Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

of the National Affembly in arming the citizens before they under. took the great work of legiflation. The author then, with mach fpirit and plainnefs, points out the corruptions of our own government from its inadequate reprefentation, its incompetency to prove a proper check against the executive power, the propriety of foon removing the inconvenience, and the probability that, like other evils, it will foon arrive at such a height as to prove its own cure.

The late Lord Chatham foretold that our rotten boroughs could not outlive this century; and, fhort as the period now is, prefent appearances ftrongly indicate the completion of his prophecy. The cause which has convulfed the kingdom of France exits with us in a two-fold degree. Should the people not be tempted to inquire on what principle trustees for seven years have fold the inheritancefhould they not reflect, that as the bulk of revenue must be drawn from the daily labour of the multitude, to sweat and toil for others without reward, is not the characteristic distinction of freedom-or fhould not the preffure of their neceffities operate independent of reafon; the modern fyftem of revenue carries internally the feeds of its own destruction. When the fyftem of borrowing firft commenced, the taxation being light, and impofed on fubjects of univerfal confumption, was little felt by the people, while the funds created were a ftock always ready at command, which circulated paper to three times the amount, and, operating as money, gave life and vigour to manufactures. The effect was, that these taxes gradually increafed to nearly three times the amount with the growing profperity of the ftate. The natural objects of taxation have been long fince engroffed, the induftry of the country is oppreffed with accumulated burthens, and the reverse of the former effect approaches with hafty ftrides. The taxes which have been given for the last 1,500,0col. of revenue have not yielded 900,000l. and have nevertheless decreased the product of the former taxes, while the numbers of our people decline. Yet the caufes of public profufion continue to operate with increafing force. Reformation (in the fource of this evil, a perverted nominal reprefentation) will be forced upon us by inevitable neceffity. It cannot long be delayed.

These are the reflections which the convulfions of a neighbouring kingdom have fuggefted to my mind, and which Mr. Burke's pamphlet has provoked me to commit to the prefs. If, in combating his opinions, I have advanced pofitions on the general fubject of government which others may condemn, I have no wish to screen my own errors from detection. All investigation promotes the cause of truth. The terrors of Mr. Burke's eloquence will not prevent me avowing the fincere conviction of my mind. I therefore beg leave to repeat, that all legitimate government muft for ever rest on the willing obedience of the great body of the people; and that when force is employed against them, under any form of conftitution, the people have not only a perfect right, but it becomes their duty to refift. That all power exercised by a part is a trust derived from the whole community, created folely for their benefit, and which can be held by no other tenure than by their confent. That, to secure the

E 3

willing

willing obedience of the people, the duties which we all owe to our country are, to extirpate every prejudice from their minds, to convince their reafon, to explain the principles of our conftitution, and thus, with their concurrence, reforming its abuses, endeavour to render it in practice, as in theory, the most perfect fyftem of government which ever appeared in the hiftory of mankind.'

Such are the fentiments of this elegant and candid writer. If fome of our readers should think the language too forcible, let them recollect how neceffary fuch an antidote is to the lurking venom of Mr. Burke.

ART. 15. Obfervations on the Reflexions of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke on the Revolution in France. In a Letter to the Right Hon.

the Earl of Stanhope. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Dilly. London, 1790.

Thefe obfervations, which report afcribes to the celebrated Mrs. Macauley Graham, are, in many refpects, worthy fuch a pen. The ftyle contains all that ftrength, harmony, and perfpicuity, which has always diftinguished this elegant writer; and the hiftorical remarks are as judiciously applied as we are accustomed to meet from her. There are, indeed, many inaccuracies of language, which the hafte in which the performance was brought out can only account for and excufe. The whole of Mr. Burke's book undergoes a pretty close review; and if we did not suspect our readers must be a little weary of a subject which had only novelty, long expectation, and the name of Burke, to recommend it, we would gladly tranfcribe many extracts from this anfwer. Suffice it to fay, the performance has great merit, and has no other defect than what we have mentioned, except fometimes dwelling a little too long on felf-evident propofitions. The laft may be excufed by recollecting the variety of ways in which Mr. Burke has endeavoured to distort truth.

ART. 16. Short Obfervations on the Right Hon. Edmund Burke's Reflections. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kearfley. London, 1790.

[ocr errors]

6

This fmart little pamphlet is full of very good things, and has the advantage of being fhort, which is no fmall one on a fubject of which the public must begin to tire. It is chiefly directed against Mr. Burke's falfehoods and mifreprefentations. Treafons, robberies,' fays the author, rapes, affaffinations, flaughters, and burnings, throughout the baraffed lands; fraud, impoftures, violence, rapines, murders, confifcations, compulfatory paper currency, and every defcription of cruelty, form a picture fo truly hideous, that I am at a lofs to recollect the country, in which I have paffed the laft five months, without hearing of a fingle robbery or murder.'

To comfort Mr. Burke, under his diftreffes on account of the amiable queen's fufferings, he affures him that, according to the official report of M. Chabroud, the chamber of the queen was never prophaned by the infurgents; and that the gallant centinel, whofe death is fo pathetically lamented, ftill lives to receive the reward of his intrepid loyalty.

1

Of

[ocr errors]

Of the Count Lally-Tolendal, whofe letter makes fo long a note in Mr. Burke's book, and defcribes the National Affembly as a den of men-eaters, it is remarked that his flight excited contempt, and his letter derifion, even among his friends the aristocrates-that the Abbé Maury feels himself fafe amidst thefe janiffaries, affafins, and canibals, though he is hourly declaiming in praise of the old inftitutions of clergy and nobility.

The author, after this, expreffes his astonishment that Mr. Burke should speak of the nobility or clergy, particularly the latter, in the manner he does, and fufpects he never was in France long enough to make any obfervations on either. The old parliaments he defcribes in their true colours; fhews how unfit they were to form the judicial establishment of a great nation; and concludes with fome ingenious remarks on our own conftitution, on the ftate of America, on Mr. Burke's opinions during that conteft, and his conftant filence on a fubject fo apparently connected with the prefent.

On the whole, these remarks are ingenious, pithy, and sprightly, and as candid as the work it is written in answer to could admit.

ART. 17.
Thoughts on the Commencement of a New Parliament; with
Remarks on a Letter of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke on the Revolu
tion in France. By Jofeph Towers, LL.D. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Dilly.
London, 1790.

The first part of this work contains remarks on the tranfactions of the two parties during the regency, with neither of which is Dr.Towers fatisfied, afferting (this is not the place to fay with how much propriety) that, in the vacancy occafioned by the king's illness, it became the people, or their reprefentatives, to make the neceffary arrangements, without attending to hereditary right, or empowering the chancellor to become king for a day. The extenfion of the excife laws to tobacco and wine is feverely reprehended-the commutation act is attacked with more appearance of petulance than argument— the extenfion of the feffions to the dog-days is faid to be for the purpofe of paffing unpopular acts, while the independent members are retired to their feats, and only the dependents of miniftry remain in town-a reform in the reprefentation is warmly and juftly requiredthe Pruffian treaty is faid to involve us in continental connexions, as if it were poffible for us to keep out of them; and the old ftories about the inconveniencies of Hanover are repeated. The power of making war, it is urged, fhould be confined to parliament (can a war be carried on without the confent of parliament ?) Our interference in the affairs of Holland is juftly cenfured, as preventing the Dutch from difengaging themfelves from the power of an oligarchy, which will fome time or other prove more injurious to their liberty than either a fladtholder or king. This is urged as a proof that the minister is not favourable to the cause of liberty abroad; and his oppofition to Mr. Powis's motion relative to the government of Quebec Mr. Marfham's for fecuring the freedom of election-and Mr. Beaufoy's for allowing trial by jury in informations relative to excise-are all brought to prove that he is not more favourable to the liberty of British

E 4

British fubjects. But the remark that how little foever Mr. Pitt may be hackneyed in political vices, his coadjutors, Dundas and Hawkerbury, might fupply thefe deficiencies, is fitter for a paragraph in the Morning Poft than a regularly digefted effay. The flourishing state of the kingdom is afcribed not to Mr. Pitt's administration, but to the tranfition from war to peace-(give the devil his due, Doctor, who has preferved us this peace?)-to the natural induftry of the English, and the unfettled ftate of the continental powers, which has induced foreigners to purchase in our funds.

Among the measures of the late parliament, the recollection of the oppofition to the repeal of the corporation and teft acts, makes the Doctor BLUSH. We have formerly admired his modefty, and now hope he blushes at the manner in which his party demanded the repeal, Would the Doctor have wifhed the reprefentatives to act contrary to the opinion of their conflituents? and we need not say on which fide the majority of the people went. Some observations on lotteries and newspapers close this part of the pamphlet.

The remarks in the appendix on Mr. Burke's pamphlet are not fufficiently pointed or friking. They are, indeed, reasonable and convincing; but who can fail to confute a writer that is every moment confuting himself?

ART. 18. A Letter to the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, in Reply to his Reflections on the Revolution in France, &c. Second Edition, with confiderable Additions ; including also various Paffages from Mr. Burke's former Publications. By a Member of the Revolution Society. 8vo. 25. Stockdale. London, 1790.

The only thing worth notice in this letter is the quotation of feveral paffages from Mr. Burke's former publications, by which it evidently appears that gentleman once confidered our Houfe of Commons in a very different light from what he defcribes it in his laft work. The following, from Thoughts on the prefent Difcontents,? published in the year 1770, is not more remarkable than the reft, but, being the fhorteft, we have selected it:

[ocr errors]

The virtue, fpirit, and effence of a House of Commons confifts in its being the exprefs image of the feelings of the nation. It is not inftituted to be a control on the people, as of late has been taught by a doctrine of the moft pernicious tendency; it was defigned as a control for the people.' How does this agree with Mr. Burke's language, that the people fhould be governed by a power out of themselves; or with his commending the inadequacy of our reprefentation?

The rest of this pamphlet turns on the impeachment of Mr. Hastings.

For

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

AT a feafon of the year, when it is ufually found neceffary to fufpend warlike operations, the Ruffian troops have kept the field, while fortune attends their efforts in every quarter, and threatens nothing less than annihilation to the Ottoman empire. Deferted by an active and enterprising ally, the Turks with confternation behold fome of the most important ftrong holds, on the frontiers of their dominions, fall into the hands of their enemies, whofe vigour feems to increase in proportion to their fuccefs, and the refources which arise to them from their conquefts. It is, however, probable that fome of the neighbouring powers will not tamely remain spectators of the deftruction of a people whofe greateft fault is ignorance and fuperftition; or fuffer Turkey in Europe, with all its dependencies, to be annexed to Ruffia, already too extenfive. The ambitious Catherine, whatever pretences the may, from policy, hold forth to amuse the public, evidently wishes to render Ruffia the first maritime country in Europe; and it may be easily foreseen what the confequence would be, fhould fhe once get poffeffion of Conftantinople, the nobleft port in the world, and rendered, by its happy fituation, highly favourable to commerce. But what crimes, more than other nations, have the Turks been guilty of, that they should be perfecuted with all that fury and rancour which marked the infamous crufades, in the early ages, with bloodshed and horror? Is religion to be again made a fpecious. plea for carrying on a war, founded in injuftice; and are a whole race to be exterminated to gratify female vanity and caprice*? A modern writer, who, were he confiftent with his

own

* The victories which Catherine gained over the Turks, in the war concluded by the convention of 1784, were celebrated, by an English artist, in an allegorical painting, which is now preferved at Czarsko Zelo. In this painting the emprefs is reprefented pointing with her right hand to ftandards, and other warlike trophies, which allude to the fuccefs of her arms. Greece, with her attributes, at the emprefs' feet, seems on one fide to implore her protection, while Apollo, at the head of the nine mufes, advances with a fuppliant air on the

other.

« ForrigeFortsæt »