TO THE REFORMERS,

made against me by the public press, are wholly false. But, upon this occasion, permit me to say, that it is not unnecessary, and that it is but bare justice to you, justice to your discernment and your virtue, for me to show, that you have not conferred such marks of respect on one who is unworthy of them.

880

my acquaintance. When I had quitted the army at Portsmouth, I had a discharge, bearing on it, that I had been discharged at my own request, and in consequence of the great services I had rendered the king's service in that regiment. During this part of my life I lived amongst, and was compelled to associate with, the most beastly of drunkards, where liquor was so cheap, that even a soldier might be drunk every day; yet I never, during the whole time, even tasted of any of that liquor. My father's, and more especially my mother's precepts were always at hand to protect me.

In 1792, I went to the United States of America. There I became a writer. I understood little at that time; but the utmost of my ability was exerted on the side of my country, though I had been greatly disgusted at the trick that had been played me in England, with regard to a court-martial, which I had demanded upon some officers. I forgot every thing when the honour of England was concerned. The king's minister in America made me offers of reward. I refused to accept of any, in any shape whatever. Reward was offered me, when I came home. If I had always refused to take one single penny from the government. been to be bought, judge you, my countrywomen, how rich, and even how high, I might have been at this day! But, I value the present received from the females of Lancashire a million times higher than all the money and all the titles which ministers and kings have to bestow.

I

You have how, and at what an age, I started in the world. Those of you, who are mothers will want nothing but the involuntary impulse of your own hearts to carry your minds back to the alarm, the fears and anxieties of my most tender mother. But, if I am as I have "an extraordinary man,” been called by some persons, who ought to have found out a different epithet, I was a still more extraordinary boy. For, though I never returned home for any length of time, and never put my parents to a farthing in expence, after the time above mentioned, I was always a most dutiful son, never having, in my whole life, wilfully and deliberately disobeyed I either my father or my mother. carried in my mind their precepts against drinking and gaming; and I have never been drunk and have never played at any game in my life. When in the army I was often tempted to take up the cards. But, the words of my father came into my mind, and rescued me from the peril. Exposed, as you must well know, to all sorts of temptations; young, strong, adventurous, uncommonly gay and greatly given to talk; still, I never in my whole life, was brought before a maDriven again across the Atlantic to gistrate, either as defendant of complainant. And, even up to this hour, avoid a dungeon, deprived of pen, ink, about five oaths are all that I have or paper, I still adhered faithfully to ever taken, notwithstanding the multi- my beloved, though oppressed and tude and endless variety of affairs, in miserable, country. I overcame every which I have been engaged. I entered difficulty; and, to the surprise of friends the army at sixteen, and quitted it at and the confusion of enemies, caused twenty-five. I never was once even a Register to be published once a accused of a fault of any sort. At week in London, though I was on the And, while nineteen I was promoted to Serjeant- other side of the sea. Major from a Corporal, over the heads there, though I did much to benefit of nearly fifty serjeants. While my that country in the way of agriculture, regiment wat abroad, I received the I never did any act or uttered any public and official thanks of the Go-word, that should seem to say, that I vernor of the Province for my zeal in the King's service; while no officer of the regiment received any thanks at all. Many years after this, this same Governor (General Carleton) came to sve me and to claim the pleasure of

had abandoned England. If I had preferred tranquillity and ease and comfort to duty, I should not have returned; but have called my family to me. But, I have never had an idea of happiness distinct from the happiness

and honour of my country. The greater her distress, the more necessary the presence of those of her sons, who possess abilities to assist in saving her.

Nor

and having no one to protect or advise me since I was eleven years old. Very few men can say as much. There is hardly a quaker that can say as much, thouglr he be much younger The calumnies of the London daily than I am. I never, in the whole press, and of a great part of the course of my life, brought an action weekly press and the country press, to- against any man for debt, though I gether with the Quarterly Review, have lost thousands of pounds by not have been so numerous, that I can doing it. Where is there a man so only notice them in the gross. These long engaged in business of various cowardly libellers have exhibited me as sorts, as I have been, who can say as fraudulent debtor, and yet as being much? I know of no such man. I without a shilling. These calumnies never could find in my heart to oppress answer themselves. But, if either any man merely because he had not the were true, should I voluntarily have ability to pay. I lose money by acting come home; and that, too, at a great thus; but I did not lose my good expense? It is very true, that the opinion of myself, and that was far sudden breaking up of my affairs, in more valuable than money. 1817, following a total loss of six have I ever had an action brought thousand pounds and upwards arising against me for debt, in all my life from the imprisonment and fine I had time, until since this my last return to to endure for expressing my horror at England; when an Attorney at Rishseeing local-militiamen flogged, in the op's Waltham in Hampshire, had a heart of England, under a guard of writ served upon me, without any noGerman Bayonets: it is very true, tice; without even writing to me for that these things, together with all the the money; and, what is more horrible expenses attending a flight to, and a still, the Sheriff's Officer was sent to return from, America, leave me com- à public Meeting, at the Crown aud paratively destitute of immediate pe- Anchor, and desired to arrest me there, cuniary means. But, was it ever be- at the very time that I should be adfore heard of in the world, that, in dressing the Meeting. The Officer answer to a man's political writings, had more decency and more honour his books of account are to be pro- than to lend himself to such a base duced; a list of his pecuniary engage- purpose. He followed me to my lodg ments published; and, what is more, ing; called out a gentleman who was his private letters, written in confi- with me, requested that I would call dence many, many years before, ob- at his house the next day, which I did. tained from a base and treacherous This malicious act was perpetrated by agent, and published to the world, and the Attorney of one Stares, a Malster that, too, in a partial and garbled at Droxford. The debt was for about state? Was a thing like this ever thirty pounds; a thing which I had heard of in this world before; and is totally forgotten, the malt having been there, on this side the grave, a punish-served during the year before I went ment adequate to so foul and so de- to America. This is the only action tested a deed? Consider, too, that my that has, in the whole course of my wife and daughters were here to sup-life, ever been brought against me for port, to bear up in silence against all the reproaches, all the scoffs, all the taunts, all the savage insults of this numerous and united band of literary ruffians!

These cowardly and brutal men have represented me as being a harsh, tyrannical, passionate, merciless, and even greedy man. I have said before that, in the whole course of my life, I never was once before a Magistrate in any criminal case, either as accuser or accused; and that is a great deal to say, at the end of fifty-three years,

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 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 men having pretensions to the characthe conspiracy, as he called it, of theter of gentlemen; men pretending to men, asked me to suspend the publi- moral decency; men admitted into ho-cation of the Register for a week. My answer was, "No: the men have a right to as much wages as they can get give the men their wages; "and, if you must raise your price, "I must pay accordingly.' At this very time, WALTER, of the TIMES, one of my principal calumniators, was cramming printers into jail by halfdozens, 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

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 added, in the breasts of my children, an ardent desire to see me triumph over my enemies, and to inflict ven-, geance 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 labour. We can earn our bread. We shall think it no disgrace to do it. Nothing that we "can do will ever half repay you and "dear mama for your matchless ten"derness towards us; and, as to the indulgence of pride, we shall always have enough of that in being able to say, that we are your children, and "that we have, we hope, always been, and always shall be, your dutiful and affectionate daughters."

46

64

46

and daughters would scorn the enjoy ment 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 months, 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.

Upon reading this letter, I should have wished fire and brimstone to fall upon and consume the country, which -contained the savage ruffians, whose The "Fund for Reform," I shall, base calumnies had awakened these for the present, divert to this more apprehensions. But I was, at that pressing object; so that that may go moment surrounded by a part of YOU, on, under its present name, or under my beloved countrymen and country- this new appellation. The parliament women! I was in the midst of the may be dissolved in less than a week; brave, just, and enlightened Reformers so that, now there is no time to be lost. of Lancashire, whose generous con- I would not call upon you for a gratulations wiped the tears from my farthing; but, situated as I am, I eyes. And, though the public effect of should not, if I were to go, on this acthose congratulations, of your ad- count, to any expence out of my own dresses, and of the many marks of re-means, act prudently with regard to spect 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

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 sufficieney, 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

ated by W. BENDOW, 269, Strand.-Price, in the Country, Sixpence halfpenny.