The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-15 00:00:00

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110 THE EDITOR Of bl 2 ATESMAN. .
• Oct. 14, 11111.
Sta—,-11 surprises Mt much to bear the enemies of
injistice and oppression, in argnieg the ease of Sir
'Robert Wilson, set out by an admission which vitiate,
all their subsequent reasoning—that the Croton Ma a
rig& to dismiss officers of the army, i. e. topsaieh those
Witketed et trial. Sir, I totally deny that the Crown. in a
Hiked Wanasiehy, has, or can have, such a prerogative.
Whim is the law that confers • this right ? Or. is the
exercise of a power to be taken as proof of the exist.
mice of a right? If a King can,dismiss, merely be.
value It is-his will and pleasure, an individual °Seer
of the army, be can dismiss all the officers of the
army, and a fortiori all the privates. The fate of
the army is in his hands. They must.be his devoted
hietrumeots; lam here talking generally. By what
perversion of terms then, can a nation be called free,
Ii which such a state of things is allowed to exist?
By salferleg such a precedent to be established, the
rights of the soldier, as well as the rights of the
citisen, are annihilated at one blow: but it is the
rights of the soldier himself that first suffer. He is
Ent deprived of independence himself, that he might
be compelled to attack the independence of his fillip's,
libiltmt: It is.,talciag up ibis question on a very
sarrinisait *woman ground, to coosider it as merely
perusal to Sir Robert Wilson. Excepting in a view
of immediate pecuniary interest, it equally concerns
every other officer of the army, and every individual
of every description throughout the United Kingdom :
nay, u a matter of principle, the assertion of such a
right, affects directly or indirectly every people in the
universe, possessing, or endeavouring to obtain, a free
constitution.

I certainly very much approve of the subtcription
which has been set on foot, both as it marks the sense
of the subscribers of the merits of the gallant of
persecuted, and of the demerits of those, who &dries
his persecution. But I think every individual in the
kingdom is as much-interested in the measure as the
Electors of the Borough of Southwark ; and would
ingest Mot a Central Metropolitan Committee be
famed, composed of members from all the counties,
cities, and boroughs, of the United Kingdom, not
simply with the limited view of keeping Sir Robert
Wilson bonnie's, but of efficiently resisting a precedent,
which, if it be not so intended by the advisers of the
meagre, is obviously calculated to destroy all that
remains to us of our ancient freedom.
Those seem to me to bewilder themselves sadly. who
set out to ascertain what Sir Robert Wilson has done
to incur the displeasure of Ministers, as if his conduct
could, in any degree, either justify or palliate the ad-
vice which these corrupt men have given to the Crown
area this occasion. Whilst I believe Sir Robert
Wilson to be an able officer, and a worthy man, I
muse maintain, that, if be had committed every pos-
sible crime, including murder and high treason, the
set of his dismission without a trial would be nu le-s
onjastiliable than it is upon the supposition of his
pities Innocence. Voles% thee, a law can be *hewn.
Peltlebittewfses es the-Crowe the prerogative of
Inkeing military officers at pleasure. and unless such
prerogative can be shown to be compatible with the
principles of the British Constitution, or with any
principles of freedom, it will follow as an inevitable
conclusion, that, whoever has advised the Crown to
the dismissal of Sir Robert Wilson, deserves to be
called to immediate account for the act.
1 am, Sir, your obedient Servant,