The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-11-29

CHARACTER OF BURKE.
BY LORD BYRON.

FROM WORK winch ~ rarely 10 De seen
in this country, we select the following cut
ting and severe estimate Of Burke We
give IT as a specimen Of masterly inyectiye.
Byron is sometimes UNJUST, even to South
ey, when he yields to the strong impulse
of his'burning Indignation, and there is
much injustice in the unsparing severity
with which he treats the memory Of Burke.
Still every reader will peruse withinterest
the picture of Burke, painted by such Q
man as byron. IN. Y. Cour.
BURKE. lie vanished over bad cause
with smooth words, and had power to make
the worse appear the better reason'-the
devils boast The madness Of genius was
necessary TO second the madness ofa court:
his flaming Imagination was the torch that
kindled the snioudering fire IN the inmost
sane iuary of pride and power, and spread
havoc, dismny, and desol0tion through the
world. The light OF his Imagination, spor-
tive, dazzling, beautoous as II seemed, was
followed by the stroke OF death. II SO hap-
pens that myself have played oil my lIio
with his iorked shafts uuhurt, because I
had metaphysical clue TO carry off tho
noXious PARTICLES, and let them sink into
the earth, like drops of water But tho
English nation are nation OF metaphysics
clans, or they would have detected, aud
smiled or wept over the glittering iallacIes
of this half reasoner, but, at the same
time, most accomplished rhetorclan that
The world ever saw. Butthey are perpex-
ed by sophislry, Supplied by prejudlces
staggered by authority. In the way OF
common sense and practical inquiry, they
do we'll enough: but start a paradox, and
they know not what TO make OF II They
either turn from il altogether, or If lpte-
rest or fear give them motives to attend to
II, are'iascinated by 1t. They cannot ana
lyze or separate the true from the seeming
good. Mr.. Pitt, with his deep mouthed
common places, was able To follow IN the
same track, and hll up the cry, but lac could
not have given the tone TO political feeling.
or led on the chase with $50 musical dis
cord, such sweet thundet," Burke slrew-
cd the flowers OF his siyle over the rotten
carcase OF corruption, aud cmbalmed II in
immortal prose he contriyed, by the foico
OF nrtiul invective and misappled cpithets,
| to persuade the people OF England thut
Liberty was an iliheral, hollow sound; that
| humanity was barbnrous modern inyen-
| that reason vas strumpet and right fc-
non. Every other view of the subject bue
his ("so well the tempter glozed') seemed
TO be without attraction, elegance, or re-
6nctDcnt Politics became poetry in hia
hands, his savings passed like proverbs
from mouth TO mouth, and his descriptions
aud siniIes we've uunl,red nnd repeated by
,he fashionable and tho fair. Liberty from
thenceiOrward became low thing: pbilos-
ophy was spring nailed, velvet paved
tyger cat, with green eyes, watching ita
opportunity to dart upon It's prey: humanity
was lurking assassin. The emblems OF
our cardinal and fayoritc virtues were o.
yerturncd the whole vocabulary ofDation-
al wuichwordB was inverted or displaced.
This was a change indeed in our style OF
thinking, more alarming than that in our
cnlendar formerly, and this change was
brought about By Mr.. Burke, who sUftened
down hard reasons in the cruciblc Of hia
fancy. and WHO gave TO his epithets tho
force Of fnicknBmes. Iialfthe business was
done by his description Of the Queen Of
France. II was on appeal to all women OF
quolity:to all whowerc, or would be thought
cavaliers or mob Of honor 10 all who wero
admirers of beauty, or ronk. or sex. Yet
what IL had to do with the question, it
would be difficult TO say. IL a woman IN
handsome, il il well but IL is no reaEhu
why she should poison her husband, or be-
tray country. II, instead Of being young
beautiful. and fee Of manners, Marie An
tonette had been old. ugly, and chuste, all
this mischief had been prCTentcd. The
author Of the Reflections had seen or
dreamt he saw most delightful vision six,
teen years before, which had thrown bra
brain into a ferment; and he was determin-
ed to throw his readers and the world into
one too. II was a theme for a copy Of yeT-
ses, or romance; not for work in which
the dostinies Of ofmankind were Ia be weigh
ed. Yet she was the Helen that opened
another Had Of woes; and the world hns
paid for that occursed glance at youthful
beauty with rivers Of blood.
--1os-.
NORTH EASIERN BOUNDARY
Tie National Journal Of Saturday, I7th
inst. contains The following article:
"From some resolutions passed at vari-
Gus meetings in Lower Canada, which ap-
peared in our daily paper Of yesterday, and
arc to be found IN our country journal Otto
day, II will be seen that our Canadian
neighbors are about 10 petition the King
for the purpose Of Wrestling from Us the
country on the borders Of the river ~. John,
which our Government claims under tho
provisions Of the treaty Of 1888. The re.
solutions pledge the petitioners to aid his
Majesty in preserving that tract Of country
to the Canadas, at any sacrifice on thcis
part. We regret 10 see this restlessness
Of disposition on the port ofour neighbors,
and cannot but attribute il, in some degree,