Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-11-25

osators run into thousand disressions and trans
iorm The debate into kind Of tournament, J, is de
hghdui to see SIR Robert Peel rise, and by few
serious and hrm remarks call back attention to tn
real matter under discussion. He is equally un
moved by the offensive provoca,ions of his enemies
and the injurious picons OF his friends and pro
ecedS in his argument with the same sang jrsi5; bu
when once engaged he never re,rogrades."
/, THE AUTHOR OF "JUNiUS' LETTERS.
From ths Edinburgh Rsris,e.
When Warren Hastings was appointed the frs
governor General, one of the four councillors
Mr. Barweli, an experienced servant OF the Compa
ny, was then in India. The other three, Geners
C'averins, MIR Monson, and Mr. Francis, wer
sent out from England.
The ablsst Of the new councillors was, beyon
all doubt, Philip Francis His aeknow lodged com
positions prove that he possessed considerable clio
quencc and information. Several years passed Il
mo public offices had formed him to habits OF busi
ness. His enemies have never denied that he had
fearless and manly spirit; and his friends. ar
AFRAID, must acknowledge that his estimate OF him
self was extravagantly high, that his teaper was r
ritaole, that his department often Iude and pet
uicnt and that his hatred was otintensc bitterness
and Of long duration.
Ii is scarcely possible TO mention this eminen
| man without ad'ertins for moment to the ques
\ ton which his name nj once suggests TO every mind
| Was no the authot of the Letters Of Junius Oul
own hrm belief is, that he was The external evr
denee is, we think, sach as would support a verdict
/ IN civil, nay m n criminal proceeding. The hand.
writing of Junius is the very peculiar handwriting
OF Francis, slightly disguised. As TO the position,
pursuits, aud connexions of Junius, the following
are the most important facts hich be considered
as clearly proved first, that he acquainted with
the technical forms OF the secretary OF states office
secondly that he intimate AGO tainted ith the
business OF the Office; thirdly, that he during
the year il7o, attended ebaies in the House OF
LoruS, and took notes of speeches, particularly of
the speeches OF Lord ChaIham; fouTthly, thai he
bitterly resented the appointment OF MIR Chamier
70 the pace OF deputy secretary-at war; filthy, ths,
he was bound 10y some strons: tic t. the first Lord
Holland. Now, Francis passed some years in the
secretary OF states office. he was subsequently
chief clerk of the Office. He repeatedly men.
toned that he had himself, in I770, heard speeches
OF Lord Chatham, and some of those speeches were
actually printed from his notes. He resigned hrs
elerkship at the Office from resentment ~ the
appointment OF Mr. Chamier. |. was by Lord HoI.
land hat he hrst introduced into the public ser
vice. Now here are hve marks, all OF which ought
TO be found in JuniuS They are all FIVE found in
Francis. We DO not believe that more than two of
them can be found IN any other person whatever
Ii this argument does not settle the question: there
IS an end OF all reasoning on circumstantial evil
dence.
The internal evidence seems to us TO point the
same way. The Style of Francis bears q strong re.
sem5ance to that of Junius; nor are we disposed
TO admit, what is generally taken for granted that
the acknowledged compositions of Francis are very
decidedly inferior the anonymous letters The ar
gumeni from Inierorty at all events, is one which
may be urged with at least equal ioTce against cy-
ery Claimant that has ever been mentioned, with
the single exception OF Burke, who certainly was
not Junus. And what conclusion, after ALL can bo
drawn from mere lnierorIty2 Every writer must
produce his best work: and the interval between
his best work and his second best work may be We
ry wide indeed. Nobody will say that the best
letters Of Junius more decidedly superior to the
acknow edged works of Francis than three or four
OF Comedies tragedies TO the rest; than three or
four of Ben Johnson's comedies TO the rest; than
the Pilgrims Progress 10 the other works of Bun
"a he fhert -
CeTyantes. Nay, It is certain that the Man in the
Mask, whoever he may rave been, was a most I'M
equal writer. To 20 no further than the letters
which bear the signature of Junius;-the letter 10
the king and the letters to Horne Tnoke, have t.
tic IN common, except the asperiIy: and asperity /
was ingIedleni seldom wanting IN the writings |
or IN the speeches Nf Francis.
Indeed one of the stronges; for believing
that Francs was JunIGs, IS the moral resemblance
between the Two men. IL is no: difficult from the
letters which, under various signatures, are known
to have been written by Junus, end from his deal
Ings with Woclia and Others, to form a tolera- !
bly, correct notion OF his character He wss clear
ly man not cesu ute OF real patriotism and mag |
nanimIty-a man whose vices we're not of sordId /
kind But he must also have been a man in the |
h CHEST degree arrogant and nsoent, man Prone to
the error OF mistak!ng hts mlleyOlence Tor the pub
lie Vidue. 'Doest thou well to be angry1' was the
q IeslOn asked IN old time of the Hebrew prophet |
And he answered, Il do WE'LL This was evidently |
the temper OF Junius and to the cause we attribute
tue savage Cruelty WHICH ulsgraCcS several Of his
letters. No man Is so mcTciless he who, under !
a strong sef-ceiusOn, cOntounds his antpattie.
with his duties. IL may be added, that Junus
though allied with the democratic party by common
enmItIes, was the very opposite Of democratic DO.
liUcIan. While attacking individuals with fero- |
city which perpetulliy violated oil the laws Of lit |
eriry warfare, he regarded the defective paris
o: old institutions with respect amounting TO pc.
dantry; pleaded The cause OF Old Sarum with fer
YOUR, and contempuousy tod the capitalists Of man.
chester and Lseds that, It they wHn;ed votes they
night buy land and become freeholders of Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire. All this, we believe, might
sand, with scarcely any change, for character Of
Philip Francis.
j. IS not strange that the great anonymous W ritter
should have been willing at that time 10 leave the
country which had been so powerfully stirred by
his eloquence. Every thing had gone against him.
That party which he clearly preferred to every 9th.
en- the party of George q senve, had been scatter.
ed by the death Of It's chief; and Lord Suffolk had
led the greater part OF 1t oyer to the ministerial
benches. The ierment produced by the Middle
sex election had gone down. Every faction must
h I'VE been alike object OF Aversion TO Junus
His opinions on domestic utfIrs separated him from
the ministry his opinions Ton colonial affairs from
the opposition. Under such circumstances he had
thrown his pen IN mIsnn;hrOpIc despair. His fare
well letter to WOodall bears da,e the 10Th of m.
uary 1873. Ia that letter, he declared that he must
be an idiot to write again; that he had meant well |
by the cause and the public that both we're given up;
that there were not ten men who would act stead
liy together on any question. But II is all alike
he added, wi and cOniempta bic. You have |
never hnched that know Of, and | shall always
rejoice 10 hear Of your Prosperity These were !
the last words OF Junus. In year from that time, |
Philip Francis was on his voyage to Bengal.