The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-11-03 00:00:00

" feet ; never were the motives for that union more power-
" fully felt!" Certainly not. They are shallots• politicians
who do not perceive that the sword of tyranny is unsheath-
ed in all European Governments, against the very germs
of liberty. The tyrants see that the hostility must be eter-
nal ; and they are united in a common and desperate effort
to defend themselves, and the barbarous prvileges which
they have usurped, by destroying every vestige of liberty.
We had hoped England wit; not a party to this atrocious
design; but we have bad our doubts before upon this point 1
and they are cleared up as we feared they would be. One
of the leading curses of this country is, that a Minister
never thinks himself bound to speak truth, or to be ashamed
when detected in a falsehood,

Mr. Canning has been speaking' at Plymouth. It
takes him about three months to ,nature a metaphor; and
when he is ripe for delivery, some opportunity is to be
sought for, to introduce bis literary progeny into the
world. In this instance, he was tnriird to receive the
high honour of the freedom of the corrupt borough of
Plymouth'. the members of which dispose of their politi-
cal inflaence, in the gross, or by detail, with as little cere-
mony as Mr. Canning has let himself to various Adtninis-
, trations. We cannot but despim these politicians most
thoroughly ; but ;,they ace " useful rogues ;" and must
not be offended. The s'wech, as a whole, is of course
mere complimentary balderdash—a deluge of words
necessarily attendant upon the real birth, which is the
following very beautiful metaphor

"Our present repose," said the Right lion. Gentleman
"is no more a proof of inability to act than the state
of inertness and inactivity in which I have seen those
mighty masses that float in the waters above your town, is
a proof that they arc devoid of strength, and incapable
of being fitted for action. You well know, Gentlemen,
bow soon one of these atopen.lous masses. now reposing
on their shadows in perfect stillness—how soon upon any
call of patriotism or of necessity, it would assume the
likeness of an animated thing—instinct with life and
motion ; bow soon it would ruffle, as it were, its swelling
plumage—how quickly it would put forth all its beauty
and its bravery—collect its scattered elements of strength,
and awaken its dormant thunder. Such as is one of these
magnificent machines when springing from inaction into'
la display of its might—such is England herself, while ap-
parently passive and motionless, she silently concentrates
the power to he put forth on an adequate occasion."
When the fox stole into the artist's shop, and addressed
a beautiful mask with the apostrophe—" What a pity it is
thou hast no brains," he was, by anticipation describing
this youngest progeny of the Foreign Secretary. The
New Times calls it genuine English eloquence. If it be
so, genuine English eloquence is very sad muff. It is
pretty, " I grant you, it is pretty," as the critic said of
the posey on the ring : but any thing else, it is as empty as
a dew drop. Gaze upon it, and yon shall never sufficiently
admire• Tana It; in Abe 'way-of inquiry, and away fly
the glittering colours that seemed to rival the diamond in
brilliancy; but unfortunately they want the solidity. Mr.
Canning cannot concentrate his imagination. There is
nothing of the true precious stone about him. He is
sometimes as substantial as French paste ; but here he is
nothing but water. Does he mean to call a ship a mighty
mass would have been a more appropriate epi•
thet to the mass •of stone at the Breakwater !
Then the Right Honourable Orator seemed fo forget that
the mighty mass could not, move itself in any emergency.
The mighty mass of itself would be as inert in war as in
peace. The means were not within the mighty mass!
There was a simile before him, *Lich would have been
grand, indeed; but it was a natural one;• Sand it is no
wonder this should be oveelooked. Instead's)! the mighty
mass, the inert combination of timber and metal—why did
he not employ the mighty mast of seaters? Why did be
not say that Britain, like the majestic waves in their re-
pose, contained within herself all those mighty energies,
which, when roused by the tempest into action, became
the awe of an astonished world. There was, however,