The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-09-10 00:00:00

Zbe Eiberpool Otanbarb.

TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 10,1833.

It is quite refreshing in these sickly times to be en-
abled to glance back upon the sentiments of public men
when they were in greener youth and in a more delight-
ful state of innocence. We then see the workings of a
Pure ambition, and read the language of unadulterated
Patriotism. The candidate for fame stands before us in
sober attire, speaking the words of truth, anxious only to
l'onvince, and appealing to our reason—not to our pas-
sions. It is true that even with the most circumspect
and the most austere the atmosphere of the House of
Commons has a withering, if not a corrupting influence ;
aid the young patriot who enters it strong in his own
virtue, and resolute to do hit duty, rarely escapes conta-
Initiation, particularly if he be of the modern Whig
Once inveigled into the snares of an unprincipled
faction, he soon loses self-respect, becomes'reckless of his
,aetions tramples upon his former opinions, betrays his
"nstituents, and does open violence to his recorded
promises.

These reflections are forced upon us by reading a
letter forwarded to us by afriend, and written by our own ex
eellent representative, Mr. W. EWART. This gentleman,
when he first presented himself as a candidate for Liver-
N'as desirous to. conciliate a very influential party in
_tuts town, namely, the Vest India interest, and to effect
this he addressed to them the following letter. It was
generally
circulated previous to the great contest in
1830:

"It
appears to me that on this great and momentous first
uestr+,'tlion,
e understood by the country or its Parliament,
we must
Tetiutt/ita u
e the general principles which should. direct our course.
e details of leh,fislation on so extensive a subject must be the
result of long and serious research : to establish them we must
Vt
saioPPlied with the most minute local evidence, and our inyes-
n must be patient, laborious, and exact.
4,;:dle'tihe principle's however which for a long period of time have
n-. 1
,oycOppinions are these :
"Einaniation ought to be steady and tranquil in its progress'
r the interest of the sieve as well as of the master improve-
ment should at once be progressive and gradual.
c- No legislative measureshould be adopted which does not
Main within itself the clear and well-defined condition that
:sale
6 ewirrnsation should be awarded to the owners of the
iev:ts: That property has been established by our own acts'
td and confirmed by the British legislature itself, it claims
ei!:()/11 that legislature a recognition a its own enactments.
mancipation without strict compensation involves an invasion
i',„,e,cognized property, and this would be an act contrary to
''"ree and to the soundest principles of legislation.
th;.'t is surely a matter of plain common sense that the earlier
coMPensation is deliberately and justly ascertained' the
ore exact and liberal will be its amount. Every day's ,foaladd agitation of the question tends to depreciate the val
to diminish the security of a property which has already so
''verely suffered.
M 'IIY complete conviction of this truth induced me to support
r• Brougham's motion for an early consideration of this great
If.)etnial question. It appeared to me absolutely necessary that
whese opinions were temperate, and v;hose intentions
\l7`,le strictly just, slioud interpose and allay the irritation
"Ich will otherwise assuredly increase.
This will he best effected by an early intervention before
ts:;eiteritent shall grow into injury, or popular feeling lose
'ease of justice in its enthusiasm to do good.
aM not responsible for the language which may have been
;'3ei- during the debate on Mr. Brougham's proposal. I voted
-mtlaiavour of them otion not in favour of the expressions which
Y have fallen from some, of the speakers on that occasion.
0"lt is not likely that I should unguardedly acquiesce in any
sure by which the interests of my native town, and even
io,eeail!ittsteelests of my near relations, would be unjustly corn-
," know also that.some of the West Indian proprietors them-
-elves
fel. voted on that occasion with Mr. Brougham. I may re-
,Particalarly to our respected fellow-townsman, Mr. Bircn.._
nde' The opinions I have expressedabove have not beers hastily
°wired ; certainly not to serve the purposes ry' the moment, kly
it ;. (:I!aracter is, hope, a seicient assurance of this fact. But
,c2,a!so known to many of my friends that I entertained these
barliients some years ago. My excellent friend Mr. Hall, the
tioon:.ter., knows that they were expressed by me in a conversa-
,,,,7oltt?.liimself, a year agn, at Lancaster.
Inni as welt as to others I can appeal, whether my
„L'oLl!,',)lis on this subject did not aim at combining as far as
litnitrie those
two great objects of my public conduct, liberality
be n. After this explanation, any impartial man
!'onvinced that my conduct has been dictated by a strict
,IV'-;(113tto the real interests of the West Indian proprietors as
oe'r,aliejo the sound and steady
progress of civilization. and ge-
Pruvcolent. (Signed) WILLIAM EWART."
....Thrwe who have
Ewa • paid any attention to the conduct of
• Lo Parliament will be somewhat surpriSed,
"t
811°eked' to find that the writer of such a letter—so
plain--so
h 8 has done unequivocal, could have enacted the part
during the important discussions of last
xession. I
face of thist is a fact, as startling. as it is true, that, in the
written pledge and this straightforward de-
lopment
of his principles, Mr. EWART actually voted
bagainst the compensation clause of the colonial slavery
11and °l3l3osed the grant of twenty millions ! The
nenourable member stands upon his " character," for-
"WI, and asserts in the most distinct terms that the
abov-
e letter is not written "to serve the purposes of the
nionze 7/ t
Very true, not the purposes of the moment, but the
purposes of Mr. EWART. The honourable member, to
say the least of it, cuts a very pitiful figure here, so
touch so that the sooner he retires from Parliament the
)s etter.
But Mr. ---TSvART, perhaps, after all, may stand
muchitrar upon ►
his 'rights as upon his character; and he
eonsick• ,