There are more than nine well know the origin and too sen- these have "projects," and that, sibly feel the smart? Can we re- under pretence of REFORM, spect Nabobs and Stock-Jobbers" they have really no other oband Loan-Jobbers and Army-Tai-"ject, than the subversion of our lors and Commissaries and Con-"happy constitution.” tractors? Yet these are now our high gentry! In short, the mass is now become such, that we cannot respect it; and, if the ancient nobility have sunk in our esteem, let them look upon it as arising from our observing, that they uniformly take part with the vermin that devour us; and, indeed, that they mix with and live amongst those vermin. At any rate, Lord John Russell may be assured, that to recover the respect of the people, the way is not to revile them. The people, besides being worse treated, know more, than their forefathers: two things that tend to the same point as to conduct towards " superiors." The last twenty years, and especially the last three, have spread great light in England; and, what is more, darkness will never return. The people now know what they never knew before; and, if Lord John really wishes their habits of respect to high rank to return, let him, with all speed, prevail on those who are in his own rank, to act justly and kindly towards the people; for, he may be satisfied, that their respect is to be obtained by no other means; that insult and menace will be amply repaid in hatred and contempt; and that a people, who are driven to petition to be transported, eannot be expected to entertain any other than hostile feelings towards those who have brought them into that miserable state. Yet, at a time like the present, has your Royal Highness been advised to say, that there are MACHINATIONS" on foot; that there are "disaffected," and that tenths of the able men in England, who wish for a Reform; so that, if they did really aim at the subversion of the constitution, the constitution would not be in a very safe state. But, Sir, the real views of the Reformers are kept from your sight. However, as for myself, if I had no other view, it would be quite enough that I know, that, without a Reform, the destruction of the paper-bubble, will produce that very subversion, the desire to effect which your Royal Highness has been advised to impute to the Reformers. What! At a time when the nation's miseries are such that whole bodies of industrious and good and able men are actually peti tioning to be transported; when thousands upon thousands of men of property are removing out of the kingdom, in order to save the remnant of that property; when no one can say, that he sees any probable end to these miseries and this disgrace; when it is manifest that the nation must be crippled for ever, if some great and important change do not take place: at such a time does it become those, under whose sway the nation has been brought into this degraded state, to advise your Royal Highness to accuse those, who wish for that change, with a design to subvert the constitution? But, this is an old charge. It was preferred in the case of Melville in that of MRS. CLARKE, and in that of Castlereagh and Perceval. It is always preferred against those, who are opposed to Corruption and Peculation and Ty N ranny. Here is a man, who does. Yet, thus it must go on, until a change take place. The middle class of the people are falling into pauperism at a great rate. The poor-rates will soon divide the not like to be shut up in a dungeon Oh, the villain! Not like a dungeon? He wants to subvert the constitution! Here is another; who dislikes to see a punk's foot-produce with the fund-holders, boy made a military commander. the army and the pensioned lords Oh! Wretch He certainly wants and ladies; or, at least, they to subvert the constitution! In would soon do it, if the thing could short, any man, that does not like go on; and, nothing but a Reany thing that it suits any bo- form, that very Reform, which roughmonger to do, or to say, is you have been advised to reproaccused of wanting to subvert the bate, will save England from total constitution. And, of course, this confusion, or utter degradation. accusation will be in vogue, and will be dinned in the ears of your Royal Highness even until the very hour of the dissolution of the Borough-tyranny. " Your Royal Highness adopts the idea, that the "projects" of the Reformers are wild and visionary, that, if adopted, they would not answer the end professed to be had in view; that Reform Your Royal Highness has been advised to say, that the distress is" would aggravate the evils which local; by which, I suppose, it is it is professed to remedy." Now, meant to tell the world, that it is Sir, I think it has been shown a confined to here and there a place! thousand times over, that Reform, What surprising delusion! You, and Reform alone, can cure the Sir, are the deceived person. It evils. But, at any rate, the evils is not the people who are deceived. have not arisen through the adIt is you and your family. What vice, or measures, of Reformers. astonishing delusion! The cause The evils are the work of the Bo of the distress is one; it is general; roughmongers. They have been it affects every part of the coun- engendered, fostered, and brought tryland every rank in life and every to their present horrible magni species o fproperty and of labour. tude, by Boroughmongers. Why, From all parts of the kingdom then, are you to conclude, without men of property are coming to this reasons given, that, to put an end country; and here they all re-to the power of the Boroughnronmain. More than eighteen thou-gers would aggravate the evils ? sand families have actually come Upon what ground, I should be and settled on lands within the glad to know, is it, that the bab last 22 months, These remain for blers of the Boroughmongers, that ever. Their money comes with Perry and Waithman and the them. They bring away the sub- Russells callus wild and visionary? stance and sinews of England. What we propose is plain to the Many families, now in New York, senses and easy of execution. have been sent out at the expence Every one can understand it. of their parishes! What a dis. All agree, that things cannot go on graceful thing! But, the disgrace in the present way. And our op is the smallest part of the consi-ponents have their schemes. Their deration. Every sum, paid to send out such families, is so much lost too England; besides the loss of the personsonol bus vodiqui " main scheme, and the only one that they have ever seriously thought of, is to obtain cush-pay mes, and to keep up an army sufficient to enable them to set us contained lessons for Mr. PEEL, at defiance for ever. But, they Lord LIVERPOOL and Lord must come to cash-payments, or GRENVILLE. Every one who they are never safe for an hour. read their speeches said, that they Therefore, the scheme for cash-had just come, piping hot, from payments is their scheme: it is reading LETTER II. TO THE, their only scheme: it is the last PRINCE. Indeed, Sir, though shot in their locker. And, of all they are experienced debatethe wild and visionary schemes battlers, they are very shallow that ever issued from the heads persons. They are wholly unfit of weak and obstinate men, this to form any plan for extricating is the wildest, this is the most the country from its difficulties. visionary; and, the fate of it will They are a sort of political spebe something like this: that, after cial-pleaders. They are wholly having caused unspeakable mise- unfit for the times and wholly unry amongst the poorer classes; worthy of public confidence. after having crushed a great part These men, with their associates, of the middle classes; after having Sidmouth, Canning, and Castledriven away to foreign lands a reagh, thought, in 1817, that, in very considerable portion of the putting down my writings, they real resources of the country: were getting rid of their greatest, after having brought the nation if not their only, danger. How to the eve of some terrible con- busy they were in issuing circuvulsion: after all this, it will be lars, in setting their Magistrates abandoned, and never will an ex-to arrest venders, in crying down pectation of seeing cash-payments, again exist in any mind but that of a born-ideot. This result can be prevented only by a previous puff-out, produced by a convulsion or by the sowing of Bank Notes. Now, Sir, for the correctness of this prediction I pledge my reputation as a politician, and, if I could, I would pledge my life. This will, probably, have no effect with the Boroughmongers, but, Sir, ought it not to have some efect with you? I have been right, as to this matter, hitherto. What I have been saying, as to the nature and effects of the papersystem, is now said, almost in my own words, by the Boroughmongers themselves; and, Sir, is it very great presumption in me to say, that these my opinions, as to their remedy will, in a short time, be echoed by the same perSous? My letters to your Royal Highness, published in March, W my trash." If they had been only half as assiduous in reading and studying that "trash," how much better it would have been for England at this day! your And yet, with all these facts before us, I, who speak the voice of the Reformers, am to be accused of having wild and visionary projects! The impudence of advisers is equal to their ignorance, or they would now, at any rate, hesitate a little in pronounes ing such censures. The remedies for the evils that exist are, to me, clear, plain, easy, safe, just and full of the seeds of peace and good-will. These remedies would change the face of things as that of the fields and gardens is chang ed by the arrival of spring after a dreary winter. But, I know well, that these remedies never can be adopted without a reform of the Commons House of Parliament, ruu. With such a reform, with a people con- There is, in the hostility which arises from eiliated, encouraged, and full of gratitude envy, something more hateful than that and hope, how great and how happy would which arises from any other motive. The fear England become! I say, and do not think | of danger, the hope of gain, want, revenge, that I shall be regarded as presumptuous, create an hostility, which may admit of some that I have no doubt of being able to point apology; but that which arises from envy is out the means of carrying on the government built on a conviction that the object of it of the kingdom, without exciting a single merits love, friendship, or admiration. This murmur on the score of taxation, and, at the hostility, too, shows itself under the most same time, of providing most amply for hateful of forms: those of meanness and maintaining the dignity and character and hypocrisy. Look, Sir, at the paltry pretenpower of the country. And, why should I ces of the gabblers in parliament and of "the be deemed wild and visionary? I have had "race that write." You will see them, in great opportunity for observation, reflection, depicting the evils of the paper-bubble, study. I have been sober, industrious, and using my arguments in my very words; and, have taken delight in the pursuit of politics. at the same time, pretending that the disco I have had no selfish purposes to blind my very is one of their own, upon the principles, judgment. My great and constant desire has of Adam Smith and of Old Jenkinson, whose been to promote the happiness and renown writings would lead to exactly opposite conof England, and to find my reward in the clusions. Lord GRENVILLE alluded to an fame naturally attendant on the success of author, whom he did not name, from whom he exertions pointing to that end. And, with all had derived great light on the subject; but, he these circumstances in favour of my coming took care to add, that this author was, now to correct conclusions, I say, that I possess "in Europe!" What, then, he was afraid, the means of pointing out how the nation that the public might think he alluded to an may easily and justly be rescued from all its author in America? What despicable meandifficulties; and that the schemes of your ad- ness! But, what folly too! For did this visers and of the Boroughmongers, are dull man imagine, that a knowledge of my "wild and visionary.". writings could be hidden by any thing that he could do, or leave undone? The Boroughmongers used to laugh at my confident predictions. They do not laugh now, Sir; they grin and curse. They may as well relax in time; for, they must yield in the end. I verily believe, that, as to the money concern, the proper remedies would have been adopted long ago, if those remedies had not been so well known to be mine. Have the proud, insolent, envious creatures 6.6 However, Sir, TIME now stands, the Palm in one hand and the Fool's Cap in the other. The nation are looking on; and the award will soon be made." With a most ardent and anxious desire, that your Royal Highness and your Family may, in the approaching crisis, act a part that will entitle you to the love and admiration of your now suffering people, and that our beloved country may speedily exchange misery for happiness, slavery for freedom, disgrace for glory, mended the matter? Has BURDETT, by him th long continued intrigues to keep me out of Parliament, secured that elevation, to which I had mainly assisted to raise him, and which I never envied him one single moment in my life? Has any man, or any body of men, succeeded in their attempts to pull me down, or to keep me down? Where are now Gibbs and his set? Where are the hundreds of hirelings, set up to write me down? Where are Burdett and his Rump Committee? Where are all the host of foes, that, from various motives, have assailed me with a species of hostility that seemed to argue that they thought the salvation of their souls depended upon my destruction? Where is Lord Folkstone? Conning over, I suppose, that petition of mine which he refused to present, in order to learn, whether it be possible for him, on a future occasion, to be right without adopting the principles of that petition. He may conn, as long as he pleases: he never will be right without adopting those principles; and now he never shall adopt them without my claiming them as mine. I am, and hope I shall always remain, Your most obedient and most humble Servant, WM. COBBETT. POST-SCRIPT TO MR. HUNT. the day of my sailing from New York. I Entered at Stationers' Hall. Printed by H. HAY, 11, Newcastle Street, Strand, for T. DOLBY, COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER 321] LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1819. ΤΟ THE PRINCE REGENT,' On his Proclamation against the Reformers. MAY IT New York, 10 Sept. 1819. ་ ༣ [322 seat-selling crew expect. It is,' one would think, impossible for any man in his senses not to per ceive, that a great change must speedily take place in the nation's affairs yet, this stupid and inso lent crew really do appear not to perceive it. They seem to resemble a gormandizing animal of prey, which is killed in the midst and its breath knocked out of its body by one and the same blow. IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS, That Proclamations are not laws we have to thank those, who brought CHARLES the deluded and obstinate to the block. Ne-of its meal, and has its plunder vertheless they are documents, which ought always to have great weight with the people; because they never ought to be issued but upon proper occasions, and ought always to be evidently tending to the general good. Whether these circumstances belong to the Proclamation of the 30th of July last, we shall presently see. I, of course, look upon this document as the work of your Mi nisters and their prompters; and By his Royal Highness. the "A PROCLAMATION. Great Britain meetings of large shall, as I have a right to do, com-jects have been held upon the ent upon it without the least requisition of persons who, or reserve. It contains denuncia-soille others, by seditious and of whom, have, together tions and threats against great treasonable speeches addressed multitudes of Englishmen and« to the persons assembled, enScotsmen. I shall examine it as "deavoured to bring into hatred to all its principal points; and" and contempt the Government shall, then, again humbly offer" and Constitution established in your Royal Highness my advice with regard to measures suited to the approaching crisis: for, a crisis is approaching, and that, too, much faster, I imagine, than the "this realm, and particularly the "Commons House of Parliament,. and to excite disobedience to « the laws and insurrection against his Majesty's authority: "And whereas it hath been re Printed by H. HAY, 11, Newcastle Street, Strang |