The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-12-24 00:00:00

UNPARALLELID WICKEDNESS.

KFROU cosnerr's WZSXLT ntUDITen. Or SATURDAY,
DEC. 21.)
In the STEMMA'S of Monday last, having to extract
Mr. Thomas Attwood's very able Letter from the Farm-
ers' Journal, we took occasion to observe, that we saw
with pleasure, that the Journal appeared disposed not
only to repent of its past enormous and long continued
sins : bat that, by the aid of Mr. Attwood, it was really
endeavouring to make some atoacmest. It has always
been our fault to be too ready to praise and to forgive.
We took for • return to the path of virtue. that which
appears to have been a mere stumbling in the commis-
sion of sin; for, we have now the mortification to find
that this reprobate newspaper; this raiser of the farm-
ers; this vehicle of the quackeriee of Webb Hall ; this
breaker up of families; this diabolical, Ole hardened
journal, was, on the very day, too, that we wereexulting
in its apparent redemption, committing new sites, barb.
leg new arrows of malice; and even letting them ISy at
onrselves.—Nevertheless, enormous as is the sin, tom-
reprobate as is the sinner, we should have suffered the,
flintier to pass, if the articles to which we allude did not
contain that which affords matter for comment that may
be of great public utility.—Mr. Astwood sends to im in-
serted io the Farmers' Journal of Monday last, • Post,
ript us that iltter which we have before mentioned„
s v.l which ne Inserted op Monday from the Parwers'.
.I.urnal sJ the )Monday before. In this. Postscript Mr.,
Attwood Rodeos two things; Arse, his omission to state
coe of the causes of the depreciation of the currency pre-
vivo* to 1797; and, second, his not having made an ex-
ception with regard to Mr. Cobbett, when he was be-
st.wing a general censure on the prep.—We shall speak
of these two points; and in doing this, our readers will
perceive the proofs of which we have just spikes of the
reprobate character of the Farmers' Journal.
As to diefiree s the causes of depreciation before
ninety-seweig Atwood mentions • 111 r. Roosts,
olio, it 'Wars, has written upon the stbjeet of the
currency ; and tells as that one of the misses of the de-
re,iation of the currency, previons to 1797, was the
of assignats in France, by the revolutionary go.
vernment, which necessarily threw a part of the French
gold and silver money into England.—This is very true;
and, if Mr. Attwoml bad done me the impost to read the
Rustic Harangue at Hentiagdos, about this time twelve.
month, be would have found that I there particularly
dwelt upon this elrentastaace. Lord Fitswilliam had,
Jost before the time when that harangue was made, made
a redoction of forty-five per cent. in his rents, bringing
them down to the standard el 1792, because, said hie
I,3rilaltir, the prices are now what they were in the
year 1792. In giving my reasons why the prices of
1792 would not be the prices after Mr. Peel's Bill went
into full effect, 1 stated that France bad now got her
ern money back offal's; and that therefore, we could
not expect so large a portion of currency to be afloat in
England as was afloat in it in 1792. However, as I have
never read the publication of Mr. Rooke, and as it was,
probably, written before the Rustic Harangue at Hun-
tingdon was uttered, I claim no particular merit on this
score, and have only to add, that I am happy to perceive
that others entertain upon this subject the same opinions

with myself.
As to the second point; Mr.Attwood's exception with
regard to me. when be was levelling a general censure
tiro the press; the readers of this paper have seen that'
I did not omit to notice it is the article published on
Ponds!. lam very glad to see that lie has acknow-
ledged the omission before he could possibly know that
it had been noticed by me. He will, too, I think, when
he bas read the STATLIWIN of last Monday, perceive
that he has committed a very great mistake with regard
to the press in general. The press has, Goo knows, sins
enough to answer for ; but as to this matter, the sin has
been that of ignorance, and not that of mercenary mo-
t;ve; for, Mr. Attwood may be very well assured, that
the press has been a very great loser by Mr. Peel's Bill.
Aviculturist distress is very great ; but we could Con-
vince Mr. Attwood, by giving hint an anecdote or two,
resperting the affairs of some of our contemporaries, and
seine of them, too,that havecarrimi the highest heads, that
w wrpaper distress yields to distress of no other descrip-
tion in the kingdom. However, this is beside our sub-
j.•ct. Mr. Attwood, upon reading over his letter in
pint, perceived that be bad forgotten to make the
above mentioned exception with regard to Mr. Cobbett;
and. thereupon. lie sends to the Farmers... Journal, in
which his letter first appeared, the following sentence:—
" Of course, I except Mr. Cobbett from a general con-
.' sore upon the public press. His labours on behalf of
" the country, upon this great question. have been inde-
" fatigable and invalnahle."—Now, this was not out.
Yvircous in the way of praise. It was but bare justice;
though it was quite enough. It was, indeed, a great
deal too mach for this sinner of the Farmers' Journal;
this wretciied deluder and ruiner of the farmers; and,
therefore, lie tacks on to the bottom of it the following
string of vituperations and falsehoods.
'• If there. were net other, and we hope honourable
ez •options to the censure here cast, Mr. Attwood's nu-
merous letters, and the above postscript, would hardly
shore got into print except as pamphlets. We may
petit:Marty mention the sedulous and anxious exertions
of the Rev. Nr.Crutwell. although we did not think
his plan well digested ; and we beg, with all humility,
to refer to our own conduct. who, whether wisely or not,
have never omitted any proper opportunity of bearing
our full testimony to the destruction involved in the pro-
gress of the currency system. If Mr. A. will be so
good as to turn hack to the leading articles in our
Journal in the latter part of the year 1811, he will find
that we were then busied in proposing (perhaps by ex-
teaordinsry olives) the lirridation of Mat debt which,
as prices had •tank, and poverty had encroached upon
us, most ctherwise overwhelm all prosperity. For the
merit of Mr. Cobbett—he catches at all the passing sub-
jects of the hour, and in the furor of his clamour, calls
Om all his mon: it oroliably will not be a week before
Is; will swear that all which has been said ion tithes, has
been hegue and enforced solely by his unmatchable
pen. For the compliment paid him, Mr. A. runs great
danger, in onr opinion, of being abased: fur it is one of
Cobbetes peculiar whimsies. that ii any man coincide
with him in opinion, he will tarn round and contradict
it. One thing we would pnt to Mr. Attwooil, by which
be may try the worth and meaning of Mr. Gobbett's ex-
ertions ; that is.—When it is fully proved and confessed
that the Cash-Payments Bill has ruined us, not solely,
but doubly at least, will Mr. Cobbett propose a mode of
remedy, or will be agree with Mr. 'Miaow!, or any other,

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