The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-08-07
to which the whole nation has been brought. /"


trality, and led. Them to cry-out for reforma-
ton and redress tits impossible. say they,
ma thinking country where enc third ofev
cry mans Income is drilled from him in IT,.
shape OF taxes--that all these treasures
should be lavished. and after 20 years OF
boastful hostility. not an ally should be left,
and Invasion and ruin stare them in the face,
without there being very general spirit of
distrnst against the government and that
these suspicious should pass from the men
who administer il, to the form itself, which is
capable Of such gross ignorance or impo-
sition. These feelings, have not been a
little heightened by the proud tone of con-
tempt and defiance, which has Deems SO loudly
uttered by the men in power.
The tools and Parasites of power, again,
have been Increased by these and other eau
ses. AS the pretensions of the people in"
creased, those of the opposite party have adj.
vanced. The timiil and the prosperous be.
gan to tremb!e tor their priviieges-,he
proud and domineeripg to feel a furious an
tipathy against the democratic party. 1t
was impossible. say the Reviewers, =. for a
nation Astounding with wealth and loyalty,
Ienamoured at IT'S old institutions, and intlebt
ed for Its freedom in great degree to the
spirit OF Its landed aristocracy. that the OK.
cesses of plebeian iusurrection should nor
nave excited great aversion to every thing
that mad similar tendency "-and, on &C
Count OF the vast multiplication of Offices IN
the gift OF the government. and the enoi'-
nous patronage it possesses, the tide of
despotism has been swollen by the parasites
and tools of power.
The issue of such contest, say the Re-
viewers, would not long be doub full The
experience OF all Countries proves, that pop
ular insurrectioDs are almost always success
iui. lhe governors, have vast advantages
10 the possession Of an organized power; but
II TINS be- not sufficient to PREVENT it will
not arrest the revolution. Ever, course then
becomes equally fatal. IF they attempt to
concentrate, hey are, suspected of timidty
ana the daring are emboldered if they
arm themselves with terror, they rouse I'D
me deeper resentment of the generous and
the brave. 1t the stability of the British
government were to receive a shock, :. the
partisans OF popular government would be
found TO out-number their opponents in the
proportion of three totwo." The effects are
depicted IN this Article. The ruin of the
liberty, prosperity and peace of England-
the rum ct system, which CHANGE and
TIME have forped--the ruin OF a constitu
ton whose stability depends on its monarchy
and aristocracy Ages of anxious discnm
tort would be passed before they could
build up again that magnificent fabric which
now requires purifiCa,ion rather than re
pair"
What is the remedy for these thinsss The
reviewers propose a Union of the Wing
Amstocracy with the popular party. a
wing Aristocracy is at least solecism in
terms in the s. These Wings must un
bend themselves from their cold and repul
sive neutrality they must join themselves
to the more respectable members of the par
ty to which they have the greatest affinity
10 temper It's violence and moderate its cx
lcesses by the weight of their character and
me force OF their talents. That party, with
which they are most congenial, is that of the
lpeople--these, hey must save from the
leaders they are already choosing in their
own body, and become themselves their lea
ders' by becoming their patrons. One
powerful reason for such an association with
the more temperate democrats. is, that the
fpeople appear to be clearly in the right in the
greater part of the demands they have bro't
forward: 100.
The Reviewers then proceed to speak of
the TERMS on which this coalition NAV be
ltormed.-The THREE points, on which the
popular advocates have chiefly insisted, are
4" RetrenchmerL of the expenditurcs--the
PUNISHMENT or practical RESPONSIBLE
TY OF delinquent statesmen-and a REFORM
i'll the representation or the people. Upon
lall these points. they say, the people ought
to be gratiEed --RETRENcHMgN ought
to be enforced with the utmost rgor: and
no public expenditures should be permitted
except tor the evident utility and dignity of
the Countrywide next point is stated to be
OF greater Importance. According to them,
the greateM vice in the constitution, is the
limpossibIity of inflicting any punishment,
upon corrupt or impotent ministers, even
where they bad been guilty of the gros
lsest mismaDagement The minister who
Iiavishes thousands of lives and millions of
money. is sent from his seat, but he retires,
loaded with wealth and hung round with hon
ors, until some new intrigues lift him again
unto othce. The people must be paci9ed by
the it1noiauon OF some victim and a pre-
cedent set. to warn all Corrupt or incapable
statesmen from taking the hsim "A parlia-
mentary reform ought to be granted, because
u Is necessary, and because at the present
time, the people are jealous for it's adoption.
We laugh at the danger Of DISTINGUISHING a
lew rotten boroughs, o. communicating the
elective franchise to a greater number Of
respectable citizens" the danger is not In
yielding othe swell of popular sentiment,
but IN endeavoring TO resist it,
In fine, say the Reviewers, we are for the
monarchy and aristocracv. as the sure SUP
ports OF permanent freedom !; but neither is
now to be preserved without surrounding
them with the affections of the people. The
friends OF arbitrary power have attempted to
dispense with this projection and the de
nagogues have taken advantage of their fol-
ly to excite the people to withdraw it alto
Sether. The only cure is, to bring back4he
fnn- and l.. II