The National Register. — 1820-02-27 (London, England)

TIIE NA TIONAL REGISTER.  enable them to distinguish accurately the friend of the people, from the supporter of arbitrary power. Upon a review of the late measures in Parliament, what strikes us with the greatest surprise is, the cry raised against blasphemy in this very religious country, which deserves to be termed at the present day, par excellence, hasula Sanetoruna. " As well, to use a comparison of Dr. Johnson's, might they have raised a cry of fire in the time of the flood"—but the success with which the cry was received in the country, while it proved the deep religious sensibilities of the people, proved at the same time the injustice of the imputation to any serious extent—the alarm was sounded—the fortification 3 were manned, and instead of a besieging army, only a few contemptible stragglers were descried. That very sensible men could conscientiously put faith in the cry of blasphemy is to us incredible, and it is accordingly with great satisfaction that we find many of our Whig representatives manfully and strenuously resisting and exposing the absurd cries of blasphemy and sedition, and uniformly voting ag..inst all those harsh and severe, restrictive measures, which have been erected on so flimsy a foundation. In conformity with the principles of Mr. Fox, and of the Revolution of 1688, the IVhigs in Parliament pursued a singularly consistent career, invariably defending the liberties of the people against the encroachments of power, and acting upon those broad principles of equity, which arc not the segments of a circle, but the circle itself. The feelings and :he sentiments of the hh:pen' dent Freeholders in general arc quite alive on the point; and we are fully persuaded that they require no exhortations from us to stimulate them in their exertions to resist the dogmatical edicts, and defeat the presumptuous attempts Ulan aristocratical junto. Those who contend fur freedom against arbitrary power, ought always to recollect that  "fI t,e is he uiui 1, who halls hii tinarrd just "  Our anxiety fbr the success of the Patriot cause in Spain, and the horror excited by the assassination of the Duke de Berri, have both been superseded by the discovery of a most extensive plan of massacre in our own metropolis,—tire particulars we have given at length in another part of our Paper, yet prmed as we are for time and room, we cannot leave the subject without again recording our detestation of the crime of assassination under any circumstance, in any situation whatever ; in so doing we o:tly echo we arc sure the opinion of every Whig in the Empire.. Politically, tin' present Ministers :we of necessity abhorred by the and yet, we are convinced, that there could not be found one among them who would hesitate to oppose his sword, at the risk of his life, to the uplifted dagger of the assassin, if aimed at any of the Administration.  We have received the Paris Papers of Friday last. the assassination of the Duke de Berri. The proceedings in the Chambers of l'eers and Deputies (the French Houses of Lords and Comnions) arc too long for us :o attempt an abridgment of them. The Ministers of France, like the Ministers of England, embrace with avidity any occurrence, however melancholy, if tiny can pervert it, to the purpose of the curtailment of the liberties of the people, or to the addition of the excessive power of the Crown that is, the Ministers of the moment), and this they modestly call the necessary strengthening the hands of Government. We lament the full of the Doke de Berri, not because we believe that he was by any means an estimable Prince, but because we are chilled by the horror of homicide under any, and especially under so terrible, circumstances; but we execrate that cool calculating political feeling which can equally avail itself of the discontents produced by stamtion, or the murder of a Prince, as the means of depriving the people of their unquestioned rights. The French Ministers have dared to introduce to their doubtless equally pliant Parliament