Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-05-12
MIR. CANNING.


Evqett's America" work which has re-
Gently been issued from the press. The de-
| scription of Mr. Canning, thus afforded, may
be considered as accurate; and though there
is something in the character Of the man that
calls forth our admiration, there is more in it,
which we must condemn. That he is a man
of extraordinary talents and attainments, will
not be denied, and that he is the ablest states
man that Britain has presented to the world,
since tho days ofPtt. is readily admitted. His
recent promotion to the Prime Ministry Of Eng
land, will form a new era in the history ofthat
l%rowerful nation; and it is probable that his
elevation will lead to great change in herpo
J .i,ical relations.
| "Nr Canning's character was, in almost eve
| ry respect, the reverse of Lord Castlereagh's
lie possessed most of the high intellectual and
moral qualities that Lord Cast,-reagh wanted,
| but he united with them some Of the quiet and
practical merits that belonged to his predeces-
sor. finished scholar, powerful and elegant
writer in prose and verse, an eloquent orator,
1 capable of deep thought, though not so much
addicted to this, as to some other intellectual
exercises, he united almost all the endowments
that constituted mind of the highest order,
but in the pride Of these advantages, he bas
sometimes forgotten the cool and steady pru-
dence which is, at once, the instructive resource
of conscious inferiority, and mvarabie policy
of true practical talent. Fond of exhibiting his
skill in the graceful sports of wit and humour,
he has not only often indulged in this way to
excess, in his parliamentary speeches, but has
even pointed his gravest diplomatic dispatches
with irony and sarcasm. He assured the Rus
sian Chancellor, Count Romanzof in answer
10 conventional and commonplace remark
upon the inconveniencies of the war, which
! that Minister had introduced into an overture
for peace, addressed TO Mr.. Canning from En-
fIrth that it was not the kings fault if the con-
tinental Nations were distressed by their own
system. In like manner he informed our Gov
! ernment, in reply to some similar expression,
that although his Majesty regretted very much
the inconvenience which the United States suf-
fered from the Embargo, they could not rea-
sonably expect him to relieve them from it, by
sacrificing his own rights and interests nthis
style there was as little good sense and good
taste as there was good feeling.
On some other occasions, he has exhibited
! his natural independence and tearlessncss OF
! chara cter, in n way which did HIM much more
honour, as in the affair of the Queen. Though
apparently partial to freedom in the abstract,
he was led by just and natural adherence Of
the excess of the French Revolution, and its
! adhcrents in England, to attach himself to the
Ministerial party; and, in The theory Of Gov
erament, he seems to have adopted the opin-
| ion, which, in its application to Great Britain,
"a probably correct, that the Constitution is, in
that country, thing entirely of practice, and
not Of theory; that it was not founded, and
cannot safely be reformed, according to any
known political rule, but must be left without
/ touching to follow its own course, at least I'M
til desperate evils shall require desperate rem
cdios. But, with all his great and brilliant
qualities, his political course was, on the
whole, unsuccessful, and somewhat inglorous,
until his second entrance into the cabinet of
foreign affairs. His position in the Ministry,
after his first retirement, was not honorable.
and did not appear to be easy. The ascendcn-
cy of an inferior, but more fortunate rival was
evidently unpalatable to him, and We saw him
moving about like restless spirit, in different
parts Of Europe, and finally preparing to en-
bark for the East, when the death of Lord
Castcrcagh restored him at once to his proper
post, at the very moment when it stood most
in need Of his energetic genius.
Since that time, his career has been sufic-
iently brilliant to atone for any preceding fail
ure or defect. The cris: was cminently favor
able to the exercise of superior talent, and Mr..
Canning has proved himself to be fully equal
to it. lie saw the fearful and growing power
OF despotism in his neighbourhood, and felt that
the oaly way in which England could avoid be-
coming vctim to it, was to attach her fate
at once 10 the rising empire Of freedom in Am
erica. Satisfied of this, and conscious Of his
ability to strike out new course for himself
and his country, he broke off abruptly his con-
necton with the continent, and like another
Columbus, turned his hopes and views 10 the
world embosomed in our western ocean. His
second entrance into the cabinet of foreign af
fairs marks, therefore, the opening Of a new
era in the policy, foreign and domestic, Of
Great Britain"
The conduct of Mr.. Canning towards this
nation, has not been the most liberal; an1he
seems to have looked upon us, in all our neso-
tations, with an arrogant and contemptuous
eye. Previous to the late war, ne sneered at
us; and when the intelligence Of our having as
sumed a hostile posture towards Great Britain
reached him, affected to deride us;-laughed at
our reputed impotence, and denominatcd our
fleets, parcel Of fir-sbips, with bits of striped
Bunting, tied to their masts The result of the
contest proved to him however, that We were not
so insignificant as he supposed; and taught him
that our fir-shps, were equal to the Royal
Oak" squadrons Of England. liz his cores
pondcnce with Mr.. Gallatin, relative to the
Colonial trade, a mixture Of arrogance and
chuckling has been observable; and though he
has affected TO treat us with courtesy and at