Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-01-07
From the New Mon,hly Magazine, for Dec.
THE NEW MINISTRY.

paper, the business of Parliament has assumed de-
clsve and important character ana the Lower House
has indicated itself in he eys of the country from
the charges of apathy, Indifference and ncapacIty
which were brought against the last parliament
: so universally and justly. From the very Commence
mcnt; 1t seems To have been felt by he Leading mem
bers of the House of Commons that the public were
no longer to be tred with that spirit was abroad
without the wall, which would only be satisfied by
the manifestation of n corresponding Spirit within
and that the time and the circumstances OF the coun
try demanded bold ard energetic discharge of the
duties OF the peoples representatives. 1t had been
well for the late Ministry if they had meditated a
little upon his state OF public feeling, and determin-
ed to act in accordance with it, before they
tured to meet the Parliament II had been well for
them If they had recollecied that little addition
of intellectual force some habit of plain dealing
and PLAIN speaking; recollection of and COM
mlseration Tor, the comm people ana their distress
ses some use of argument in deba'e. and some skill
10 graphic with the arguments of others were be-
come abundantly necessary for those who would
conduc, the affairs Of Government, and meet the
assembled Parliament at such time as this. But
all these things they seemed To have fnrgottep and
| they before Parliament and the country in the
old fashion wherein they had struggled through the
two preceding sessions; if there were any chance
1t was. strange to say, TN additional appearance of
obstinate perseverance IN those very thnrs about
which the public decision for beneficial reform,
was equally distinct and notorious. The speech
which Ministers put into the month of the King
was, taking 1t all for ALL better spcec! than that Of
| February last which opcred the precednr Session.
but this is only saying that it was bitter than wha
was extremely bad for what sentiment did the speech
OF last Session create but thai of ndigna;iop3 II
should have been remembered that there was vast
cause, well as room. for great IMPROVEMENT
IN the Speech from tn" Throne. ard hat the char
acter both OF HI KING, whose sentiments 1t shouId
purport to convey, ard nf the political event which
1t was necessary to notice, required an Infusion of
popular sentiment, Very different from he Inflv air
and vague generality by which it was-n1i ajsfin-
gutshed, but mnd"s Ike unto the many that Lad gone
be.orci it
Unless w:lfuly shut their eyes to the events
which are taking place IN the world around them I'm
less they determined, obstnhtely and blindlv to
contlrae steering In the same Course. THOUGH
breakers are evidently ahead giving palpable warn
ing of The Danger; unless they had rather lose all
through incident pride, than bestIr themselves and
earn continuance Of their tenure ofreSpec' and in
tnencc by enGeavorpg to deserve them in active ser
vice. they must ahap' themselves to the new form of
crcum>ta nces, ard perceiving the nquiring habits
upon political matters which have grown IN anooro
the people, they must take care IN the political
documents they bring forward and the principles thew
advocate, where the interests of the people are con
cerned. N"w, with reg 'rd to thr Hng's Speech it
Fl should have been composed with special reference 10
the feverlsh state OF mems minds respecting Reform
over all Europe, to the dstresscs and disconeuts OF
The common people at home and 10 the expediercv Of
proving to the people. a. the moment tn Govern
men' is careful guardian of their interests and no
cessary to their well-beIng BIT what DO we-what
did the people, end in the Speech? After ;e usra
the Government, in its first commun cation with the
public the French Revolution OF july. Sta, cs
'the elder branch of the House of Bourbon no lonr
er reIgns in France; and the Duke Of Orleans hoe
been called to the throne by the title of the KING oil
the French " What piece Of pornpnus afTec. alton
was this! How ridiculous to refrain from acEnow
lodging the fact, that the people of neohboriuo
country had accomplished great revolution hecnuse
their sovereign, TIA was, had dared to venture upon
indispensable tyranny Had the knowledre of the
events in France been confined to the members of tbe
| Cabinet, this method Of announcing them however
wrong might have had melliuible purpose and
would not have been absurd but kn wn as il yvae an
while the hearts of all the English people were boat
ing with warm feelings IF admiration for The COURAGE
and moderation which had been displayed by he
French, 1t was IN the highest degree foolish as well
as wrong to speak as If the Government were no ni
the people, nor with the people, and as if i;-yere a
sbamed even to name them, while it acknowledged
! what they had accomplished and the contest which
had been gvcn to the changes which thew had made
/ The language used seemed borrowed from Tho nbrs
geology of BoDaparc when he overturned dyna siies
and set up HIS military tyranny in their s,ead. brt -
British Government, IN announcing such an event to
the BRUSH Commons, should have plainly Il old tho
whole truih-that the French poop had ietbroned
their king for attempting to impose rules upon them
by his absolute author ty, supported by military force
ana ana tnat tney had chosen another king in his place.
But the mistaken Ministry, like Pope's Dean
s'Wbo never mentond Hell to ears polite"
seem to have been afraid to introduce a1y thi, err
vulgar and ineIegant as the power Of The pcoDlc-
There time when all this aight have done verv
we'll but that tine has gone by, and W. eau tell hose
whose lofty taste induces hem to turn away, "7,nso
nd"nco +" from the name and the thought of the COM
mon people, that even their own principles they
act most erroneousIy for the only way now to keen
the people at civil distance. is to treat them civiy
! Again; mere attention to political prudence sci
ting aside any higher motive. ehould lave prevented
the government from making HE KING saw that sho
(omcn'ed bat the enlightened adminrsf ration of tho
k1ng OF the Netherlands should not have preserved
! his d"mlnions from revolt" "Enhrhtcncd admins
tration" by The way, is vic phrase fit only for y
boarding school politician "a back writer Of news.
but let that pass, and let ask why should we cali
thai administration "cnIgbtonad" against which The
people living under hayr rnvolcd? Do we know
better than they, Aud, granting that VIC do. and
that the people Of the Low Countries were ,yrong
IN opposing their king, to what purpose do we in
state paper which pledges the government Of The
country 10 particular sentiments, make use of the Of
iens've term ''rev"?' When king ou'rar,ry the
IaW attemPs 10 establish de-posm and is beaten and
GSth'on'dl ~ the attempt after many of his SUBJECTS
nave been slaughtered. then arc merely told as
IN IN" chIIds play Of Queen Anne's dead that .qbe
P'Ger G.anch OF the House Of Bourbon no longer
regnS When the people, dissatisfied with tho
] government, attack he nn,ver cr tho Lr;,,