Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-05-20

OF VUWtT UCPENUg
all the despotic governments in Europe. Il is
impossible to look at the present state of the
governments III France, Spain, Belgium, Italy,
Naples, &c. without being convinced, that the
borongh'nongers are their only prop. tits inn
possible TO look at the Holy League at the Ali
en- Act aud Standing Army in England; at the
reciprocal surrender OF fugitives by the diffe-
rent governments, without being convinced that
disaflection towards the governments is well
know IN TO exist throughout all those populous
countries. The fact is, that the people are
every where become enlightened; that they
every where understand their rights; that they
are every where seeking opportunities for OBJ
tanning them; and that their governments in
stead OF wisely and Justly yielding in time. are
every where hardening the grasp of desIutism,
and vainly endeavoriDg, by the means of the
bayonet aud the Jibbet, tocheck the Irresistible
progress OF the human mind. Not only are they
endeayouring to re-estabish all the ancient
tyrannieS and prosecutions, but to reuder them
more oppressive aud more terrific than ever, of
which there Is a complete proof in the agree
meat into which they have entered for the reCi-
prCcai surrender offugitves; that is to say, for
each government to surrender To each OF the
OTHER governments, any person that may take
shelter within It's dOmiBionS. Every lawyer
Knows WELL that this is perfect no city i'm the
practice of even tile worst ut tyrannieS-that
It amounts, not only to a surrender CT part of
the sovereignty OF each individual state, but
tina IL is, in fact, an amalgamation of tyranny,
ia order, by the augmentation OF its weight TO
IT. m'amomgSt men.
In the reign of Louis the sftecuth, there
was, as far as related to the powers OF ne con-
tinent scheme of this sort OH foot, which
screme was defeated only by the resistance. or
the refusal, rather of the Protestant states of
GtTmany, who were not base enough TO come
nto such compact. The Able Reynal. in
sreak'ng oithis scheme, concludes his repro
patton OF IL by observing, that ID this scheme
had gone into effect, every state of Europe
might have taken for its motto the words which
Dantc, in his celebrated poem, has placed over
IN gates OF his iye'Ral regions: =" he who eu-
terS here. leaves even hope behind!" Nei, 10
thisvery situation has Europe now been reduc-
e and that, too, solely by the Boronglmon-
gers of England, who have had the address to
draw into their hands. and thu wickedness to
employ for the destruction of freedom, all the
energies Of the compact, fertile, and power
country, OF which they have, directly. in the
teeth ofthe law ofthe land, mSurped the abso-
lutte command.
In this view of the matter, interesting as the
tate OF such a country as England must be in
iS-ylf considered, her fate is trihng, when we
rstect, that on that which shall take place,
there must depend the tate of every despotic
government on the continent of Europe.
reform of the par lament i'll England land no
man that have ever been acquainted with has
contemplated any thing fnrther:) a reform OF
tue House OF Commons, agreeably to the prn-
cipies OF the English constitution, leaving tn
KING, and the lords, and the church in full pos
session of all the lawful powers and privIio ges;
this reforn alsne womb am perfectly CON
WINGED, totally destroy dcspotism IL every part
OF the cont ent. That this reform will take
| place. AIN also perfectly cow need. Itis i'm
| possible, within the compass of d paper like
this which am nowwriting to state my reasons
| orthis conviction. This shall do hereafter.
bnt the public will, perhaps, recollcct, that a
| twelvemOnth ago. before the people in En-
Gland began hardly to show themselves, pre-
! dicted that either rcfOrmSr naked despOtism,
| was near athand. The latter has come for it
is not suspension Of the hdbeaS corpus act which
| has taken place We Nave called il such but
| il is very diffeyent thing. The actofthc ha-
! beas corpus which was passed so late ~ the
! reign OF harles the second, merely facilitates
the obtaining of redress in cases of false or un-
| just imprisonment: bat, in all time since En-
| gland vas England. the law of the land was.
t'stno man could be imprisoned but by dne
! course Ofiaw, and by known magistrates, ac-
| ting upon kGCwn and fixed laws, and supper
| ted in those acts by competent Witnesses
| herefore the act which the bor0ughnongers
| have just passed, and which authorizes minis.
4 tiers to impris0n Whomsoever they please, in a
! ny prison that they please, to keep them III
! prison as long as they please, without any evil
dence ct any puIi, UithOUtany hearing of the I'M
/ prlsoned psrt,, even before the ministers them
/ selves, without any notification of such impTi-
| sonment being made 10 any body, without per-
! hitting friends, children, or any other person
| TO have access 10 the Imprisoned party, and,
| without any Tespoi sibiity attaching 30 the MI
| nNters for any acts that they may do in this
way this act of the boroughmonYcrs is, as e.
! YER lawyer VIII allow, complete and fhtire
! d5roSdsoa and abolition Of The il'es of England
stdtate tar IS rel common lac, intended for
the pTeserUd ION of the peTSoEGl freedom s. SdfetY
| 81 the people. Ind, It this ne not despoism,
1 Shonld be Verymuch Obliged to my old friend,
| Mr. John Randolph Of Virginia, OF to ParsOn
| Parish, or to any other such person, it there
! be any other such up0n earth, to tell me what
| despotism does really mean.
:, Inc other most aSominabe ac,s, which the
! Borous'imonsers ha' recently passed, are OF
| less mpOrta &C; but, as shall i'm my intended
! publication, IN We occasion mo 4 clearly To sheN
! while these acts are most grossly unjust and
insulting towards the king and his family as
towards the people, they discover the dreadful
/ trepidatIOn the bOroughnongers themselves
| who are haunted W tn fears of all sorts, of eve
| ny shape and of every magnitude, and, / will
10 them the justice TO say, that it is the VaiOur
/ OF cowardice and not OF cruelty that has pro-
! duced the revolution that is now made i'll our
! country. To man on this side of the Atlantic
! itis next to impossible TO convey even faint
! ldsa of their fears nut, who would have be-
! leVed, only two years ago, that, in time of
| profound peace with all the world without n
| rebellion. without riot, without even a diSpO.
| sition 10 riot IN any part of the Kingdom, with
| out evidence OF reasonable practices being a.
| bic to be discovered IN any one man, & while
DOTH houses were passing resolutions to spend
| millions, to erect G0iumnsand triumphal arches
| to celebrate the deeds of " successful ,Car"-
| who would have believed that, in such sea.
son, troops and artillery without, and bands OF
! police officers within, would have been thought
| necessary to secure the personal safety Of the
! Lords, spiritual and temporal, and Commons
| IN Parliament assembled As an instance of
| the dread in which the Boroughmongers live,
| We need only notice the ciause in one Of their
| acts, recently passed, 10 prevent the people vt
| Westminster from holding any public meeting.
MO' caLied by the High BaiiiG of tie cifv, within
q mile of Westminster Hail. The Parliament
| House forms small part Of that immense
snllalns cai.ea WestminsteI Han. Opposite
] called Palace Yarh and lhis has heen time I'M.