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For several years it had been the fashion, amongst the "loyal" in this country, to bid those who found fault with the measures of Pitt and Dundas, and who did not like the idea of living in the continual liability to be sent to jail, without any charge of crime, and without any Habeas Corpus Act whereby to obtain a hearing; it had, for years, been the fashion, amongst the loyal, to bid such "malecontents" to "leave the country, if they did not like it." But, in 1809, when many persons expressed their discontent at the things proved to have been done by the Duke of York. Mrs. Clarke, Castlereagh, Perceval, Sandon, O'Meara, Redding, and others. Fuller. a Member of Parliament, exclaimed, in the House of Commons, in answer to some one who had been complaining of these things"Old England! And those who don't like it, d-n them, let them leave it!"

This was a very modest sort of doctrine; such as the Lauds, and Jeffries, and Scroggses, would, of course, have held in their day. The Act of Habeas Corpus we boast of as the only security for personal liberty. Yet, was this act suspended for seven years at one time, though there was neither invasion nor rebellion. For seven years Pitt and his associates imprisoned, during their pleasure, whomsoever they pleased, and for as long a time, as they pleased, without ever bringing the imprisoned persons to Those who did not like this; who liked as little the new laws about the press and about treason; and who thought it rather hard for a man to be liable to be hanged, have his bowels ripped up, and his body chopped into four quarters, for sending a bushel of potatoes to France.

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Those who did not relish these things were told "d-n them," that they might leave the country. Those who did not approve of the law, which made it treason to send a bushel of corn to France; those who did not approve of the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act; those who did not approve of Mrs. Clarke's selling Commissigns in the army; those who did not approve of the letting, or selling, of seats in Parliament; those who did not approve of the innumerable and monstrous robberies committed by the placemen, pensioners, and contractors, and of the atrocious cruelties inflicted on every man who dared to speak, or publish, truth; those who did not approve of all these things, and of that bloody and expensive war, which was waged for the purpose of preventing liberty from being established in France: every man who did not approve of these things, was insolently told to leave the country, while, however, laws were kept in force to prevent people from leaving it! Those who could not be happy under these oppressions and insults; those who were discontented with these things, were always told, by the "loyal," that they might leave Old England, if they did not like it. In vain did we (for I soon became one of the malecontents) observe, that we had no dislike to Old England; that, on the contrary, we liked it exceedingly; that it was the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, the deeds discovered relative to Pitt and Melville, the Bills of indemnity to Pitt, the deeds mentioned in Mr. Maddocks's motion, the deeds and proceedings in the case of the Duke of York and Mrs. Clarke, the language of Perceval and Canning, the new laws about the press and about treason; in vain did we observe, that it was these things, together with the enormous taxes laid upon us, that we did not like, and that, as we humbly conceived, these things were not "Old England," which we loved very sincerely, and which we were ready to defend (if she should be placed in danger) to the utmost of our power. We said, that we had never before heard that Foreign Troops, stationed in the heart of the country, and Foreign Officers commanding whole districts of it, were

Oid England;" and, that, until now, we had never heard it disputed, that Englishmen might dislike such troops and offi

cers without exposing themselves to the It is now that men are tried to the botcharge of disliking" Old England.” In tom. Who are they, who are now seekvain did we urge this distinction. No: Pitt, and Dundas, and Paul Benfield, and the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the Duke of York, and Perceval, and Mrs. Clarke, and O'Meara, and Canning, and Croker, and Sandon, and Redding, and Castlereagh, and the Hanoverian Officers and Troops, and the Income Tax, and the Licences for the Press; these, our oppo-nents insisted, were Old England; and, if we did not like it, we might leave it.

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ing cheap living on the Continent? who are they, who are now leaving the burdens of the war to be sustained by others? Not those who were opposed to the war. Who are they who are now giving up the country in despair? Not those who have, for so many years, been calumniated as the friends of France. It is now become visible, that those who were most opposed to the measures of the government; those who condemned the numerous acts To have been obliged to endure this in-hostile to freedom; who censured the unsolent language for so many years gives warrantable pretensions set up by the gous a claim now to exercise a little retalia-vernment against foreign nations: it is tion. When we hear those, who for- now become visible, that these persons merly bade us leave the country, crying are the least reluctant to bear their share out against the Income Tax, we now bid of the sufferings which the war has enthem leave Old England," if they do tailed upon the country. And, the reanot like it. Some of them seem to be en- son is this; that they foresaw these sufdeavouring to profit from the hint; for a ferings, and were prepared to meet them. Member stated a few nights ago, in the Such persons know how to estimate justly House of Commons, that a very worthy the character and qualities of their counman lately applied to him to get the go try. Such persons, while they despise vernment to send him and his family to the exaggerations and the empty boastBotany Bay! This must amuse NAPO-ings, and abhor the atrocious hypocrisy, LEON, if he should happen to hear of it. by which the foolish have been gulled by Nine tenths, nay, ninety-nine hundredths, the wicked, can discover in the bravery, of those who now so bitterly complain of the zeal, the perseverance, the hardihood, the taxes, the tithes, the poor rates, and the incessant labour, the unparalleled the standing army, have a thousand times mutual confidence, of Englishmen, and bid the Jacobins leave the country, if they in their kindness and generosity, (where did not like it. We now return the ad- prejudice is dumb,) quite enough to make vice, with this addition, that, if they can- them love their country. If such persons not leave "Old England," they have our have not seen with deep regret the disfree and hearty consent to hang or drown comfiture of the late project against the themselves in it. We do now, as we al-American States, accompanied as it was ways did, like Old England better than with disgrace, which, in itself, was most any other country in the world. We painful to contemplate, it was because never intended, or wished, to leave it. they were convinced, that the success of We answer, as Major Cartwright did, that project would, in the end, have when some one advised him to go to proved the everlasting grave of the liberAmerica, during the first American war: ties of England; and because, the hu66 No: though I disapprove of what is miliation, though great in itself, was "doing on board the Old Ship, I'll never much diminished by the reflection, that "quit her, while there is any hope of her those who inflicted it were the sons of being saved; and, even if that hope va- Englishmen. The battles, fought in Eunishes, I'll stay and sink with her." Irope, have, in proportion to the numbers do not say, that any man is bound to do engaged, been mere child's play, comIt was this; but, I do say, that, while there is a pared to those fought in America. chance of seeing the country what it there, and there only, that we met with ought to be; while any man, embarked our match; and, when it is considered in the public cause, can, without a mani- who it was with whom we fought, the only festly useless sacrifice of his life or pro- really humiliating reflection is, that the perty, continue the struggle, it is baseness enemy should so far have excecded us in in him to avoid by flight his share of the generosity. calamities of his country.

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The late long, expensive, devastating

plundering, and bloody wars, marked as national affairs, and with this singular adthey were in their progress, and have been vantage over former times, that political in their result, by so many and such great parties have, during the time of turmoil, evils to the world, and to England in par- been so completely exposed and discreticular, have left behind them no evil dited, as never to be able again to deequal to that of the change in our national ceive the people, and to draw off their atcharacter. As towards foreign nations tention from those objects that are of real we were always proud, insolent, and importance to them. Amongst many heagrasping for dominion and power. But, vy losses we have, at any rate, this clear of late, we have discovered other passions gain; that there is not now to be found and dispositions, which I will not de- any of that doltishness, which formerly scribe, and which certainly did not for divided every town and every company merly belong to us. To take from us into Whigs and Tories. There was a our laborious and persevering habits in time when no inconsiderable part of the all the departments of life, our confidence people wore the Windsor Uniform, as a between man and man, our strong and mark of attachment to PITT, or, Blue and even violent parental and filial affections, Buff, as a mark of attachment to Fox. I is, perhaps, impossible. That love of will engage that there is not, even amongst country, which consists in a contempt, or the lowest of the people, a single man hatred, of all other countries, still con- now to be found in England, who would tinues in full force; but, that attachment not laugh to scorn any attempt to make to liberty, which was amongst the best bim believe, that one of the parties is of our characteristics, has been greatly better than the other. Lord GREY, I enfeebled, and chiefly by the means of the have heard, attributed this destruction of most active and corrupt press that ever the credit of party to me. I thank his disgraced a nation; which press has, for Lordship for the honour he did me, but 25 years, been constantly employed in it was not my due. The country owes the cause of despotism; which has, at this inestimable benefit to SIR FRANCIS last, made us look with satisfaction at BURDETT more than to any other man what is going on in France and Spain; living; but, indeed, it was the disclosures, and which is now tolerated, while it jus- made from 1805 to 1809, inclusive, that tifies the re-establishment of the Inqui-procured us this great and permanent sition and the massacre of Protestants. A good. The people have learnt a great passion for what is called national glory deal. They now understand much more has usurped the place of our love of civil than they ever before understood about and political liberty. We seem conscious the nature and operations of the governof our loss of the latter, and appear to try ment; about the way in which taxes are to make the world forget it by the noise expended, and about the manner in which we are making about the former. The they themselves are affected by them. distress which has, at last, been brought Mere sounds, mere signals of party, have upon us by our pursuit of this phantom, lost their power. The Bible Societies, may, perhaps, awaken us to a sense of though very numerous and active, are our folly and injustice; and, if it should, wholly insufficient to check the spirit of it will prove to be the greatest of bless-political inquiry and investigation. The ings.

What I, a hundred times, foretold has come to pass. The war being at an end, the fears of the timid being dissipated, the passions of the brave being allayed, the prejudices of all affording no longer such an immense scope for the deceivers of the press, the nicknames of politics being banished from the language, we begin to have a disposition to estimate one another according to our real worth, and, above all, our minds, which must always be at work with energy upon something Ar another, begin to be turned to our own

distresses now prevailing, the discussions as to the causes of these distresses, the pressing nature of them, the great and immediate interest which they excite in all classes, must add to the stock of national information.

It is much to be desired, not only for our own sake, but that of the whole world, that we should be actuated by just sentiments; for, strange as it appears at first sight, the peace, happiness, and freedom of mankind is, in a great degree, in our hands. The narrow limits of the country, its comparatively barren soil, its un

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and it is of the union of individual energy that national power principally consists. To what does America owe the achievement and the preservation of her independence, but to the arms of a race of men,

because, from their infancy, they have been bred to labour and perilous pursuits?

- favourable climate, and its scanty popu- | labour too. Every man, also, aims at perlation, make it appear presumptuous to fection in his way He is not content hold it up in this important point of view. unless he has something or another, in But, when we come to look more closely which he does, or thinks he does, surinto the matter, we shall not find the no- pass all other men. Hence our fine tion so very wild. An Englishman, while horses, dogs, sheep, cattle, the breeds of he eats and drinks no more than an- which are ́attended to with such inflexiother man, labours three times as many ble perseverance. A score or two of hours in the course of a year as any other gentlemen riding full speed down a hill man. His life is three common lives. nearly as steep as the roof of a house, People of other countries have some lei- where one false step must inevitably send sure hours. An Englishman has none. horse and rider to certain death, is an He always walks or rides as fast as he object to be seen nowhere but in EngYou may know him from all the land. Nor are these sports, and that of rest of the world by his head going be- boxing and other perilous exercises, to be fore his feet; by his pushing along as if left out in an enumeration of the causes going for a wager, and by his stoop and of national power, though shallow philohis round shoulders. An American gen-sophers affect to despise them. They tend tleman observed, that, when he first came to produce great energy in individuals, to London, all the people in the streets "seemed as if they were going on an "errand, and had been charged to make " haste back.' "" Never was there a better description. If we see a man walking at a leisurely pace, in the country, we sus-brave because they are hardy, and hardy pect him to be a thief, or, at least, a, vagrant. Sunday seems to be the only day in the week when an Englishman does not In England every man tries to excel enjoy himself. He lolls about, and looks all others, not so much in rising above out of spirits. The old, saying, that them in the scale of life, but in the par"when the Devil finds any one with no- ticular line of life in which he is placed. "thing to do, he is sure to set him to He would rather not do any thing at all "work," certainly had its origin in Eng-than not do it well. To this unconquerland. I wonder such a people should ever able spirit of perseverance it is that we have had a Sunday or Churches. The owe that astonishing perfection to which Pope has left us some Saint's Days; but we have arrived in most of mechanic they have been disregarded by the nation arts, and in whatever appertains to agriat large; and, though retained for a long culture, though, as to the last, we have, while in the public offices, they have all in many respects, to contend against nabeen abolished, at last, by Act of Parlia-ture itself. In every thing where horses ment, the nation being too busy to indulge are the chief instruments, (and horses are the whims of the Holy Father any long-second only to men,) the English so far To have an idea of the everlasting surpass all the rest of the world, that industry of this nation, you have only to there is no room for comparison. The look at the garden of a labouring man. man who has a mind to know something This is the scene of his leisure hours; of England in this respect, should walk that is to say, the twilight and the Sunday, from the Tower of London to Charing when he will cultivate flowers or shrubs Cross a' little after daylight in the mornrather than submit to a minute's rest. ing, while the streets are clear of people. He would then see the teams of immense horses, drawing up from the bank of the Thames, coals, timber, stone, and other heavy materials. One morning last summer I counted, in various places, more than a hundred of these teams, worth each of them, harness, wagon, load and all, little less than a thousand pounds. The horses, upon an average, weigh more

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This propensity to incessant labour is common to all ranks of life. The lawyers, doctors, parsons, merchants; all are alike; and, as to the shopkeepers and tradesmen, they know not what leisure or pleasure means. The Gentle men are as busy as the rest. They are half their lives on horseback. Hunting and shooting are their labour; and hard

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other men, and if he travels twice as fast as either of them, he is better than both of them to bis employer, because he eats no more than one of them, and requires no more clothes, lodging, &c., than one of them. It is just the same with a nation of such men. And, therefore, in estimating the strength of England, or any other

than a ton. But, next after a fox-hunt, ence in men, my friend." It is very clear, the finest sight in England is a stage-that, if there be one man who does, in coach just ready to start. A great sheep the same line of business, as much as two or cattle fair is a beautiful sight; but, in the stagecoach you see more of what man is capable of performing. The vehicle itself, the harness, all so complete and so neatly arranged; so strong, and clean, and good. The beautiful horses impatient to be off. The inside full, and the outside covered, in every part, with men, women, children, boxes, bags, bun-country, we must look more at the chadles. The coachman, taking his reins in racter and performances of the people one hand and his whip in the other, gives than at their numbers. In England every a signal with his foot, and away go, at the thing moves in a quick pace. The stirring rate of seven miles an hour, the popula- disposition of the people shorten 'distion and the property of hamlet. One tances. More is done in the same space. of these coaches coming in, after a long of time than in other countries. The journey, is a sight not less interesting. tradesman in London almost holds a conThe horses are now all sweat and foam, versation with the tradesman at York or the reek from their bodies ascending like Exeter. a cloud. The whole equipage is covered, perhaps, with dust or dirt. But still, on it comes as steady as the hand of the clock. As a proof of the perfection, to which this mode of travelling has been brought, there is one coach, which goes between Exeter and London, the proprietors of which agree to forfeit eight-pence for every minute that the coach is behind its time at any of its stages; and this coach, I believe, travels eight miles an hour, and that, too, upon a very hilly, and, at some 'seasons, very deep road.

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But the great thing of all is the incessant labour, which is continually creating things, which give strength to a country. I do not know, that we excel some other nations in ingenuity in the useful arts. Workinen are very adroit in America. They build as well, and more neatly, than we do. They work as nimbly. But they do not work so much. They take some leisure, which we never do. I must, however, always insist, that we derive infinite advantage from our sports. To these we owe, almost entirely, our second There may be persons to say, "these selves, our horses, of speed, and even "descriptions may be very amusing to these we should not have without our your readers in America, but what use dogs. It is very well in the way of can they be of to us in England." Why,joke, to ridicule fox-hunting 'Squires and it is for you that I principally intend them. Parsons; but, if the matter be well conI wish you to see, in these instances of sidered, we shall find that these gentle'your energy and your creative industry, men are as usefully employed in this way specimens of the real causes of that na- as they would be in any other. By foltional strength, which you foolishly at-lowing this sport, they set an example of tribute to the cleverness of a financier; adventurous riding to those beneath them ; to a sinking fund; or to any other of the and, if there had been no fox-hunting in numerous humbugs, with which you have England, I much question if we should been so long amused. have seen five thousand yeomanry cavalry instead of the hundred thousand, who, at one time, were actually mounted on their own horses and in their own uniforms. No matter for the cause in which they came forth. The cause might have been different. A regiment of soldiers all of whom can ride, and box, and shoot, must be much more formidable than a regiment of men who only know how to dance, and sing, and act plays. It must be the same with a nation. The " walking mania,"

The population of a country is no standard of its strength, or, at least, the population alone is no such standard; if it were, it would be difficult to conceive how it has happened, that a handful of Englishmen have become the masters of India, and have been able to tax the people of that country as completely as we are taxed here, or very nearly so. A man is a man, to be sure; but, as Sterne said to the monk, "there is some differ

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