with occasional pa-
re% yams of insanity as would induce a jury to pause before they would
give such a verdict, but which were not admissible in evidence, being
affidavits, which this unhappy man protested against the adoption of
as a line of defence. A petition was sent last night signed
by upwards of one thousand persons in his favour, and the anal.
ous and sympathizing multitude almost momentarily ilzat
whether any answer has been obtained—a good ev
of the deep interest which the fate of this most union.
nate of men has excited. His conduct since his removal to the cm.
yid gaol has been most decorous. He has paid the most ggnnttdd
attentions to the encouraging and consoling admonitions
tered to him by the Rev. Mr. Lewis, the chaplain of the pa—
This brave, but most unfortunate man, has, on • visit from his as.
licitor, Mr. Hodson, deelared he could not now have any interest in
this world or its affairs; that he would meet his fate with that
dignity which the consciousness of never wilfully intending injury
to his fellow-tnan inspired, and upon this most fatal occasion he
bad never contemplated any mortal effects to the deceased. To
another friend he exclaimed, " Oh, had I fallen at the mouth of the
enemies of my country's cannon, my poor boys could with pride
the'and ,isf a soldier.