The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-01-29 00:00:00

LETTiR OF mum?)
HONEST MEN.

The following ohoervatious, contained la a pamphlet
which has just appeared, afford a gratifying proof that
the spirit of Englishmen bas not yet evaporated,
that there are persons (whatever may have been the re-
missness of the public press) who cam stand forward as
the champions of our liberties, and whose Wads yet un-
broken by the hand of oppression, can aid the coenelot
cause, by 'hewing to our countrymen what they has,
lost by the recent enactments :
.• When George the Third ascended his grandfather's
throne, venal and purchased parliaments, expensive wraith;
and the whole system of boroughs and patronage, in dial
comparative maturity of the time, were the appendages)
to the name of royalty. The Doke of Newcastle net}
trealed the machine, which Walpole's infamous
had completed. I.Jpoo the ascension, Wine possess
inspired with hopes that the simplicity of loath wail
scorn the winding chicaneries of aged statesmen, awl,
satisfied with the prerogatives afforded by the British
Constitution, would sanction in reality a representative
government. The friends of liberty were disappointed;
where they expected (reeks'," and truth, they disco-
vered self-will and prejudice ; and they beheld, with
grief, the young king affect the little virtues of ti
man, to despise the noble patriot-virtues of a seri
nerds ; while the first act of sovereignty they wit-
nessed, was the exaltation of a worthless favourite to
the controul of the administration. Such seas the i►
auspicious commencement of the present reign. Stripped
of the pageantry of human distinction and vanity, tier I
want in a living tomb, the libel of censure, or the false-
hood of praise are alike indifferent. am( Its offspring
must submit to a relationship of blame, busy with its
parasites, to protect itself from piercing inquiry and
threatened indignation. it is not essential to the pro-
gress of the inquiry of our present state to follow the
changes of the Rockingham or Grafton administrations.
The claims and disputes of continental enemies or allies
gave business to the senate; the conquest and Ithaca.
tion of place succeeded each other on known prim=
while the cause of the people was neglected.
men and powerful writers inveighed against the corrupt
power of government, but their talents were locally di-
rected to particular persons and acts. It was upon the
social war, a blind administration declared against the
American colonies, that the clear flame of liberty blo.
stoned in the cessetry. When the Duke of Grafts
sought to revive the obsolete statute of Henry the
Eighth, and direct its operation at Massachusett's Bey,
men broke through the sophistries of the times, god, re-
curring to the vulgarity of first principles, dismissed
the true relation of society to governors, and epee
fearlessly of their individual liberty and the tyrannies
of power. The unimpeachable Chatham at this period,
with a patriotism eadebeached by temptation, plated
upon the record of his own immortality, the rights of
the people and the injustice of prevailing adatilditra-
dons. For many rests the Transatlantic troubles, fo•
mented by pride, delayed by incapacity, while they
served to purchase the dear experience of misrule, em-
ployed the !Astir* necessary for the ostesideratlos off
es. Whets Sawbridge moved is Amen. the
ration of parliaments. sad Wilkes
represents*, of the rifler thq Neel aim
rt
trdemetsuppoed; sad the bill or the culotte, ,f *A-
cton from the Heise of Commons was lest, mot Att.
t a suspicion of the enunivance of ail parties. The
nvictions of honoweihk dm, that a tilers to
was personal. limes, iscorrow, enrr.lll%
• . Slighted it? poetised statesimes. made tit.
But in a profitable system they had met virtue
taL.ejoct, the younger members beheld, with 1111142
nt, the prossituties of the sights of eludes, the
"quality and bribery of the voters.
Among the men, too young in the ministry. sesti.
lice the stern principle of moral right to 1 ex-
pediency was Edmund Berke. This man, by
the mercy of an Omniscient Providence, was , at
this pericid, to exercise his eloquence in the cage es
and reform. It may be beyond the merits of
exertions, to attribute to diem the rapid minim
cause in public estimation. Burke did sot, in reality;
become the benefactor of his country, until be wee per..
chased to act as her enemy. When his talent" warred
against the truth, his sessterltr attacks upon corruption
appreciated, and repeat 1104 l with the perfection of
his own school; while he bitterly lamented that his dis-
graceful desertion was unaecocopanied by thli Oils
be had taught, the extinction of the true beet b had
set sp. From this cheering epoch, th 6 people
advanced in the knowledge of their rights; the
of their intelect was awful and silent, Sheridan and Pox
were their instructors, and Piet dedicated his first taints
to their emancipation. The first serious iiipesNommt
arose from the bigotry of religions hatred; the steitraf
the people suffering the loss dictation el Gerdes.
forgot the universality or their nose, to trisojit,isu
petty and local interest. The ittEsioes of power
with satisfaction this diversion of tbor people fie* •
first intent. and they delayed, to a late isaisient. be tr
store tranquillity. But they were sad, wham
they found a short time sufficing to teelraito's sober
mind from delusion, and that they IMAM UM! with
shame on the disgrace of their Intolerant petmesillega.
The calm of reason having succeeded the tour
pest, the friends of public reform eon men frith
pleasure the "draftee of their cause. Nobel View pea%
falafel is recent
~podhi pledg the; for splendid W
sheee
Polsrabdiletiter.l2"oppressed Commons. The sun
risen upon the hills, and the sanguine WAIN Wald-
pates' with joy its meridian splendour. la this Setelei
of political hope, the earthquake of the head Revela-
tion shook the foundation of all conditional theses.
The concussion passed beneath the omegal wawa, sett
as the vibration was felt in England, lt loisame the
electric tondo to the timid, the awakening to the
%ego amongst us who wavered hawses the
of
idght and the expediency of wrong, con a
eminent the awful spectacle of a nation &dialog:l
freedom, and the fearful sight of reveremi tyvaitay s
supported power vanishing at once;—as teeniest' lc
ruin, so they deeided—th;l voted ear own history el
one hundred years, as the history of disgrace sad Mimi-
pstion ; and in the face of the monarch Mooted
family, proclaimed the divine right of Louis to the throats
of Prance.
Thus the premature altar our neighbours mowed to
liberty. sanctified by prejudice oar imperfect ~ski
superstition and error, amongst as, wore voted vttsraiis
and true; and with the petulance of bigotry werulted
war against freedom and philosophy. The worst
of human nature were declared the generous
of free Winne. Blasphemously seWag ra
as the instruments of a punishing Deity, we t:Zoolti3
the virtues of men, deserted Poland, toftledictad
her distress the supplies of benevoleme,
_a
the mercenaries English money eon id
English intrigues deceive, so we began the 4 MOWe
to reclaim the conquests of time, to beat A day of ci-
vilization hack to the horrid night of•lgooraomt and ty-
, trolley. What followed is the tale of every ewe. War-
- !leg without an object, conquest was without
. •
•

areasr—v-airijosi jiMalllo. Gad superior to pate.* pow so use mug. oy
ourself's' se esoesittiag aa lodlvldaal be Osso, by their owe eem-
„„ •;;AS-eka acad, offbeat legal prof. eamairustioa, or defence
@edictal free and the* the • have sot only asper-
sed detkend nu, the estalllebel acne of jastieshbut have impagoad
d minims% or eaAtoestisood tbe ',violability of trial by jary.
*road _ :Jeetilt I thole after ber-
ths day e'p'ee- LIP min isieisey of missoodae, preceded to
enese•sed ty. latauty-dr=a4:lla bloods sad reserve's of We
Cy Me. war- "ctiltid with eseeleeelY swamis, the
boat sok sod
_very *Mots of astiosel liberty sad posesoll boodaes.