The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-27
From the Edinburgh Pepie7,.

From the Edinburgh Pepie7y >
=" he Parliament of England is abort to
assemble once more and the authors OF
our caiamities cannot prevent their conduct
from being at least brought before thatillus.
trious tribunal. Hitherto they have not
made any defence (; nor have they limited
that they had any to- make. They have ad
nlitted all their failures to BE complete and
fatal they have confessed, that the oppor-
tunities which they have lost, will, in all
likelihood, never return. After few
wretched attempts to divide the blame among
themselves, in shares different from those
IN which the country is disposed to apporti.
OMIT, they have been compelled TO allow. that
among themselves ii must all be divided,
and upon them alone must the responsibility
rest. They have not dared to deny, that
the prospects Of the continent are become
more dismal than ever that its confidence
IN England is gone that the map of Europe,
from Moscow TO Paris, ard from Laplaud to
Calabria, offers to the eye only a collection
OF states, asgrandizcd by her hostility, or ru-
med by the perilous bounty Of her alliance.
Abroad and at home. which way 80. ever
the eye can turn, our rulers have amply
admitted, that our affairs are not only oies
perate, but have come forward to declare
that the empire is reduced to state OF diff
Guilty, from which there can be- at least, 10
precedent of its ever having escaped in for
mer times. And after all these confessions,
their only excuse, the only attempt to make
TO regain the confidence Of the people. is 70
tell us, 4" that the King has reigncd fif-
tyyears. They have ruined our allies
they have failed in every plan; they have
Drought US through Slaughter and disgrace,
loaded with ignony, and weighed down with
almost rintclerable tyurdens--to the yery
Drink OF destruction ;-'' bur the King is very
DID, and "he has reigned above half = CEN
rury." s ,5
1t now remains to be seen, whether that
armament, which stands in no need CT re-
ormation----which is fair Representation
OF th: people of England--which speaks the
sentiments OF the country---will be salts
lied with this set off, aud once more &C
quit the MINISTERS of all blame for their
recent nisT'anagement, Holding in com
non with the Parliament Itself, the doctrine
OF IT'S purity and OF its suiiicieucy 10 save
thc state, we cannot anticipate such a de.
Cision. .,. 49,
=" BIZ if, unhappiry, we should find our
selves mistaken il again, every measure
and every minister, be covered over with it's
appreciation. then'wc will venture to predict,
not that the government. is acquitted, but
that the parliament stands condemned &
we shall be compelled to appear in the
knowledge that they are convinced aud con-
Verted. For it is needless to disguise the
matter A refusal TO punish the authors of
our misfortunes can only mean one of two
tbings-ether that there has been no blame
incurred, or that 1t is inexr edient to declare
IL, because such resolution would drive the
guilty persons from the government In the
one case, the parliament Will show that it
Is not the representative of the country in
the other, we shall have col elusive proof
that the ministers of the crown are IRE
movable. The responsibility of our rulers,
that fairest feature in the theory of the con
stituton, will be no longer even a name,
wherewithal to round parliamentary. peri
DDS; and the people will thence forward
recognise, III the great council of the nation,
not the guardian of their interests, and the
champion Of their rights. but we'll contri-
we'd instrument of TAXATION,
The consequence Of such a decision
therefore,, will be productive of incalcuable
mischief; it will complete the alienation of
the country from the government. & shame
away the boldest defenders Of the present
system. In the mean time the pressure of
the war, X OF the public burthens will rapid
| ly increase. The scene of bostilities will ap
proach to our own shores, & the taxes, which,
like the war, have as yet only been felt at
la distance, WI At length come home to eve