Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-17


in this country to look to the Wings for informa
tion in regard to the condition Of England We
sympathise with their opinions, and adopt their
arguments. We are comparatively ignorant Of
the opposing reasoning of the Tories, for the
reasons that their is odious and their
principles anti-liberal. 1t is however instructive
and interesting, to know by what arguments they
oppose those innovations which the spirit of the
age seeks to introduce into the Constitution of
Great Britain, and which probably already form q
part of it, and some may perhaps admit, that there
is a force and FEASIBILITY in these arguments.
which they were not prepared to expects we mean
as far as the stability and grandeur of the British
Empire concer ned.
In the September No. of BIackwood, it is de.
elared that the Reform Eli TO pass the
manners of the nation would be worse than its
morals, "and all mild men would migrate to
America" The Journal in preceding
number says:-
"Three measures may be expected after the Re-
form Bill has come into operations; and which ne
wisdom or hrmnesS, either on the part of govern
ment the legislature, will be able to ayert:-
81. The duties Baltic timber will be repeal
cd. This measure will be warmly supported by the
f1G househoders: to such men, the prospect of
getting the best wood at half its present price will
be invincible argument for such a measure Bv
this means Canada will be lost; and a colony pos-
scsslng nearly million of souls, taking off annual
y $4,000 emigrants, employing 400,0 600 tons Of
British shipping and consuming E5, 500, 900 of
British manufactures, will be lost to tho Empire:
80 The protecting duties East India sugay
Will be repealed, anu the i'm mediate Emancipation
of the negroes forced the West India proprietors
BY these means, either the flame of revolt will BIO
spread among the slave population and 100 mil
lions of British capital perish in the flames which
have consumed st. Domingo, and rendered that
hourishing colony desert, or the planters will
throw themselves into the arms of the Americans
In either view, tbe:West lndies the greatnursery
of seamen, will be forever lost to- Enpland-
The mother country distracted with her own
troubles, will be unable preserve its dominion
over those distant possessions, the French reyo-
lutIonary Government 10 save the wreck of
its once f1ourshng West India Colonies
SO. India and the China trade will be thrown
open to the clamorous multitudcs, who will seek in
the eastern world that subsistence which tne pas
slons of the demagogues have denied them in their
own country. They will carry with them to the
shores of the Gauges the fierce passions and I'M
bending democracy of the mother state: and the
airy fabric of our Indian Empire now upheld only
by the steady rule of stable and despotic govern
ment will be overthrown. Fifty thousand men
can never maintain their sway one hundred
millions, but by the firm hand of absolute power.
The passions of democracy will speedily tear that
splendid, but absolute and himsy empire into pie
ces. The loss of all colonies may be looked
forward to as the inevitable result of the reform
bill. How can it be otherwise with measure
which at once disfFanchizes all the colonial inte-
rests witch closes the door by which they have hith
erto been represented
"Such extreme disasters will for certain produce
one effect. All parties will become weary of dis
traction and suffering; the period, the inevitable
period, will arrive, when the dominion of Il firm
hand viii! DO required to staunch the wounds Of
the state. A Cesar, Cromwell, NapoIean, will
seize the sceptre, and military despotsm will close
the drama Of English reform. 1t will close it after
years of anguish and suffering; after the empire
has lost its colonies, and with them its naval upro-
macy; after unhcard Of suffering has tanned our
people, and the goros of the British name arc clo-
Sad forever"