The National Register. — 1815-07-23 (London, England)

POLITICAL REGISTER.  I can, for my part. see no reason whatever, which ought to restrain 0110 from giving one's opinion freely as tO the conduct, or the character, of the dead, which would not apply with equal force to the case of the livilf.f. For *.what are all the tombs, the epitaphs, the mon unients, and other memorials, of the dead? Are they riot intended to perpetuate the praise of the dead? And how is praise to live except on man's lips? history, where it dares speak out, spares not the dead ; and what is history hut the record of the actions of men.? Why, then, this squeamishness in epeaking of the recent dead, when all agree, that we may freely speak of thosc who died at a distant period ? If, indeed, it be of poor peis'ons, or, of those who come by their death in consequence of their offences. again,d vozcer, the press seems to be at full liberty to dial With them at pleas.ttro ; while, for years, at least, the rich, or powerful, sreru to find in the grave a complete slii(l.l from-every thing but the praise of partial frictids and' hireling scribes. Notwithstanding these reflections, however, I should not have noticed either to', manner of the death, or even the public'conduct of this gentleman, had not the press teemed with observations and assertions with respect to him; net only unsupported by any proof of their truth, but, as to many points, containing liagt.ant falsehoods. Mr. WorrawEan Wai a man of great natural talents; his application to study and public affairs had been great; he ‘v.as possessed of a large store of »seful knowledge; he was acute in ,ler•ceiv;i4, clear arid strong his st..t Ments reasimings,land eloquent in the cialveying of j his ideas- to others. But, a's to being 'the pat; of that he, has been represented, as tolhe. loss which the country has sustained by his death, .1 recollect• very fey, instances, in which he even endeavoured to accomplish for tlitconu-, 41  (. .5 .. r  • ,  . . try objects worthy of the exertions of a great never cordially and heartily co-operated witi sought a reform in the House of Commons, was too sensible a man not to perceive, not convinced, that no object short of that was serious effort ; nay, he must have been well that his frequent contests about comparative calculated to amuse the nation with false n expectations ; that he was drawing their nth the true cause of their calamities; diverting of the public mind from its useful end ; shield to the citadel of political evil, by wei exhausting the assailing force in skirmishings ab, beyond even the foot of the glacis. Vanity appears to have been his ruling pa was constantly in search after triumph. No: of a daily victory seemed to suffice. This led him to pursue, in Parliament, la petite guerre. Nothing was too little for him; no subject too contemptible; no adversary too feeble; no quantity or kind of applause beneath his eager acceptance. The cheering of the Honourable House, the clappings of play-actors, the hum of the Bible Society; all were swallowed with equal avidity. Much has been said about his openness and sincerity. But it unfortunately happens, that this character has been given by the most profound and most successful hypocrite upon the j'acc of the whole earth; and, indeed, he appears not to have wholly unmerited such praise at such bands. For whore was his sincerity, where was his principle, when, after most furious attacks on Perceval and Castlereagh, he protested that he meant nothing disrespectful to them, and walked out of the House with them armin-arm. Either he believed what he had said of their conduct, or he did not; and in either case his insincerity was Manifest. This was, too, calculated to produce a most pernicious effect on the public, who, after hearing him, for years, accusing Perceval, heard him amongst the foremost, -saw him the very bell-weather of the Hock in extolling his character and conduct, and in voting large sums of the public money as a compensation for his public services. If it he just to call such a man sincere, insincerity does not exist in the world. Ido not say, and I do not think, that he was proneditately deceitful. He was led away by his vanity. Having obtained, from one side, the praise clue to a bold assailant and defeater of the minister, he next sought, from the other 'gide, the praise of candour and liberality. His vanity was a foul-feeder, but it was admirably calculated to nullify all his attacks, and to keep alive a, remnant of that popular delusion as to party, which had still remained after the coalition of the Grenvilles and the Whigs. AMongst those who were at all under his power; he was intolerant. Ills vanity forced, where it had power, all to administer to it; and where it had not power to enforce it, it resorted to -stratagems to gain its ends. That he was really insane, at the time of putting an end to his life, I have no doubt ; and, it is a fact well known, that vanity is the most frequent cause of insa-nity as well as of suicide. Why do we hear of so many men killing theluselvea when they fall from great riche:, to povoly ? It 'is not because they fear punielnient, for a, e are sure to receive none ; it is not because (they fear that they shall want the Means'of existence, for the 'mere baubles in their families will afford them