The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-21 00:00:00


the when the one is so complex and versatile,
and she other so dilatory and expensive ?
Bot, can a concourse of people, composed chiefly
of illiterate persons, irritated perhaps by troubles
and disappointments, or oppressed with difficulties
• end unrestrained by principle, assembled together to
hear some hired demagogue bawl his inflammatory
philippics against the constituted Authorities. of the
Country, be attemled with any advaistage whatever ;
but may it not afford a pretence to oppress instead of
relieving them ? And- as such meetiugs disturb the
public trangtuiliiy, alarm particaler individuals and
families, and MI the. streets with disorderly persona,
would it be unjust or enreasonable if ouch jut:audits•
ries were made responsible for the mischief they may
occasion ? 7rien, what 'sit could result from their
unbridled licentiousness of spereh, or from the
Ciceronian harangues with which they endeavour to
entertain themselves and their polite audience ? But,
can a mob of pickpockets, or the puerile and sedi.
. tines plots of,imegistary Statesmen over tbeir pots of
porter, terrify a Government composed of, eirtecus
end able Setvatote; or intimidate.* Country which
could treat witti,contempt the ',epistle), threats
of the Modern Sylla with his host of assassins,
end sit undismayed in their arm-chair, when
.that firebrand of bell was loose, and his dogs
of war were basking ? Or, is the British Lion
• become as timirt as a lady of fashioe, who
is frightened at the look of a cow, or any thing with
born., oat a gun, titru4li there is no powder in it ?
But.„ if thee* ie a crowd bf esteemed and starring
peasants and 'mechanics, or aher-siefortanate per-
sons. driree by'despair from their wretched abodes
to demand relief, lest they perish with hanger-a-ea
this melancholy and disgraceful sight, in a country
aboisndine with wealth, make the inhabitants disperse
them with the sword, instead of running out to them
with baskets of bread? Ought not the arm of the
Legislature to be Wended to the remotest corner 4
the empire, for the support and protection of every'
individual, without daring to touch a hair of hie{
bead have not numbers of these unhappy beings
fought for them in the sanguinary plains of Europe
and Asia, or toiled at laborious and unwholesome
trades from the dawn of day to the setting sun, that
their country might enjoy comforts and conve-
niences in which they seldom share? and are they
alone to be crushed with the enormous weight of its
mad ambition or ezpeusive wars ? Is " the nation
full of silver and geld, neither is there any end of our
vesicles ; is it full of horses, neither is there any end
of our eh:idols ;" and are our faithful and industrious
tenants " wandering about in sheep-skins and goat-
skies, destitute, afflicted, and tormented ?" My
Countrymen, should we not rooze the slumbering
Jonah, from their beds of down, and make them
east ill their lots who is to be thrown overboard to
Save the vessel of State? Are they to sleep till the
ship is wrecked, as if there were no lives on board,
net any thing worth preserving, except their useless
lumber ? Are these proud rebels to evade their com-
mission, and yet think thereis no whale whose mouth
is open to receive them, but from whose belly they
will never escape ? May they not see LAZ Altus again
whom they drove unrelieved from their door, but
will he not he ton far off to bring a drop of water to
cool the fever of their pampered tongue ? Are
they now saying, as .looos did, " Lord, we are
preaching in thy name, and in thy name casting
out devils, and doing many wonderful works'?"
But if they are trusted with the Bag, should
they. not make a proper use of the contents ?
Pa they " live by Faith" on the Providence
of Gen, as spiritual Lerites, and like faithfu!
.tettardv ;,...1t their "i,Lord's money out to usury," in
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, relieving the
oppressed, " supporting widows and orphans, and
keeping themselves unspotted from the world ?" Or,
are they professedly Christians, but practically
Atheists, feeding themselves, and letting their flocks
perish in the wilderness ? Have they been 64 a par-
taker of the afflictions of the Gospel," and 44 re-
joked they were brought low," to be afterwards
exalted with honour, so that now they can sympathise
with those in the furnace, who ere being purified with
the trials and exercises they once experienced ? In
short, do their lives correspond with their doctrines,
and are they reforming the world by their virtues as
well as by their swords? Or, has pride hardened
their heart, covetousness barred their door, intem-
perance reddened their cheek, and ambition adorned
them with a tawdry robe and a vain title? Have
they a seat in the Senate, and does their light il-
lumine its walls, dispel the smoke of profane liters.
tare, expose the deceitfulness of riches, the folly of
vain distrinetinus, and the sinfulness of arbitrary
power ; and does their wisdom and humility
shed a glory around them ?--A se they the
pillars of the Church and State, and do they wield,
like Monomer, the Sword of War, as well as carry
the Olive Branch of Peace ; and can an ignorant maid
confound them, or a poor soldier like me instruct
them in the oracles of Goo ?
If tyrenny or oppression does in any degree exist,
and should be silently iacreasing, may it 'sot grow
to such a height and gain such strength, that nothing
perhaps hut an earthquake ern overthrow it, except
some spiritual DAVID should attack the impious
Goss sit ? Are the treason ible or seditious devices
of the People a crime of trio greatest magnitude,
and are th 4 tyrannical or oppressive measusea
of their Rulers a trivial offence 2—Ought not
the former to have the liberty of exposing
tyrants and oppressors, as well as the latter of de-
. tecting rebels and traitors ? As the one possesses,
besides other advantages, the sword end the purse,
ought not the other to have the free use of their tongue
and pen ? Are the sentiments of the People on the
conduct of their Governors to be punished as libellous,
and may the latter with impunity, load them with
the vilest epithets, impute their proceedings to the
basest motives, end try to resider them odious and
contemptible in the eyes of their countrymen ?
Ooght not the word libel to signify an unjust or in-
jurious attack on the character of private persons,
but not free remarks on public men or measures ?
For, are not the honours end ernoleMents which the
nation bestows op them, a sufficient reward tor the
calumny sky may sometimes experience, and must
they not eilpect that the higher they eremites!, the
mote they will be annoyed by insects? But if the
arriticgs of any description of persons enlighten the
minds of the People on religious or political subjects,
*filch are of more importance than any other) do they