The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-11-06 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. MOTHERWELL.

(From the Glasgow Courier.)
Our readers will readily believe us when we say, that the cir-.
Cumstances under which we go to press upon the present occa-
sion are such as to entitle us to some indulgence. in our ohitu-
ary list is recorded the death of one who, but a few .host hours
ago, was moving amongst us in the full vitrour of life, and of
manhood—whose energetic spirit sustained for several years the
reputation of. one of the oldest newspapers in Scotland—and
whose genius added not a little to the literary character of his
native country. To ordinary Minds the death of Mr. Alotherwell
will appear to be, perhaps, no more than one of the common
cusualties of life; but to those whose knowledge of human char-
acter is deeper, and 'who are awake to the consequences of such
an event, it *ill be regarded in a far different light. Intrepid,
disinterested, and thoroughly honest, he advocated, with un-
wearied zeal and consummate ability the cause to which he was
devoted, as much from the peculiar nature of his intellectual or-
ganisation, as from a.conviction of the truth of the principles
which tie upheld ; and .although it has been said that he did at
tidies overstep the rigid limits of propriety, the candid critic will
admit that in the heated strife of parties the provocation to occa-
'sional excess was unfsinall. List it is not iu. his public charac-,
ter, as the editor of a Journal of passing events, that we desire
'UT-Content piate--our late friend. Witeu the excitement of the day
has long ceased to affect the judgments of men, his numerous
virtues Will be remembered with affectionate regard, and his few
. failings gently forgiven by those who eujuved the privilege of
his personal friendship. In after years, when time has shed its
mellowing influences over our respective paths, and has erased
'from memory all recollection of the petty disputes by which our
little world is'.disturbed, we shall reflect with chastened emotions
-upon bis.hurnanity, his benevolence, and his urbanity—the in-
herent attributes of his high and chivalrous nature—but we shall
look in vain for such a combination of admirable qualities as
were found in the excellent man whose perinature loss we now
so heavily deplore.

[ln the above sentiments we concur, and it is our melancholy
duty to add the testimony of our humble tribute to the merits of
the deceased. We knew him from boyhood, and we have
watched his political career, and the aspirations of his genius
with unmingled pleasure. He has contributed to the poetical
monuments of his country some of the most beautiful ballads in
her language, and he possessed no common share of antiquarian
knowledge. The urbanity of his manners, the gentleness of
his nature, and the lively quaintness of his humour, can only be
appreciated by those who knew bins iu private life; but these
amiable qualities we fear did not fit him for the storms of politi-
cal conflict, or permit him to wrestle, except defensively, with
the democratical revolutionists of the west of Scotland. The
way to unearth and destroy these political vampires, is not yet
understood beyond the Tweed. The aristocracy are too proud
too distant, too apathetic, to descend from their lofty castles to
aid those who risk all, their health, their hopes, and their life, in
fighting their battles in the plains. They cry the " church and
the throne are in danger!" but they do not arm themselves to
the proof and enter the arena against the common enemy. Mr
Mother Well, we believe, felt this keenly, but he did not despair.
On the contrary, he did much to counteract the sweeping
I ravages of democracy in Glasgow—he held up to ridicule the
puerilities of mob oratory—of would-be statesmen—of shabby
demagogues invested with temporary power and bringing into
contempt every thing that is dignified and just in social order
For what he din we, in common with all conservatives, ought
to be grateful, and we have only to lament that death, which
under the direction of au allseing and allwise Providence
spares the worthless, has bereft us of one, in the early prime of
life, whoth we could so ill spare, and whose sudden removal
pours a bitter draught upon our youthful and happy remi
niscences. When our days were young, and the bright summer
sun seemed to shine longer in the heavens than it dues now—
when the bead was light and the eye beamed with pleasure—
when the loud laugh amid the wild revelry of the school ground
,or the fairy tale told to listening compauions, behind some shel
tering grave-stone in the churchyard, contributed to bind us al
its lore to one another—oh, then, who could have thought that
so short a space of time would have overshadowed with death so
many buoyant hearts! We ask, where are the playmates of
-aa.‘s-.infancy ans.•,vers Some sleep, in the.
..ung.les of India—one dearer than the rest sleeps in Java—
some the sea has swallowed up—murder did its worst upon one
in America—oonsumption wrought its fatal spell upon others;
and the south of France, the Island of Madeira, and the West
embrace their mouldering. remains. Almost all are
(toile! The sad reality seems like a painful dream.]

DINNER TO R. C. FERGUSSON, ESQ, M.P. FOR

The Dumfries Herald of this week contains a report of the
speeches delivered at a public dinner given to the Judge Advo-
cate-General at the village of Castle Douglas. Major Calton,
of Auchnabourg, in the chair—an honour, we understand, which
was proffered to, and declined by, the leading men of that
district.

However, without inquiring why Sir John Gordon, or the
honourable member's quondam friend and staunch supporter at
the hustings, John Maxwell, Esq., did not accept the chair-
man'ship, if the dinner in question was really given by the elec-
tors of Kirkcudbrightshire " to mark their approbation of the
private virtues and public conduct of Mr. Fergusson," we pass
to the only prominent point in the very long speech of the Hon.
Judge-Advocate, his attempt to contradict, in the style of a so

phist the fact that there exists a political Siamese connexion
between Lord Melbourne and Mr. Daniel O'Connell.

The opinion generally eutertaiaed by the public upon this
subject is confessedly galling to the least conscientious of •the
Whig-radical ministers, and this is the only excuse for meddling
with so tender a subject in the presence of any number, however
insignificant, of his constituents. Never was the denial of a
fact more bold, sophistical, and declamatory; it is, in truth, the
lamest and least imposing effort of the kind yet hazarded with
which we are acquainted. Judging from what we read, the ex-
hibition at the Mason Lodge must have been painful to the
majority present; but it was as much as could have been ex-
pected under the circumstances in which the uufortunate gen-
tleman was placed.
When triumphing over the overthrow of the ministry headed
by Sir. Robert Peel, and aster glorying in the Irish catholics'
bigoted hatred of that statesman, the leading essayist at the
entertainment, Mt. Fergusson, is thus reported to have deli-
vered himself:—

" But I will give another reason for wishing to see the late
Ministry out of office—l firmly believe that had they remained
in power we shoUld have lost Ireland. Indeed so sensible were
the liberal Irish members of this, that to a man they withheld
from him their confidence, and joined us in our opposition.
Now they taunt us with unworthily having received the support
of those members. But r will say, without fear of contradic-
tion, that a more unfounded calumny was never uttered by any
class of men,:or for any purpose, than that there was a coalition
betwixt the parties of Lord Melbourne and Mr. O'Connell, or
that on the fernier taking office he was bound to him more than
he was bound to the.nation by his public
,professions and prin-
ciples. I know not what the late Solicitor-General Means by
" a coalition as little founded in principle as any that ever
darkened or disgraced the history of political intrigue in the
country." These are reported to have been his words. Are
they, I will ask, applicable to the case of Lord Melbourne? A
coalition, to be disgraceful must be founded on the abandonment
of principle to gain over an opponent. ties Lord Melbourne
surrendered one principle or altered one opinion which he for-
merly professed, for the purpose of gaium, the votes of Irish
members? Can Lurd Melbourne be blamed for receiving the
votes of men who support him for his public principles, and the
belief that he is prepared to do justice to Ireland."
There may be no written compact signed, sealed, and mu-
tually delivered between the Lord of Derrynane and the Lord
Melbourne; but, that there is a virtual coalition judging the
produce of the session, as of a tree by its fruits, and of men by
their votes, it would be as vain fur the whole, as for any one of
the Whig radical ministry to deny. In truth, the present admi-
nistration are mere political play-wrights, with O'Connell for
their stage manager.%,
We are told that at this electioneering dinner, " excellent
speeches were delivered in English" (?) by two Polish noble-
men, Prince Gartoryski and Count Zamoyeski. The chief-stay
upon those present was, we opine, the snore spiritual influence
exercised upon the company by Count Cask-o'-whiskey.