The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-09-18 00:00:00

CLERICAL POLITICS.

(The following correspondence originates in the
politico-religious seal of the well known Vicar of Har-
row. It affords another evidence of the facility with
which a Clergyman can at any lime justify his inter-
ference in the politics of t!ie day, and act upon uncha-
ritable and umju•t impression', at the itt he is
assuming the office of a moral censor. While he him-
self entertains no scruple in announcing hi+ prejudices
against the given, he would pruhibit other people
front expressing any sentiment in her 3lajesty s be-
half; and allow her character and cause to be ruined
in the public mind, merely because it has been at-
tacked with calumny.)

TO S.C. WHITBREAD. EMQ. \f .P. FOR T:I E COUNTY

OF inotit.EsF.x.

Sta—As a Freeholder of the great Coonty which
you represtat—as an individual fir whose vide anti
assistance in the County yon have bent more than once
pleased to express a desire--atfil as • Slinister of a
parish bordering upon that on which you are probably
at this moment inflicting the nuisance of which this
letter complains, I take the liberty, however relnctantly,
of addressing it to yon.
I have seen with a mixture of regret and indignation
a placard pasted over many of the walls in the neigh-
bourhood, announcing that you were to take the ('hair
at a Meeting on Paddington-green, swot tttttt et! to col-
lect and convey the condolence, sympathy, and Am, re.
bation of the " Married Females," of the vicinity to
the Queen, and to take into consideralon the investi•
gation now pending in the noose of Lords.
"Now. Sir. wry. anxiety for the interests of
_good
morals in general, and especially fur those_ of my own
parish, a part of which is almost sure to he drawn
within the vortex of this public meeting; and the fear
that such meetings niay be multiplied, and other lie-
nourahle wen may be tempted to preside over the:n—
ail these motives co• strain me, with much pain to my
own feelings, thus to address you.
I wish, then, to take the liberty of asking what
)on conceive likely to Itr conferred on indiri.
ghats, or on the State, on the ranse of legitimate free-
d ,or of sound murals, by the convention of such an
assembly
Consider the plain circunistances of the case. The
Qnven is not, indeed, prored to be guilty of atinhery;
but she is solemnly charged by the Ministers of the
Crown, a hotly of men aciptitted even by. their enemies
of perjury or cruelty, and by SI Committee of Peers,
comprehending in their number individuals politically
opposed to those Ministers, with crimes of the most
gross and detestable nature. And this charge is sap-
ported by the testi ttttt ity of an immense hotly of
witnesses, as yet unconvicted, and, according to the
persuasion of thousands of reflecting and impartial in-
dividuals, not likely to br convicted of perjury.
What, then, I repeat the question, is the good likely
to result from such a meeting ? Is it your object to
vindicate tat (Plan Surely no reasonable man will
he the more satisfied of her intio..ence beamse yon,
with a few gentlemen who can read and write, and a
11 large number of both sexes who shrink from all souls
aristotratical distinetions, think proper to assert it in
speeches, or in shouts upon Paddington-green.
Is the object to fearm Ilse !lomat of Peers intro 41
derision furunrab rto her Moiety ! Ha, snrely, Sir,
you know too much of the high spirit of your conotry-
men in general, and of that noble House in particular,
to believe that they will yield that to terror a hielt they
deny to argument, honour, and humanity
I •
Is your object so get rid the p t millisters:
lint who will nut pretrr, what is called, the tyranny
of Ministers, that is, of men of sense and honour, to
the worst of all tyrannies, than a tuoh, under whose
dominion it is the natural tendency of such meetings
to place us ?
• Is your design in gratify the political party with
whi •ts goer art t Out how different a line have most
of the leaders of that body pursneti in Parliament.
Have they substituted 'lemon'. for reasoning—treated
thr admisti•dfanailiarities of the Queen with her eoniier
as a light offence, called un their own wives and
daughters, or the wires and daughters of others, to
trnmpet forth the praises of a woman who may within
a month be prorcd to have violated all the common
decencies of life
Finally, is your object what I would least suspect it
to be, the gusting yourself permanently us Representa-
tive fur the Corey ei iliddleseef A seat so won
and so preserved would be neither an honour nor
comfort to the winner.
But, Sir, if pun cannot instruct us as to the advan-
tages of snch yea will, perhaps, allow me
to speak as to their nei,daief.
1. In the first place, you are encouraging others to
insult yuar Suvereigu as a saJerner per;ored
wituetses.

--~~--~

3. You are, by giving light names to gross offences,
sapping the very foundation of moral'.
4. You are, with the tnaziru in your mouth, that
" every man is to be esteemed innocent till lie is prov-
ed to he guilty," treating all the witnesses against the
Queen as perjured liars, though as yet unconvicted
of falsehood ; and the Ministers of the Crown as base
and profligate conspirators, though their honour and
humanity have never been called into question.
6. You are holding out to the females of the coun-
try, as a model, an inditiduai of whose purity you
must at least entertain some question, and whom you
probably would not suffer a nine, 'other, sister, or
slaughter to visit.
.6. You are cherishing in the mind of the multitude
the spirit of " tadicelites!"—a spirit of which the
first elements are a rejection of Scripture, and a con-
tempt of all the institutions of your country, and of
which the results. unless averted by a merciful Pro-
vidence. must he anarchy, atheism, and universal ruin.
You, Sir, will not, L think, be ungenerous or unjust
enough to say, in reply to all this, that I am " a Cler-
gyman, and have nothing to do with subjects of this
nature." Others, however, may urge this objection.
To them, therefore, I would say, that this is not a ques-
tion of ine:e politics, hut of morals, of decency, and of
religion—a question involving, in my judgment, the
moral purity of all our families, and parishes and
counties. This brief letter is but a practical comnient
on the doctrines 1 am commanded, on the highest au-
thority, to 'Paoli from Sunday to Sunday—" fear Uod"
—" lionoar the King"—" vorrleatairrs, let it not be
once named among you." Ihe Clergy arc the consti-
tuted "guardians of morals" in the country; and mow,
if ever, they are called upon to " stand in the breeds,"
and endeavour to " s:av the plague" of political anat-
chy and moral pollution.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. W. CUNNINUIIAM.
Ilarrow-on-the-hill, Sept. Is, l$ U.

TO THE REV. J. W. CCNNINGII.IM.

Sta.—Although very much averse to enter into what
is usnally termed a paper war, I feel that I ".It3iii.l
wanting in what is due to my friends as well as to my
self, if I were not to give a public answer to the letter
you have thought fit to address to me in the .Vrtv Titres
of yesterday.
And first, Sir, allow me to observe, that I eanr,•t
think the Public Paper the best mole you colld have
adopted to convey advice to a young man with whi
yon are personally acquainted, and to whom you have
expressed yonrself a sincere well-wisher.
in reply to the very extraordinary questions yon
have put to me, and to the very unfair and unmerited
insinuations von have thrown out aga;ust me, I answer,
that intimately connected as I have the honour to he,
with the County of Middlesex. I think it my duty, when
called upon, to attend ally public meeting, legally as-
sembled, which takes place within the c..wnt• ; and,
sir, if you hail thought it worth while to have attend-
ed to the sentiments I have expressed at the late mei.t.
logs, yon would have found that I have uniformly ah-
staiued trout giving any opinion upon subjects of
which I hail had no opportunity to judge.
It is true I have invariably expressed, and shall
continue on every occasion to express, the abhorrence
and detestation I feel at the malignity nit!' tibial her
Majesty has been persecuted ever since the period of
her marriage ; anal, above all, at the attempt which is
now finally pude to effect her ruin under false Anil
hypocritical pretences, as it appears to toe, without
stay object of state policy to justify it ; and ht• mean.,
which, if successful, 1 must consider as givii.g a fat...l
blow to the Constitution or this country.
Anil now, Sir, I must repel with indignicion
charge, that, considering the high si•itatioli
your character and your talents command, I
have thunglif beneath yon to make. •
I hope, Sir, that I have inherited some hune•t,
end I hope that will secure to me a vecinalient pla.-is
in the respect and esteem of the inhabitants of this
count• ; hat allow me to add, that I never will e
descend to litter line word that I do nut feel, nor t
give one opinion in opposition to my I onscience, in
order to _rain a single vote—not cveu to gain ilia:
vote, upon which yon lay so much value y oui sea in
tbw hoginning of your letter.
I have only to add, that if my friend, who ins my
goad in %:ew, intends to give me advice, and wishes
me to believe him sincere, I earnestly hope lie wilt
choose a more friendly manner than the line yon have
thon6ht tit to adopt
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Kennington-Gore. Sept. 16. Moo. S. C. WHITBREAD

--
80% ; RrE r.—Late on Fr:day evenitiz, a ./ea.
who y ac. 11:s name Solomoa Jo.yph, was es„,.:
before the Sitting Magittrate, ou vtapkion ...4
coo erne(' in stealing a box co•itainiu;; lOU e,isortig..a
from the Chichi ster stage-csa.•h. It appeared; by sue
statement of Samuel Flow's, the driver of t'e
cheater roach, that ‘m the 2401 of Augnst law!, Mr.
Hine, the book-keeper, at :be ()olden Cross Inn, Chit.-
ing-croes, delivered to him a boa, which was tinter-
stood to be valued at -IMP.; that he deposited t' •
same in fhe (runt seat of the coach, and coveted it.
At that thole a man whom he verily believed to I•e the '
prisoner, was in tile coach ; • be had got iwo it jb-t as
it was heaving the Bult-M-Tunio n-yard, Fleet-ssee.A.
The witness proceedeJ with the coact: to the Fl-p::ant
an I I:4Ele, and there received mote islggsge : he the's
went on to Kingston, and there the peesrei whet had
rude inside the coach was antinwiL and it was tNell
also uiscosered that the front sear was broken era,
and the box taken out.--;He was rernlneeJ f.,r resstm
initiation ~Friday nest. .


!

R...T

i

SPAIN.

• • 111 %Ivan; SEPT. 1.-a—By an edict published on the
.Iftli of August, at ratliv, 'appear, that a case bad'
••••turretl, in the hospital of San Juan de Liss, which
isas inspected to be the yellow fever, and which ter-
roicateil fatally. By other accounts we learn also theerl
:ire stnotg symptoms of contagion in Xeres de hi]
r nuns.

• SITTIVOI oF THE koRTER, AVG. 31.

The Secretary of the Finance Departuient Mates
thst his Majesty, desiring that the operations relative,
ts the.expensliture and to the ways and means should
Le concluded as soon as ptis,ihle, had resolved to trans-,
na:: them to the Jambe de drfllgrelos,

Ti:e Minister of the Home Department stated that
th.• King had given his us4ent to the law prohibiting
ti.e importation of foreign corn and flour.
. _

, The Committee of Finance and of Commerce pre-
‘,.nted a proj,ct of a law (whirls was read) on a general
reg.:lation of the duties of customs in all the domi-
r: ,ors of the monarchy, which was ordered to be

SITTING Or 4EPT. I.

A rimrt was read from the tonitnittee of Finance,
or, the memorial presented by the :Minister of that de-
pa; ment respecting the general system of finance
which must prevail till July next year. The Com-
,. H!1•1* diVidl.4 its report into three branches : in the
f•st it •xamines the proposal of the .linister, offering
a. the result of its observations, a reduction of 1115
IZ:ions of the sum mentioned in it ; in the second it
unsiders the general system of finance from July this
speaking of the loan of 200,000,000, which it
ere. to he nearly concluded ; and in the third it
tern's particularly of the modifications to be adopted
In the system of levying tithes.

SenoiMeti no lluirratnoved that a rinottlittee should
be• appoiutesl to congratulate General Haig°, as had
en d.ane ht• the General `orte• in the case of Lord

Us the 31st lieuerol Reigo had a very tont*. audience
of the King, who loaded hint with marks of his favour.
Uniting the day he was every where received with en-
thusiasna by the inhabitants of this vast metropolis,
hwthroared the streets throaah which he passed.
I r 'lie evsning he was at the Theatre, where he was
re, vivral with acclamations, and addressed the people
is luign.we which does as notch honour to the purity
ut Lis •entinsents as his memorable campaign in Fe-
b tiy to his talonr.

ff.,. it:oriole s,,cietiva are preparing to give him
br:iii.iut tee

POR 11 G.l L.
-...--..

Papers anti letters here recei►ed on Saturday froth
Oporto to the lilt lust. A letter of the '2ll lust. cow.
::tuaiegtes the following pattirult►rs relative to the
state of affair. in that city :

" Etery thing now seems to portend a conflict be-
ts...an the two opposite parties. The post from ids-
hot. :s not arrived, and there is every reason to believe
that the government is determined to make a stand.—
The Conde &Amirante is in full communication with
4/erseral Vittoria, commanding the south, and the ad-
vances:ll'l2bl of the former is in the town of Amarante.
The provisional guverument here is in a state of alarm,
anti has ?Writ, s the report goes, to call in assistance
Com ;he Spanish frontiers. It appears that the revo-
lution broke out here sooner than was intended, the
l.kit of this munch having been originally fixed on.—
The (-bit Is impa.ted their design to the Conde (I'Am:t-
-r.:Lb% and attempted to gain him over. lie seemed
to coneor in their views, but secretly gave informs-
!. ti: to the Regency. who immediately dispatched Lie-
nc.al Pamplona to i.islem, to take the command of the
t ..,ps, and to arrest the conspirators, one of whom,
Feinetnles Thomas, having intimation of it, acquainted
coati:ntors that there was no time to be lust, and
tl.at they must instantly declare themselves. This ac-
counts fur the want of combination among the pro-
duces, as it Itdgintentleil the rising should have been
s':irtultanroos all over the kingdom. Ti,.' Conde d'A ma-
rante, it is expected, will march on (tporto from Trott-
us Skates, which province holds out against the Con-
stitution. anti (lettere! Viroria from the south. Our
situation is far fr agreeable."

.% letter, dated early in the morning of the 3d inst.
says—" Last night there was a forced levy of troop
to strengthen the rank, of the constitutional army, and
among them was taken a twin employed in our estab-
lislinwnt as a cooper. They have marched off this
morning, to the number of 5,000, to meet the Comte
d'Aniaratite, who is advancing from Tras-os-Muntes.
The re,ult cannot I.c eunteuiplateil without alarm ; but
a very tient e.!.eciation is entertained here that the
tuom:mt ter tau armies arrive in sight of each other,
the troll,. of the Regency will lay down their anus.
IuteLILT h;is just come in, that Ain-antes and ano-
ther strimg Oar., r:ie Halite of which I you'd nut learn.
bare h.• Fred for the Cuwaitu ."
Of the r..• ul. of Count Pampluna's mission, alluded
to in t :e1.,/ of the ga, inst. the following account i,
given in the.l i It member of the Yin/ iu .Vari :
'• Alano.al Pa -ipiona, being un his nay from Lisbon
to take the command ad interims of the troops in this
city, learnt at Av-iru that his countrymen, the loyal
inhabitants of Oporto, had manifested the heroic reso-
Indult of saving the country: and as this intelligence
sva, not very gratifying to the Marshal, lie caused the
10th battalion of Chasseurs to he put in march for
Coimbra, with the intention of returning to Lisbon ; hut
hiving been apprized that Colonel Silveira was ad-
vancing upon Coimbra with the ltd regiment of in-
fantry, he precipitately fled, abandoning the few chas-
seurs who had not yet found an opportunity of desert-
ing from such a chief. It could not have been sup-
posed that a person of the rank and birth of Senor
Manuel Pamplona would hare conducted himself in so
di-graceful a manner. The above-mentioned battalion
is re-assembling at Coimbra, where the patriotic and
indefatigable Col. Sepulveda had arrived, and where the
liuerty of Portugal bad already been proclaimed with
inexpressible Joy. The troops now collecting at
Coimbra will soon forma respectable division."
The following .proclainatiol hid been jellied by the
Provisional Junta, in reply to that of the Regency
Citizens of Oporto!—Frankness Is the first of the
virtues of just government ; you shall know, stbere-.
fere, all that we 'know, and the certainty of which
-the governors

we guarantee to you. Those who were t