The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-02-23 00:00:00

poIIrICAL REFLECTIONS
EUROPE. ON THE STATE
OF
tow.
Whiwe le tills country is oyertrbeimod with internal
striateßay with great propriety ask, what is the state
of &tope and the world, which is to console us for do-
„woe' ills greater than Britain has before seen or thor...ht
• What are the boasted fruits of mighty victories,
;11:icli have filled the world with widows ana orphans ?,
asat Bare been the results of asseuiblages of all the
wiereigas of the Continent ? Did the Congress of
roma, in 1815, confirm the expectations its kinly
withers had excited in the day of their imminent petit?
4 have they redeenird their solemn promises, gives
:b„ the people sere their last hope of deliverance?
itel they, oho recently had trembled for their own,
~.pact the independence of others ? On the contrary,
not the assembled Potentates, or their delegates, act
oif they had adopted the vitiating principle of those
irio orig. na ted the fatal precedent -of partition in Europe
In the division of ill-fated Poland ? Did they not act
n'ther like despots towards their own subjects, and like
sereeeigns met for the avowed division of conquered
'enteric', than for the purpose of fulfilling those just
ed politic intentions which the allies had proclaimed as
•ne tale of their conduct, when advancing towards the
~pits) of France, at Frankfort, and at Chatillon, and
oterwards recognised in the tri a'y of Chaumont and the
peace of Paris? Not only at Vienna, but subsequci t y
at Ail-la-Chapelle and at Carlsbad, either in person
or
br deputy, the Sovereigns of Europe seem to have con-
rigout' themselves into a self-elected tribunal for deter-
„stomp the tate of nations, the transfer of States, terri-
-I,„ies, sad 'objects, without the knowledge or consent
of the parties interested, and even for imposing laws and
restrictions affecting the internal Governments of most of
~entries in Europe, and the natural, social, and in-
alienable rights of man.
The general effect upon what has been termed the
halaace of power in Europe, has been such as alone to
koth out for condo mnation the system which has been
',Wpm/ as a measure of general.pulicy. What, for in-
stance can be more likely to disturb the future peace of
rsrope, than increasing so enormously the territories and
the power of that subtle despotism which had already
lend itself over a vast proportion of the regions of the
HA, both in Europe and Asia ; including within its
guy, nations and climes as various as powerful: The
swestrosity of the ambition which had before prompted
to dismember Poland, and to cot et the finest provinces
4Tarkey and Persia, and chick was now to be gratified
it the addition of Finland and the greatest part of Po-
Ma, is of it .elf a sufficient assurance that, while more is
is be bad, it %ill he only the lack of opportunity which
sill prevent her acquiring it; the means of accomplish-
tag which have been nearly doubled by the cessions of
sweessive Congresses. Russia in Europe contained, in
Me year 1789, ONO German square miles, and a po-
?dation of 27 millions; in 1817 it was extended to
Ate such miles, and the population increased to 41 .
wilhons!: The Russian army is now said to be 700,000
strong; and what have any of the smaller, or even any
sins neighbours to oppose to this force, when circum-1
cares render further extension of territory an object of
owillity or policy ? But the disarrangement which has
~ken place in the balance of power, and which, when
Jetted by France, was so loudly and justly inveighed
terrific as it is in its probable consequences,
is sot that which sill probably first convulse Europe, sod shake it to its centre. It is well known that the
pertstiq, and the Germans in general, were promised
• Representative tioyernment, 'then they sprang to
ieellat against foreign despotism; and it is equally
sell knoa n, that, on pretexts the most flimsy, and
side be, ace of faith the most dishonourable, several

dile Ruling Powers have retracted or neglected to lut-
e their recent obligations to their people, and have hi.
times repaid the most zealous and heroic exertions
bit systematic and domestic servitude. °cranny, then,
as; le considered as surcharged with the materials of a
vat of political volcano, situated in the very heart of
Eater; the explosion of which seems to be no more to
he pretested than the periodical eruption of red hot
lan free tie volcanic mountains of Line or Vesuvius.
The stab of political change are sown throughout the
mama of burope ; folly, or some worse spring of ac-
hes, has neglected or abused the golden opportunity
sifonied it of cherishing the crop, and of directing its
peon; and now man, oppressed by the evils of bad
government, by the terrors of superstition, by the stings
of njustice, looks to his Darn energies to better his coo.
shies. lie begins every %here to see that those go-
vernments are alone legitimate whose measures are di.
reified soiely to the good of the people. The ray of
li;ht wh cb dawned in Europe, with the discovery of
the art of printing, has illumined the two hemispheres;
and, is 41141111 CS of every effort made to impede its pro.
tires., it will proceed " unto the perfect day." And
were there the times, and were such the circumstances,
which cou.pirscies against the spirit of freedom were
either becoming or wise? Was it prudent to rake from
the daft of antiquity principles winch had disgusted, to
teem oppression which had alienated, to withhold the
limitations which had ravened the affections of the
people? The high-spirited feeling of independence, the
pods of freemen, had redeemed the craven, sunken, and
despairing Sovereigns, whom nothing else could save
front the iron grasp of a mightier ambition. Was it
grateful, was it just, to return evil for good, and, by a
solecism even in polities, to endeavour to disarm the
hand which had arrayed itself in their defence—to crush
the last, the best, ti, only hope of independence, and,
for the sake of the assumption of personal power, or the
graiisration of mistaken pride, to beat down the only
safe soil eheen defence of nations?

The following article of information, given in a
lent respectable journal of this morning, so falls in
with our lees* upon the subject, that we readily
give it insertion in our own:—
" The friends of Parliamentary Reform will not be
Unpleased to learn, that numbers of the pot-seulloping
toronghs have at this moment Agents and Deputations
is town, seeking for Candidates: but, from various
causes, dopes are not to be found. The wholesome ex•
mapkt of chastisement given to the four rotten boroughs
by the suspension of the writs, for which a Bill has
posed the House of Commons, makes men shy of the
etwmption that was so flagrant at all former Elections.
It is confidently expected that the House of Lords will
show the urns respect to public feeling on this point as
the House of Commons, and that the Bill will pass into
a law. '

Last Friday the Manchester Theatre re-opened with
the play of The Castle Spectre. The performance was
parcealed by the singing, an full chorus, of the national
sir of " God save the King." Soon after this, souse
very well dffesed persons in the upper tier of boxes, who
vilsited to be egaidiy loyal to the Queen, threw immense
Numbers of the following placard into Peery pert of the
house : " God save our noble Queen !
Till she's in Britain seen,
tiod says the Queen I
Let her tread Reid* ground.
Who'll bear frost all around.
Throughout the air resound--
God nve the Quees!-
BM when they, with others, attempted to in it, the
cries of " tied save the Queen--Caroline for r% et- '"
Nit the •iie. ar.d their suppression be the other.
aimed a for ."11,n i•,,leacribable, which suivg:ded with
the abesiormfv. of the mtempt.