Star.
London, England, 1829-09-01 00:00:00

THE GRAND MISTAKE.

The servile Journals, fawning on their masters, trumpet their

praises until their political turpitude assumes the look of pablic
virtue—their Ministerial mismanagements, the happiest proofs of
transcendent judgment—their diplomatic bungling, the perfection
of skill and supernatural foresight. ling—The Emancipation of
the Catholics. prepared by their predecessors, and conceded through

imperative necessity, is called a glorious and immortal conj► d'bat.
The improvident manner in which their wooden idols performed
the miracle, by admitting, witlioat one prudent restriction, a body
or the people to a voice in our Councils of State, who, to the dan-
ger of our free Constitution, bow down to the supreme power and

infallibility of an Italian Bishop, who ties and unties consciences at

pleasure, is by them considered as an admirable testimony of liberal
. generosity. The enlightened and unprejudiced. who advocated the
measure as far as it related to the freedom of opinion on certain
dogmas, were confounded in consternation to perceive the fraternal
hug offered freely and unqualifiedly to Catholics of all denomina-
tions, without even the wholesome distinction of Jansenism and
blohnism ; an established difference between which would so ef-
fectively Dave effranchised the conscience, and secured at the same
time this Constitution inviolable. The incorporation of Dent in
a wafer—the consolation of confessed sin—the miraculous power
of sanctified water—the frightful dream of purgatory—the inter-
vention of saints—and the addition of a Holy Virgin to the God-

head, we ever considered flimsy grounds for exclusion from privi-
lege : but to associate in government the infatuated believers of
Divine power in a paltry foreign Priest—a concocter of plots—a
bul:y of Kings—the bead and ruler of Jesuits—and last, not least,.
objection, the puppet Lama subservient to Austrian imposture and
ambition, was a breach in our bulwarks we ever must contem-
plate with apprehension and abhorrence. Where is th► promised
good which the emancipating measure, like a prodigy, was to ope-
rate for Ireland? Why, it is reduced to the mere triumph of
faction, whose secret spring was of Loyelk fabric—obedient to the
touch of tonsured agitators, lately conspiring desolation to the uni-
verse within their den at Montrouge—it has opened the door to
the rabid ambition of a score of pedagogues. itching like lepers for
distinction and place. But the only true panacea for Irish evil re-
mains still unadministered. Did our rulers study to discover what
it is, they might find it to be nothing more or less than simply
Bread I This, however. while we are starving ourselves, we can-
not afford to bestow. But the inevitable crisis draws on apace—
the intolerable burthen heaped on us by successive tax-masters
must be cut off in growing desperation,—when Ragland, freed
from accumulated misery, shall be able to stretch the hand of suc-
cour to her sister—till then, she must hang on the body of Britain
like a broken arm. True it is, the crown of martyrdom is a toy
no longer to be offered by priesthood to the people ; but hunger
still remains, and sedition works as potently on the craving sto-
mach as on the weakness of superstition. Still, the Ministerial
adulators proclaim the salvation of Ireland : its 'Miles of wretched-
ness have become Arcadia—its squalid population plump prospe-
rity ; and during that anarchy and armed force scour eke ill-fated
island. it is painted calmly smiling under the benefit of Ministerial
wisdom and philanthropy; and although the loud groan of anguish
rings along her shores, they insult her with their hurrahs and happy
congratulations. as if in mockery of her misery.
The honourable wish of Portugal to enjoy Constitutional free-
dom, was met at first with honest satisfaction by this country :
under the protection of our arms the advocates of liberty, in the
face of Austrian machinations, and in proud despite of Apostolical
rage and intrigue assailing them from Spain, France, and at home,
firmly pursued their glorious task in successful tranquillity, with an
ameliorating finance and improving commerce. Then came our new
Ministers, like envious demons, blasting with their treacherous
narrow-minded policy the growth of Lusitanian liberty in its first
harvest. Tyranny, murder, and civil war, under their malevolent
auspices, succeed the promising but short-lived reign of liberty on
the Tapia. Here again the friends of liberty, worshipping their
inhuman principles, venture to outrage the Constitutional sentiments
of this country, by arguments in favour of usurpation, bloodshed,
and oppression. The people of Greece, bursting from lethargy to
follow the example of Christian civilisation flourishing around them,
offering a thousand commercial and military advantages to Eng-
land, is inanely trifled with and tricked, till France steps in to
secure all the gratitude and glory of their rescue. While, at the
same time, Russia is permitted to place a devoted Emissary at the
bead of her rising Government. Ministerial slaves defend the pa.
irons equally in this. The Greeks are represented as worthless—
their friends, as dishonest revolutionists and adventurers—while
their Turkish tyrants are spoken of as ancient Allies, whose bar-
baric power we should restore to all its ancient plenitude of igno-
rant despotism, and destructive force. France, permitted at last
to follow us in the march of freedom, quietly raising Institutions
which, by gradually assimilating the people with ourselves, promise
eventually to obliterate that ancient animosity which the con.
tending genius of the two comities have encouraged for ages, at
the expense of oceans of blood and heaps of treasure,—is wickedly
and unprovokedly circumvented and interfered with, at the risk
of another disastrous revolution amongst themselves, and an im-
mediate rupture with us. And this is styled a praiseworthy at-
tempt to steal an influence over France, an advantage enviable
even at the price of perfidy.

An expedition threatens to throw South America once more
under the exclusive grasp of Spain, so long deplored by the com-
merce of this country, whose Thole force and cunning were ex-
erted to release those regions. And now the creatures of power
stigmatize the American patriots as anarchists and banditti, who
not only merit chains, but total annihilation.
Then we have the ;rend 'mistake—the supreme bungle—the im-
mortal master-piece of Cabinet imbecility—the Oh la! to our
commerce—the giant kick to poor old England's power—and that
is—a Russian army on the wrong side of the Danube. AU Ibis
the satellites of those perpetrating the mischief treat as matter of
no moment—a small predatory expedition-4 moss-trooping ex-
cursion, to be followed with no other consequences than a few
diplomatic discussions and a Treaty of Peace ;--or should the Czar
only play at bo-peep with our Cabinet until he can slip clear to the
goal, and, firm in his bold of the Dardanelles, map his Anger at
the rest of Europe ;—he will still, it is hoped, permit us to trade
in the Levant;—or if not, why should we embroil ourselves with
so distant and so powerful an adversary ? As for our Tarkey mer-
chants, they have been ruined long ago.
Thus, the rapid succession of the most fatal errors,--under a sys-
tem as atrocious as it is petty and impracticable, pursued by
apprentice Ministers, damning their fame to support the Utopian
scheme of retrograding society, imagined in the diabolic heart of
a makes Austrian, in contempt of our intellect, the honour
and interests of this country—is weakly, or rather criminally,giossed
over by a treacherous press, more zealously anxious to sustain a
wicked Purl, than to support the true welfare of England. Should
Constantinople fail—and that fearful catastrophe has either arrived,
or will soon arrive—a British Parliament may be instantly coo-
voked—at least the crisis big with our future fate will imperatively
demand it :—power longer confided to rash incapacity may damn
so deep in digitally. that no skill of human genius shall be able
to extricate us from the ruin that engulphs us.
Our camp-schooled Premier, with honest candour, publicly dc.

dared lib inability to govern—be has not deet4ved us. We have

given Mm ample latitude and a fair trial The black horizon,
awful with approaching disaster, which, in so short a dme, he has
conjured round him, warns us to take shelter under abler govern-
ment. Yes, it is already full time he should evacuate the high
seat, which seems to turn the novice Statesman giddy,to some one
better Stted by education, experience, principles, and judgment, to
pilot us clear of the Sylla and Charybdis upon which the State
bark has been allowed to drift under this undirsil Tlmooeer.
••• • •
(To be continued.)

Last week Mr. Justice Burrough was so much hulk-
rased as oi be incapable of appeariog in Court et the Bridgewater
.4841 AL