Page images
PDF
EPUB

have I ever had an action brought | dozens, on a charge of conspiracy to raise their wages. These are the men that have calumniated me; and represented me as a harsh and tyrannical man.

I have seven children. The greater part of whom are fast approaching the state of young men and young women. I never struck one of them in anger, in my life; and I recollect only one single instance in which I have ever spoke to one of them in a really angry tone and manner. And, when I had so done, it appeared as if my heart was gone out of my body. It was but once; and I hope it will never be again. Are there many men who can say as much as this? To my servants, I have been the most kind and indulgent of masters; and I have been repaid, in general, by their fidelity and attachment. Two consummate villains I have met with. But their treachery, though of the blackest die, will by no means tend to make me distrustful or ill-tempered. The attachment and devotion, which I have experienced from others, exceeds even the perfidy of these two black-hearted men, who, besides, have yet to be rendered as notorious as they are infa mous. These two diabolical fellows have been the instruments in the hands of the proprietors of what Lord CASTLEREAGH calls "the respectable part

) against me for debt, in all my life time, until since this my last return to England; when an Attorney at Bishop's Waltham in Hampshire, had a writ served upon me, without any notice; without even writing to me for the money; and, what is more horrible still, the Sheriff's Officer was sent to a public Meeting, at the Crown and Anchor, and desired to arrest me there, at the very time that I should be addressing the Meeting. The Officer had more decency and more honour than to lend himself to such a base purpose. He followed me to my lodging; called out a gentleman who was with me, requested that I would call at his house the next day, which I did. This malicious act was perpetrated by the Attorney of one Stares, a Maltster at Droxford. The debt was for about thirty pounds; a thing which I had totally forgotten, the malt having been served during the year before I went to America. This is the only action that has, in the whole course of my life, ever been brought against me for debt. Can any man say as much, who has been in a great way of business, of various kinds, during more than twenty years? I have employed, for a great many years, numerous servants and labourers at Botley. I seldom had less than seventeen, altogether; and I never had to complain" of the press." Each of them is in of any of them to a magistrate but three times in my life; and, of all my servants and labourers, no one ever went to a magistrate to complain of me. When the printers turned out for wages, in London, my then printer, Hansard, in order, as he said, to break the conspiracy, as he called it, of the men, asked me to suspend the publication of the Register for a week. Such men will always be found in My answer was, no the men have the world; and we must take the a right. to as much wages as they world as we find it. But, were there can get give the men their wages; ever before found in the world, men, "and, if you must raise your price, the proprietors of Literary Journals; "I must pay accordingly." At this men having pretensions to the characvery time, WALTER, of the TIMES, one ter of gentlemen; men pretending to of my principal calumniators, was moral decency; men admitted into hocramming printers into jail by half.nourable society were there ever be.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

possession of a considerable number of private letters of mine. These the wretches pull out and exhibit to the newspaper proprietors, as occasion may serve; though to these men I have been a most generous benefactor; and my only faults, with regard to them, are, that I did not transport the one, and that I employed the other.

with good of some sort. Thus has it happened here. The outrageous slanders uttered against me, the falshood of which nobody so well knew as my own family, have had a tendency to make me, if possible, still dearer to that family. . To feelings of filial affection uncommonly strong have been

fore found in the world men in this walk of life, and having these pretensions, ready and willing to make their pages the vehicle of slanders drawn from a source so polluted! Never! and, to all the other disgraces, which now stain our country, we have to add this: a press almost wholly divested of every one of those character-added, in the breasts of my children, istics, which have heretofore rendered the press a thing to be held in estimation and honour.

an ardent desire to see me triumph over my enemies, and to inflict vengeance on them. My sons, three of whom are from sixteen to twenty-one years, and who, of course, must detest the very idea of belonging, even in appearance, to the same profession. which contains the cowardly, savage, and perfidious men, by whom their father has been assailed, have, nevertheless, made up their mind to sacrifice the gratification of every natural desire of their own, in order to stand by him, and to obtain justice on the insulters of their mother and their sisters. My daughters, equally devoted to their father and their mother, wrote to me upon my landing : "Think nothing about us and our "feelings. We are now able to la

"bour.

If I were disposed to retaliate upon two or three of the setters-on of these two perfidious monsters; if I were disposed to retaliate upon one, who has, in some measure, given countenance to their perfidy, by following their example, how miserable during life, could I render that man! But, no! the example is too horrible for me to think of following it. Besides, if the public can view this breach of private confidence without feelings of detestation towards the wretches who have been guilty of it, no exposure that any man can make, will excite❘ such feelings against them: and, there fore, for my part, I never retaliate. I keep the means of doing of it in my We can earn our bread. hands, and forbear to do it, that my "We shall think it no disgrace to children may learn sentiments of ge- "do it. Nothing that we can do will nerosity, and may contract a fixed opi-" ever half repay you and dear maina nion that nothing is to produce a "for your matchless tenderness to breach of private confidence. "wards us; and, as to the indulgeAs to forgiveness towards the lite-"ance of pride, we shall always have rary assassins, that is never to be ex- enough of that in being able to say, pected from me. For myself, I have" that we are your children, and that the power of chastisement in my we have, we hope, always been, and hands; but, for their base and bar. always shall be, your dutiful and barous conduct, during my absence," affectionate daughters." towards my wife and daughters, whose lives they rendered one continued series of mortification and of grief; if, for this, I do not bring them to some signal degree of suffering, it will only be for the want of the power of doing it. Two or three BARRISTERS, too, have joined in the scandalous cowardice and barbarity, not to mention some persons in another place, from whom nothing that was just or fair no man expected.

Evil seldom is wholly unattended

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Upon reading this letter, I should have wished fire and brimstone to fall upon and consume the country, which contained the savage ruffians, whose base calumnies had awakened these apprehensions. But I was, at that moment surrounded by a part of YOU, my beloved countrymen and country women! I was in the midst of the brave, just, and enlightened Re-, formers of Lancashire, whose generous congratulations wiped the tears from my eyes. And, though the public effect

of those congratulations, of your addresses, and of the many marks of respect and of confidence which you have been pleased to bestow on me, from all parts of the country; though the public effect of these have been great, the effect in my own family has been still greater. You have given a degree of pleasure to that family, which you will much more easily conceive than I can describe. My sons are ready to stand or fall with you, and my wife and daughters would scorn the enjoyment of any happiness which was not participated in by your wives and children.

To YOU, however, I do, and I must, look for support in my public efforts. As far as the press can go, I want no assistance. Aided by my sons, I have already made the ferocious cowards of the London Press sneak into silence. But, there is a large range, a more advantageous ground to stand on, and that is the House of Commons. If I were there the ferocious cowards of the press would be compelled, through their three hundred mouths, to tell the nation all that I should say; or, if they would not, they must give place to men who would. And, it is easy to imagine what I should say, how much I should do. A great effect on the public mind I have already produced; but, what should I produce in only the next session, if I were in the House of Commons! Yet, there I cannot be without YOUR ASSISTANCE. Therefore, to you, the Reformers in every part of the kingdom, I appeal for that assistance.

That it is perfectly lawful to subscribe for such a purpose we know by the proceedings of others; and, recollect, that PERCEVAL's opinion was taken upon the subject, in the case of that creature MAINWARING, and he gave an opinion, being then SolicitorGeneral, that to subscribe was lawful, and he added, that he himself had subscribed.

The Fund for Reform," I shall, for the present, divert to this more pressing object; so that that may go on, un.

der its present name, or under this new appellation. The parliament may be dissolved in less than a week; so that, now there is no time to be lost. I would not call upon you for a farthing; but, tuated as I am, I should not, if I were to go, on this account, to any expence out of my own means, act prudently with regard to myself nor justly towards others. What will be the sum required I cannot exactly say. Two thousand pounds perhaps ; a little more or less. But, whatever there may be over a sufficiency, shall be applied to the purpose of the Cause of Reform. Something approaching nearly 200 pounds has been already actually received towards the Fund for Reform. This fund will now be applied to the present avowed purpose.

As to myself, all the world must know, that i have no value for money, otherwise than as it conduces to ob jects like this. I am aware, that it will be said, that if I had been careful of my own money, this appeal to YOU would not have been necessary. Very true; but, then, I should not have been the man am: observe that. To be careful of money; to sue and be sued; to squabble about shillings and pennies: these are wholly incompatible with the pursuit of great public objects. of any

No extravagance,

sort, have I ever indulged in. In my whole life never spent one evening away from my own home and without some part, at least, of my family, if I was not at a distance from that home. Except at about ten public dinners, I have never, during the 28 years that I have been married, eat a meal or drunk a drop, in a public house of any description, except upon a journey, or at a temporary lodging. I have never indulged in extravagance of any kind; and, as to my wife, though she is, doubtless, equalled by many, in point of prudence and economy, no one ever excelled her. She has always been kind and generous to poor neighbours in distress; and has always been as sparing as possi

C

ble with regard to all other expences. | TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGIn her example she will give her LAND, SCOTLAND AND daughters a far more valuable inhe. IRELAND. 'ritance than I could have raked to

lative to the Press.

gether by sharp-dealing and by On the Laws, recently passed, reclose-fistedness. The two atrocious "wretches, who are now showing my private letters about London, and are serving as informers to the ruffians. of the Daily Press, my wife always disliked and suspected. The one she called a "a simpering knave," the other" a down-looking rozue."" Over and over again, a thousand times, she worried to take care of these men! Women are quicker-sighted than we are. They penetrate into character more quickly. And of this, her prejudices against these two accomplished monsters of ingratitude and perfidy, is a striking proof.

me

[ocr errors]

London, 29th January, 1820. I have elsewhere endeavoured to describe the nature and tendency of these laws; but, upon this signal occasion, I think it proper to repeat this description, in substance at least; and to accompany it with such remarks as appear to me likely to be of general utility. The law allows no man to plead ignorance of it; because, says BLACKSTONE, "every "Englishman is supposed to be present in Parliament, and to give his assent to the law, either "in his own person, or in that of his representative." A representative, like the holder of a power of attorney, is, to be sure, a man chosen by the person represented, and not chosen by others ; and, therefore, how can we say, that every man at Manchester is, at the making of a law, present in the person of a man chosen by the two or three electors of Gatton or of Old Sarum ? However, be this as it may, the law allows no one to plead ignoAnd what have I done to merit the rance of it; and, therefore, it is reproach of any man? I have done, the duty of a man, placed in my during my whole life, every thing in situation, to make the nature and my power to serve my country. I tendency of our laws known, as contracted, at an early age, high no- well for the information of the tions of love and duty towards my public as for the purpose of showcountry. It has been my pride to being that public the magnitude of an Englishman. I have been blessed with a sound body and a sound mind. I possess them still, and in their vigour too: and my only desire now is, to be able to exert their powers for the salvation of my distressed and tot

This is "egotism," "disgusting" egotism," the ruffians of the press will exclaim! They first assail me with atrocious falshoods, and then, when I defend myself, they call it egolism. These brutal men have been taunting, scoffing at, galling, mortifying and in all ways annoying my defenceless wife and family, during my absence: and, is it not right that the world should know, what sort of persons those are, whom the savages have thus treated? Is there a father, is there a mother, is there a kind and dutiful child, in this country of kind-hearted people, who will not, upon this occasion, feel, as I, 'my wife, and our children feel?

tering country.

the perils, by which every writer is now surrounded.

During the month's legislation three Acts have been passed, relathese imposes stamps in such a tive to the press. The first of

I am my, beloved Countrymen and Country-way as to put a stop to cheap publications, touching on matters of

women, your faithful friend,

WM. COBBETT.

1

Church or State. It compels the proprietor to enter (before he be to be gins publishing) into bonds, with two or more sureties, for the payment of any fine, that may, in case of conviction for libel, be inflicted on him. And then, it enables any justice of the peace, upon a charge of libel being made against any printer, publisher, or proprietor, to cause the accused person to be taken up, and to give bail, not only to answer the charge, but, also to be of good behaviour in the

mean time

move continually loaded with the-
recollection of the bonds, into
wi
which his friends have entered for
him? It is not himself that is put
in jeopardy; but his friends. Can
a man so situated, be said to be
left at liberty to write and publish
what he pleases? Is he not, in
fact, writing under constant re-
straint, not only of his own natu-
ral apprehensions, but of the fears
and remonstrances of his friends?
Can such a man be called free,
and can he be said to enjoy liberty
of the press?

Let us stop here, and contem- There is no deed, however odiplate the character and the natural ous in its tendency and in its very consequences of these provisions. nature, that craft and perverseThe previous bonds are nothing, ness may not endeavour to gloss when compared to the binding over. And, upon this occasion, over. But, what says BLACK- it has been said, that this is no STONE as to the press? He boasts new thing; that it is not hostile greatly of this branch of English to the spirit of the law; for that freedom. He says, that there men are, in many cases, bound can be no liberty at all, where with sureties beforehand. Publithere is not liberty of the press. cans, I believe, and, I know, that And he says, that this liberty con- owners of vessels of a certain tonsists not in men being answerable nage give bond with sureties, not for what they have published; but, to be engaged in, or, at least, to in their not being subject to any employ the vessels in smuggling. previous restraint. These previous But, in the name of common bonds, then, sweep away Black- sense, what analogy is there in stone's liberty of the press. For the two cases? The ship-owner what is previous restraint, if knows well what smuggling is. these bonds be not? A man dares He knows that he is safe, and not even begin to publish, 'till that his bonds are a nullity, as he has given bonds with two long as he refrains from taking or more sureties! It is easy certain specific articles into his for a man to enter into bonds ship. But, does a writer know himself! but is it easy for him to what a libel is? Can he know, find sureties; and, especially, when when he sees Paine's Age of Reait is considered, that the only son prosecuted, while the writpublishers whom to restrain is the ings of Hume and Gibbon, are object of the law, must already not only not prosecuted, but be marked men? Is it easy, un- every where read, and every der such circumstances, to find where sold? Can he know, when sureties? Mr. HONE, upon being proseAnd, suppose the sureties found:cuted for certain parodies brings will the bounden man be as free as he would have been without such bonds? Will his pen not

forward scores of parodies, upon the very same subjects, which have never been prosecuted?

C 2

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »