Star.
London, England, 1819-10-30 00:00:00

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PRICF. •

troclueing nothing which can be deemed either ex-
traneous, or calculated wantonly to inflame the ph is
mind. I do assure you, Gentlemen, that there breathes
not a man more unwilling than I am, to do or iayaught
that could be of an inflammatory tendency;, but were
I even so improperly disposed, I know of nothing
that could be said or done which could -put thts
public mind in a condition of greater ferment than
it has already been by the simple statement of the
question which Las led to our present Meeting. Gen-
tlemen, that question is simply this, Whether the
People of England shall continue to enjoy their rights
and liberties under the safeguard and security of the
laws? or whether, when legally assembled, without
riot or tumult, to exercise their acknowledged and
unalienable right of petitioning, or, if they think pro-
per, remonstrating, on the subject of grievances, real
or supposed, they shall be so at the mercy ofaiie
and caprice of any set of Magistrates, whether acting
under the influence of a misguided judgment, or
from' a base subserviency to the Ministers of the
Crown, as that these Magistrates
,shall; without any
previous intimation—without any forms at all being
attended to—charge into the midst of the assenabl)
and madly sabre and cut down all in their way—net
men alone, but even defenceless women and children?
—What can possibly be added which can serve, more
than the bare statement of such a c;n.e, to rouse and
exasperate the feelings of Englishmen ? Ido assure
you, Gentlemen, that it is far, very-ter, indeed, from
my wish to inflame ; I am too sensibly alarmed at
the already agitated state of the country, to be other-
wise than anxious, by every possible means, to allay
the hourly encreasing ferment. During the twenty-
six years in which I have mixed in public life—and
you all know how fertile that 'period has been in
great events—never did I see danger to the Rights
and Liberties of the Country so imminent as at the
present moment—never did 1 see so dark a storm
ready to burst upon usnever, never, dial I see
Revolution—(Laud cries of Hear ! hear ! hear!;-
-Yes, Gentlemen, for I can use no other word—
never did I see Revolution so near at hand,(Hear,
hear ! )—When I look around me, and see the mis-
rule and misconduct which* distinguishes all the acts
of Ministers,—(Some hisses from the Declareigi
Perri, which wercinstantly drowned kt./ loud fep7 a e tes
from the vast majority of the' Meeting )—When I !:.ee
such a man as a Fitzwilliam—a man so venerable
for his virtues, dismissed from his Lieutenantcy of the
West Riding of York, for no other reason assigned
but that he thought enquiry necessary, when a great
apparent breach of the Constitution had been corn-
mitted. When I see a man such as this, whose long
life has exhibited a series of proofs of fidelity and
loyalty to his King, dismissed and degraded—
( No, no, from various parts of the Hall)--You
are right, Gentlemen—not degraded, but attempt-
ed to be so; an attempt which must honour him
in the esteem of all, where esteem is of any va-
lue, and hurl back disgrace on the heads of those
who advised the measure. When I see, moreover,
that ten thousand men MY to be added to the stand-
ing Army of the Country, for no other purpose but
the almost openly and impudently avowed reason of
cutting down the People. When I see so manifest a
disposition on the part of Ministers to combat public
'opinion—not by argument, by moderation, by con-
ciliation, or by good governmentbut by the sword
and by the bayonet. When I see all these things—
and, Gernlernen, I have stated notearg bat facts—it
requires little penetration to be able to say, that this
state of things cannot last long. Revolution, I re-
peat, Gentlemen, is at hand —( So;ne hissing, which
was again put down b,j loud clicers.)—Whether, Gen-
tlemen, that Revolution is to proceed from the en-
croaehments of Despotism, or from the unruliness cf
the People, it-is equally to be deprecated. If the
first succeed, the second will most assunally follow.
It is not, and never may it be, in the nature of
Englishmen to submit to be tyrannized over, With-
out turning against the oppressor—( Loud clyers.)—
I am convinced, Gentlemen, that the only thing which
can save the county from the imminent danger which
hangs over it—the only thing which can prevent a
Revolution, and all its attendant horrors cf anarchy
and bloodshed, is for the men of_rank, character, and
,respectability, throughout the country—men such as
those who signed the Requisition for the present
Meeting—men both in and out of Parliament—to
unite, and chew themselves to the People, ready and
deterniined to leadUnd direct them, in the assertior
of their just ritghti-7(Hear, hear,) :Let them go
fore the People, and say—, Here we are, your ft-jell(
deicimined 'to stand by yr:in--determined to see th
your sights and liberties shall nut i,pe invaded!
(Much cheerivg.) Let then't thrdw themselves id
gap between the impending tiranßY of-GOverninel
and the rising 'flood o popular indignation.
them shee• themselves:'eaiy and.ilesolved, by ev,
legal and conatituticipal moans, .to check thuabl
of power, and to obtain for the People the reds:
their grievances; aad, even as far as is consistent w'

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