The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-03 00:00:00

LONDON:
MOMbAT zrextzio, rustuav I, 1823.
BOURBON WAR,

':

♦ND

THE INFAMOUS NEWSPAPERS.
For upwards of twenty years, I have been asserting,
and have very frequently been giving proof of the ntis-
cbievous tendency of this press. I once compared it to
the " tenehriore stars," mentioned somewhere in the
SPECTATOR; things shedding darkness instead of light
I have a hundred times bad to sbew the practical mis-
chiefs which resulted from the works of this corrupt and
stupid press. As to internal policy ; as to the contending
rights of individuals; as to matters in)dispute relative
to land and funds; as to measures relating to Commerce,
to war, to every thing, in short, of a public nature, it has
fzneate my lot to show the errors, the falsehoods, the
immense r‘ista.-.lefs proceeding from this press. It has
Lag been clear to me, and I have frequently stated my
conviction of the fact, that the present calamities of the
country are, under the Devil, chiefly owing to the work-
ings of this at Race illiterate, conceited, corrupt and
• inexpressibly grovelling and stupid press. At the time
when it took place, I showed with perfect clearness that
the silly add nnprinapled war against the United States
of America never could have taken place If it had not
been for this press. That war which, besides a load of
disgrace such as the country foyer bail before to bear,
added ieventy millions of money to the debt. In the
urging on of that war, the City of London and the Old
Times newspaper were the two principal agents. This
vile newspaper, which has always made its appeal to this
baser passions and most grovelling interests, seeing Na-
poleon put down, cried aloud for the putting down of
James Madison. That vile paper, which now affects to
complain of the conduct of the King of France, then in •
sisted that there was no safety for any legitimate govern-
ment in Lerope until Me government of Me United
Metes should be destroyed. In this nefarious coarse it
was seconded by a great pan of the rest of the London
"rapers. The language they held was this: there can
be no peace in Europe while the American govern-
ment can be suffered to remain what it now is: if that
government be suffered to remain what it now is, it will
get a stout fleet and be our rival upon the ocean: let us,
therefore, crush it now, while France is in such an
humbled state, and while there is no war to be dreaded
upon the Continent : we have a fleet and army ready ;
and, therefore, let us depose Madison and destroy this
arecessful example of democratic rebellioa before we lay
down our arms; by which means we shall, too, obtain
resources for assisting to pay the interest of our debt!—
This was the substance of what they said. Incessantly
did they inculcate these doctrines. The war was under-
taken ; and the consequences we have to rue. Every
thing that one man could do with a pen was done
by me to counteract the efforts of the stupid and
m.tlignaut press. I warned the Government and the
country of all the consequences. I fotetold, with the
greatest exactness, that which finally took place ; those
Leavy losses and that everlasting disgrace. Still the
myrmidons of the press went on. They throve as much
as ever; were as impudent as ever; the public were
still as credulous ; ate! dearly have they paid for their
credulity.

We now see this vile press leaped in an effort to I
prevent the prevalence of just principles with regard to
so adjustment of the nation's difficult affairs. We now
see it leagued in a course of lying, distorting, calamni-
sting, and every species of villainy that it is possible
for the basest of minds to bring into play. The vile
thing has not, however, the power which it had. The
wretches e he trode in it have been a good deal exposed.
The scourge n hich I bore is become of greater length
and of greater strength than it was. The powers of the
whole press taken together have undergone a new divi•
lion ; and in that division a much larger portion has
fallen into my hands. Long perseverance aud incessant
watchfulness on my part have at last snide an impression
upon the accursed thing. They have 'hen n the traders
in their true light to all the- intelligent part of the eom.
mnnity ; and, the castle of ignorance and corruption
has been for some time shaking and trembling.
Nothing bas happened, for a long while, to give this
castle a greater shock, than that which has now hap.
pined with regard to the Bourbon war. This press
has now manifestly keen the sole cause of the ruin of
thousands of families. This affair is really fortunate
for the nation. The ruin even of thousands of families
must ultimately be greatly beneficial, if It have the effect
of weaning the people Irons a belief of what is published
through the columns of this infamous press. Millions
of money have, within three months, been as clearly
conveyed from English into French pockets as a man's
wage's of a Saturday night are, fur the greater part,con.
Terd oat of his hands into the hands of the tax gather.
er. And it is row equally clear that these millions
have been conveyed from English into French pockets,
because, and only because, the public read and believed
.what was published by this stupid and corrupt press.
There is one advantage belonging to this transaction:
that is. the lime has nut been too long before the result
took place. The Bourbon war began to be seriously
talked about only in the first week of November ; and,
it is now actually declared in the last week of January.
During these three months, the topic has always been
kept before the public. Not a day has passed without