The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-03 00:00:00

thou (government. Was it not stiange that a.*
•I•otild expect this? How natural for tie citizen to
uphold the Govetoment that maintained his personal
security ! Uow depraved would the Ames ieans ,•are
been had they felt no gratitude to their Government
for such conduct ! Surely this Was a oink of virtue
in the American people! And so we should have con-
sidered it ; for it is creditable to ourselves to acknow.
ledge virtue in an enemy. In short, there is but
one way to account for our behaviour, and our strange
expectations on this occasion; and that it, by sup-
posing (what indeed seems confirmed by the Me: i•
sterial Papers) that we looked entirely to the supre-
macy of force, and turned our barks completely up.
en the justice of the question. Now, %bitterer some
people may think of this, I consider it u very
shinning, inasmuch as it shows that we are sinking
into that horrible state of corruption which prevailed
in the dark ages. The wicked doctrine now set up,
and which was then generally acted upon, that might
constitutes right, gradually subverted every prin-
ciple of justice, and left the mind in that state of ig-
InAIIItICP which the poet calls the
,curse of Con.—
Tint this ignorance in that particular point in which
true wisdom consists may yet be combined with ele-
pile• and refinement is very true—all which may
be confirmed by the example of many nations pre-
vious to their fall. We sometimes heir it said of a
man who possesses great accomplishments, but whose
conduct, nevertheless, is the very reverse of a rational
beim:, that be has every sense but common sense:
just so, these nations esteemed other people barba-
rian-. when they had most degraded themselves by a
pro•titution of reason, and a dereliction of virtuous
sentiments.

This is intended as a reply to these who may think
that no cnroparison can be found between the pre.
pent refitted age and the times of ignorance. In some
rep, cts it may be so ; but in the gland point which
is to constitute public happiness, the love of justice
and the corruption of that religion which binds us,
both eatiotntly and individually, to do unto others as
we woul.l he doue unto, there is a strong resemblance
indeed. Let me remind the Reader of the words of
pLat 11.4) Father of the primitive Church, St.Ct one r,
who say., thatphilosophy was sent by the Author of
all Geed to She Greeks, as wu the law to the Jews,
and ti e gospel to the Christians, for the purpose of
improving them iq sentiments of justice and piety—
not speculative but active piety ; not that false de-
votion which, in the middle ages, was mixed up and
amalgamated with robbery and murder, sad which
made some of these banditti call themselves the.
" Friends of Goo and the enemies of all the world ;"
but that true piety which seeks the friendship of
Goo its the way that be himself requires, namely,
by acts of goodwill towards his creatures. So.
ca sits says, " many carry the Thyrsus, but few are
inspired with the true spirit of &scenes:" and may
we not app.y this to ourselves ? May we not say
this of those who carry the Cress instead of the
Thyrsus? May we not say, many bear the badge of
Christianity, lee• few are inspired w;th the true Chris-
tian spirit : Very, very, Au, ftwv iodised rtgle
..Christianity the rule of theigConduct in public :trod
private life,--many, in fact, so far from be-
ing inspired with this true spirit, do act as if they
were inspired by the spirit of Anti. Christ ; wit.
ness those war incendiaries, who, for 20 years,
preached hostility and desolation from th.• pelpits
dedicated to the God of Peace S Were they inspired
by the true spirit of Christianity ? No ; l. eniglites
well say that their old predecessors in religious hy.
,pecrisy, the Monks, who participated its the fruits of
rapine obtained by the Noble Freebooters of themid.
die ages, and who, like FROISSART, 'called such rob•
bery by the name of "co/agues!" and "noble *O4
of arms," 1 might as well say that those emu, at the
time they prostituted the Christian altars to the ser-
vice of MoLocn, were inspired with the true Chris-
tian spirit. Where then am Ito look for tbls fluty
divi..e spirit ? Shall I turn to the Disseeters from
• the Estiblished Church ? a very numerous and highly
respectable body, I Will admit: But what public not
have they done to prove their amain theseniceof Chris-
tianity ? What have they done to prevent or shorten the
war which for 20 years has desolated Europe ? Have
they even proceeded to any public act of disappro.
batiar. during all this time ? Have they aspired to
the noble v..e s actor of peace.makers ? Jo, no, no ;
if they had been Iliteloos or Mahosuetaus, Using un-
der im• protectiou.of the British Government, they
could no, i.uve Iwo more quiet. But yet when their
'own particular interest was struck at, they raised a
mighty arm, and crushed at once the meddling politics
of L.rti omouTu. This shows ultat they might
have done had they pleased.
The Christian duty is an active duly ; it is sot sa-
tisfied ,by men abstaining from doing eYil, it requires
'thorn to do good. IVe must tut only refrairt front
unjust and unnecessary „wet, we must promote
peace. • Tire persetes of where tnovi speakVittongh
I really rutertaltoMere respeit for them collectively
' • than any other class of Ch midi's, are n2t, I think,
free from blame; for have tt paid tIM war cots-

tributionv, if • not with cheerfulness, at least without
remonst. a nce ? and what is that but a tacit approba-
tion of the uor ? If, indeed, they were convinced
that it was
_just and necessary, no imputation can be
made; but if they thought otherwise, then must they
be convrious of misconduct. One circumstance re-
spectingthem I am sorry to learn—lsm told that they
are now among the most eager to sbift those burdens
hich the war has occasioned from their own to
other men's shoulders. These burdens now press
•••ry hard on the farmers, and soon most extend to
the landholders; but they cannot rest there; the com-
verrial interest meat and will have its share; every
class of citizens will partake in the general calamity,
and it is but just that they should. Let the Dissenters
then patie:ttly beat their portion of the punishment
so justly inflicted on the nation by that Providence
whose laws are never violated with impunity ; and let
them join their fellow-citizens in .patriotic exertions
to mitigate our present burdens by a rigid economy,
as well as to prevent, by a real representation of the
pcopte in Parliament, the accumulation of fresh ones.