The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1817-05-23
SITUATION OF ENGLAND.
from THE BosTos PATRIOT.

who, from variety oil causes, seem
incapable of conviction, aad enher have
no. understanding sufficient to perceive
what is r.ght. or honesty enough to ac-
knowladc it. Whelher those who now
applaud the conduct of the British go
vernment towards their oppressed peo-
pie, and their defenders, be of this class,
each reader is left TO determine.
II will be impossib for us Ameri-
cans to be indifferent spectators Of VIVA,
Is going forward in Old England be-
tween the people and their government
II maybe said that we have no business
TO c'ncern ourselves with either. Blu,
we must change our natures, alter our
Inquis,ive habits, and divest ourselves
Of our benevolent dispositions, before
we can rcfn1in Indifferent auditors and
spectators uf the tragedy now opening
in Britain. Our boxes, pit and g.lIe-
ries will applaud and hiss the actors,
whether princes, dukes, great lords,
generals or common people, Just as
they shall appear TO deserve praise, cen
sure err ridiculs This being the case,
1t Is ofimportance 10 obtain correc, in
formation of the sctual state Of things
In Old England, and this canno, be &C
quiz ed from The London newspapers
daring the present reign of terrtr.
Mobs are terrible ,hings, and ough.
TO be discouraged every where bn,
they are not 50 dreadful & so dangerous
TO the people as sEcRET committees
established by parliam az, whose ~
formation has been loudiy called tor $500
SECRET committees Of inquest, and the
deprivation OF the privilege al ihe M
oeas c2rhas or hcrS orut safety Gcc, cen
sutnle the most alarming species Of
desp 'istn, FIR it implies d previous
state at freedom. AS descendants Of
EaglishCTan we lamcnp that the forms
ofSparliamens are made use of 10 d.
stroy &c substance of liberty.
IN: reports of parliament's secret
committee would o. themselves ne e.
enough to Induce an American. to thank
Heaven tina: he is no Iong,r British
subject Extreme alarm appears Oh
the face OF them, while they betray, ia
ken collectively, the most outrageous
GxagS gration- They say tha, the re
.vo!ution which the people meduated
w95,it possible, more sweeping and i'm
mediate IN lis effects than the French
reyolution." Indeed what evidence
could they possibly have for this szueeh-
iHS assertion The reporters do no,
say VIA; atrocious deeds the people
hape done, besides kissing, boating and
pelting III; prince regent with mud and
potatoes, bat they pretend to tell what
thsy meant 20 do Fhey means, saws
the report, sto begin By depriyiDg eve
ry mao Of his lands and funded proper-
ITO declare all the land in common,
and TO extinguish the funds They
next utter the old and dreadful cry that
The church is in DANCE, and erayely
assert that they meant TO recitc mo
lane 7aFoddies OF the liturgy or songs
biz sphsning the scriptures ) andsthe,
add tina; they mean 10 kill the bishops,
Men OF cooiness ADD discernment saw
IN all this vile trick designed to alarm
the land hoiaer, he m0neyed man, and
the priesthood, and TO rouse the ven
gea0cs Of ali three But these are not
suficic for Their purpose. The SOL
d!ery mus, oe operated on. Accor-
dinghy he strange report goes on to
say To the soldiers, they had, by a
second determination, resolved to adop;
means of seduction but the first Man
and Impulse was tie murder Of the soI- |
diers at midnight The design was by
sudien rising in the dead of the night, |
to surprise and overPower them in |
their different barracks, which were to
be set on fire. All this is graye!y told |
by the secret committee Of parliament. |
and seriously believed by thtHking
JOHN Bull !! Let us hear no more
of the cFsduIily of papis.s, nor the i'm.
positions of the priesthood in any coun.
try however barbarous. This far ex-
ceeds their own gunhowder treason,
which we used TO celebrate SO heartily
every sM IF November, and which is
now known to have been at bottom Az
Imposition on Join BaH and his de
scendaBts!
This midnight murder Of the soldier,
was inserted, no doubt, with the view
of wheeling up The rage Of The military
against the citizens and was probably
done to produce sort of declaration
of war agaiost them. If so, is not this
Ike pampering the dogs OF war" for
the chace ! The report of the secyet
committee furthermore adds, that the
prisons were 10 be drained. and the
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