The Liberal System. some exclusive right to be the only despots in the universe? No!-Perhaps we are authorised by some law, human or divine, to be the dictators of other states in the management of their affairs to command them to shape their governments as we please -to plunge them into rebellion, anarchy, and blood, whenever we may take it into our heads to do so-and to order the continental monarchs to give away their power, and step into ruin, whenever we may wish it? No such law was ever heard of. Perhaps what is crime here, is purity on the continent-what is falsehood here, is truth on the continent-what is de structive here, is beneficial on the continent the opinions and institutions that are proscribed here, ought to be protected on the continent? Heaven and earth say the contrary. Then the "Liberal System" is not less false and wicked, than detestable and ruinous. We know well enough that the puling, milk-and-water sarcasms, which our Tory prints and Tory people cast upon the continental monarchs, are a sacrifice to the idol of the day-Conciliation. It is no doubt mighty liberal in a Tory to go strutting and smirking to the altar of Jacobin licentiousness, to throw upon it the fair fame of a king or an emperor. It is likely enough hugely pleasant and profitable for a Tory to go trundling along before the blast of popular clamour, and amidst the greetings of Whigs and Radicals. But if this were even fighting for the cause of liberty, we would not imitate it. We would hear both sides, scrutinize the evidence, take into account all the circumstances of the case, and decide as our conscience should direct, even though the whole nation should be against us. If we could not maintain our cause without sacrificing truth and justice-without bribing our enemies by the immolation of the innocent-we would, like honest men, throw down our arms and abandon it. But the prejudice that has been got up against the continental monarchs, is, in our judgment, calculated to do vital injury to genuine liberty; and it is, moreover, calculated to have the most baleful effects on our foreign policy and our national in terests. In the late contest between the Allied Monarchs and the Liberals, both 453 sides distinctly placed before us their had the French constitution, its funcpolitical creed. On the one hand we tionaries and principles; and on the other we had the Spanish constitution, which agreed in essentials with, and its functionaries and principles. Now, own; and, what is of equal consewhich were in essentials hostile to, our quence, which were the best calculated berty? The principles which these for establishing real and permanent limonarchs put forth touching constitutional government, in France, Spain, and Portugal, bore no remote resemblance, not merely to those of English Toryism, but to these which are, in words or effect, promulgated by the English constitution; while the principles of the Liberals were such as our constitution, and both Toryism and ruinous. Whiggism, pronounce to be false and If the whole weight of England had of such constitutions as the French been thrown into the scale, in favour one, and against such as the Spanish one, we should have rendered essential should have checked both the Moservice to liberty on the continent; we narchs and the Liberals; and we should have done much towards bringing the field, the rich, knowing, experienced, only able constitution-makers into the and disinterested. But our weight went with the Liberals; we execrated the French constitution as a despotism, cried up the Spanish one to the skies, were even the most extravagant in favour of republics, embraced the fanatical and profligate deists and democrats as brothers, and treated with scorn all the rest of the people. By this we did the most vital injury to liberty on the continent; we filled the people with the most false and ruinous notions respecting it, we marshalled them under the most vile and incapable leaders, we sent them in pursuit of the most pernicious institutions, and we rendered the exercise of severity, on the part of the governments, unavoidable. beralism and Republicanism, we do If our constitution stand upon Liwell to range ourselves with the Liberals and Republicans; but if not, we are digging away the foundations of this constitution. We hear, in this constitution being the best in the truth, abundance of general cant about world; but where can we find the man, among either Whigs or Tories, who will defend its component parts, its maxims, and the principles which form its basis, item by item? Where shall we find the man who recommends its adoption to other states, and who does not laud, in the most riotous manner, the principles which it proscribes and abhors? If the creed of the Liberals and Republicans be a true one, our constitutional creed is a false one-If their forms of government ought to be established, ours ought to be abolishedif we cry up their principles, we cry down our own-and if we fight for them, we fight against ourselves. Liberality, potent magician though it be, cannot confute us. Our raving in favour of the Liberals and Republicans is in fact teaching liberalism and republicanism to the nation at large; and if this produce its natural fruits, it will in the end destroy our constitution, and, deny it who will, our liberties. "What a lovely spectacle would it be," exclaims Lord Holland, in one of his fine phrenzies, "to see England at the head of a swarm of republics!" -Charmingly liberal-beautifully romantic-but, alas! fearfully ruinous. A free monarchy may exist amidst despotisms, but it is scarcely possible for it to exist amidst republics. In the first case, the feelings of the people of the surrounding states will be in favour of it, and the enthusiasm of those who live under it will be on the alert for its defence; but in the other case, the feelings of the surrounding people will be against it, and its own subjects will seek its destruction. If we wish to preserve our monarchy as it now exists, we must choose our associates amidst monarchies that are not more limited than our own. If the power of the crown were less among our neighbours, than with us, it would speedily be here reduced to the same point; if several of the continental states were republics, we should soon have the same form of government; and if we estrange ourselves from monarchies, and cultivate friendship and interchange of feeling and sentiment with republics alone, we shall scarcely fail of becoming ourselves a republic. The cry, however, now is, on almost all hands Have nothing to do with the continental monarchs!-It is made a matter of reproach to the late Marquis of Londonderry that he was personally acquainted with them, and it is actually made a merit in Mr Canning that he knows them not. Preposterous nonsense! They have suffered our free constitution to exist for centuries without molesting it-they have fought for the constitution of France-they have wished to see similar ones in Spain and Portugaland the King of Prussia is at this very moment making a large surrender of political power to his subjects-yet we are to believe that they wish to destroy our liberty! Could folly, on the one hand, and gullibility, on the other, go farther? How many years have passed away since we humbly sued to these "Despots" for their friendship? How many years have passed away since they fought in person for us and our liberties, as well as for themselves? How many years have passed away since they profusely poured the blood and treasures of their realms for our benefit as well as their own? We did not then curse them for being despots— we did not then quarrel with them for drawing theirswords against Liberalism against the principles of the French Revolution. Is all this so soon forgetten? Has it so soon vanished from our remembrance, that to them we owe a large share of our wealth, greatness, glory, and happiness? Gratitude, alas ! seems not to be numbered among our good feelings. It has hitherto been thought wise and necessary in us to have as powerful a party as possible among the continental nations. Austria above all other countries was called the natural friend and ally of England, and we were to cultivate the closest intimacy with her regardless of her despotism. How often has not this Austria fought at our side! How often has she not raised the standard to collect for us allies in a war for existence ! How often has she not risked all, and nearly lost all, in our cause as well as her own? Well, now we are to have a brilliant new system of foreign policy, which shall strip us of every continental friend, which shall leave us without a vestige of influence on the continent, which shall league the whole continent against us. Austria is to be the especial object of our detestation; for her all the bitterest epithets of the Statesmen of Cockaigne are reserved. We are to goad the continental powers into a community of interest against us, instead of dividing them-we are to plant everything between them and ourselves that can yield war, instead of cultiva ting their friendship ;-and we are to do this, that we may be enabled to coquet with, smile upon, and pension such people as the Spanish, French, and Italian revolutionists; and to hold soft alliance with a parcel of helpless republics, which, barring their trade, can only draw us into scrapes and difficulties. Burke was wont to speak of pedlar systems, but really this is not a pedlar system; the pedlar looks for gain, but at any rate here is a marvellous lack of selfishness and covetousness. Here is liberality with a vengeance! National interests! as we have already said,-what are national interests when they clash with the "Liberal System? "What are national interests to Liberalism and Revolutionism? Of course, as we make such a stupendous fuss about trade, we have no trade with the continental nations of course we do not wish to trade with them-of course they could not injure our trade in other quarters-of course they could not deprive us of any colonies of coursewe could not derive benefit from any of them in any war we might be engaged in-of course, if we went to war with them, we could conquer them in a moment-of course we have everything to gain, and nothing to lose by going to war-and of course we have a right to quarrel with the continental monarchs for being despots, and everything to hope for from such quarrel. If all these be not matters of course, what are we doing? what madness has seized us? and to what losses and calamities are we rushing? Oh, glorious "Liberal System!" how gigantic is thy wisdom! How fascinating are thy benefits! We will examine, on the present occasion, only one more of the various species of fruit which this system produces. The grand principle on which it stands is, to value men and things in proportion to their worthlessness and dangerous character. It puffs such men as Burdett, Hobhouse, Hume, Wilson, Lord Cochrane, &c. as firstrate statesmen and patriots-it execrates such as Lord Eldon, the Duke of Wellington, the late Marquis of Londonderry, Lord Liverpool, &c. as fools, knaves, and bigots. It daubs such writers as Lord Byron, Moore, and Lady Morgan, with every kind of panegyric-it blackens such as Southey and Gifford in every possible way. If you be a religious man, it smiles at your fanaticism, or rails against your bigotry-if you be a moral man, it cracks jests on your weakness—if you be an infidel, it compliments you on your freedom from prejudice-and if you be unprincipled, debauched, and licentious, it dubs you a most profitable and enlightened member of society. There is scarcely any virtue that it does not decry, or any vice that it does not praise; and there is scarcely any merit that it does not attack, or any guilt that it does not justify. In a word, if you reverse all that our greatest statesmen have laid down with regard to politics, and all that our wisest philosophers and moralists have taught in respect to the well-being of society, you have the "Liberal System" before you in splendid fulness and perfection. We have now, we hope, given a homethrust to the monstrous bladder of the "Liberal System,”—of Liberality; we have, we trust, done something towards lessening its enormous inflation, and we will stab it again and again before we take our leave of it. Never before in our days were such immense sacrifices of principles-of national interests of the foundations of society-and of the best feelings and possessions of mankind, made to anything, as are now made to this skin-and-wind god -Liberality. Our national existence was endangered and the swords of nearly the whole world were turned against us, yet we fought like heroes for our principles, our institutions, our church, and our monarchy; but now, when we revel in almost every benefit that even miracle could give us, and when nearly every nation upon earth wishes to be our friend, we must adopt the opinions and people that we then fought against, and slap every one in the face who can prove a dangerous enemy. What all this will lead to if it be not checked, may be discovered without the aid of prophecy; and it matters not who may support it, he is the friend of England and of mankind, who resists it to the utmost. Y. Y. Y. WONDERFUL PASSAGE IN THE LIFE OF MANSIE WAUCH, TAILOR. ABOUT this time there arose a great sough and surmise, that some loons were playing false with the kirkyard, howking up the bodies from their damp graves, and harling them away to the College. Words canna describe the fear, and the dool, and the misery it caused. All flocked to the kirk yett; and the friends of the newly buried stood by the mools, which were yet dark, and the brown newly-cast divots, that had not yet ta'en root, looking, with mournful faces, to descrive any tokens of sinking in. I'll never forget it. I was standing by when three young lads took shools, and, lifting up the truff, proceeded to howk down to the coffin, wherein they had laid the grey hairs of their mother. They looked wild and bewildered like, and the glance of their een was like that of folk out of a mad-house; and nane dared in the world to have spoken to them. They didna even speak to ane anither; but wrought on wi' a great hurry, till the spades struck on the coffin lid-which was broken. The dead-claithes were there huddled a'thegither in a nook, but the dead was gane. I took haud of Willie Walker's arm, and lookit down. There was a cauld sweat all ower me;-losh me! but I was terribly frighted and eerie. Three mair were opened, and a' just alike; save and except that of a wee unkirstened wean, which was aff bodily, coffin and a'. There was a burst of righteous indignation throughout the parish; nor without reason. Tell me that doctors and graduates maun ha'e the dead; but tell it not to Mansie Wauch, that our hearts maun be trampled in the mire of scorn, and our best feelings laughed at, in order that a bruise may be properly plaistered up, or a sair head cured. Verily, the remedy is waur than the disease. But what remead? It was to watch in the session-house, with loaded guns, night about, three at a time. I never likit to gang into the kirkyard after darkening, let a be to sit there through a lang winter night, windy and rainy it may be, wi' nane but the dead around us. Sauf us! it was an unco thought, and garred a' my flesh creep ; but the cause was gude-my corruption was raised-and I was determined no to be dauntoned. dread day at length came, and I was I counted and counted, but the summonsed. All the leevelang afterthe labroad, I tried to whistle Jenny noon, when ca'ing the needle upon Nettles, Niel Gow, and ither funny tunes, and whiles crooned to mysell between hands; but my consternation was visible, and a' wadna do. glimmering sun sank behind the PentIt was in November; and the cauld lands. The trees had been shorn of their frail leaves; and the misty night short day; but the candles glittered was closing fast in upon the dull and at the shop windows, and leery-lightthe-lamps was brushing about with his ladder in his oxter, and bleezing felt a kind of qualm of faintness and flamboy sparking out behind him. Ĭ down-sinking about my heart and stomach, to the dispelling of which I took a thimblefull of spirits, and, tying my red comforter about my neck, I marched briskly to the session-house. pensioner,) lent me his piece, and A neighbour, (Andrew Goldie, the loaded it to me. He took tent that it napkin round the dog-head, for it was was only half-cock, and I wrapped a raining. No being acquaint wi' guns, I keepit the muzzle aye away from throw his precious life in jeopardy. me; as every man's duty is no to house fire, which bleezed brightly, A furm was set before the sessionunearthly place could have been made nor had I ony thought that such an coal or candle; so my speerits rose up to look half so comfortable either by and I wondered, in my bravery, that as if a weight had been ta'en aff them, thing. Nobody was there but a touzy, a man like me could be afeard of onyragged, halflins callant of thirteen, (for I speered his age,) wi' a desperate dirty face, and lang carrotty hair, tearlookit lang and sharp aneugh, and ing a speldrin wi' his teeth, which throwing the skin and lugs intil the fire. cracking the best way we could in sic We sat for amaist an hour thegither, a place; nor was onybody mair likely to cast up. The night was now pitmirk; the wind soughed amid the headstanes and railings of the gentry, (for we maun a' dee); and the black corbies in the steeple-holes cackled and crawed in a fearsome manner. A' at ance we heard a lonesome sound; and my heart began to play pit-pat-my skin grew a rough, like a poukit chicken-and I felt as if I didna ken what was the matter with me. It was only a false alarm, however, being the warning of the clock; and, in a minute or twa thereafter, the bell struck ten. Oh, but it was a lonesome and dreary sound! Every chap gaed through my breast like the dunt of a forehammer.. Then up and spak the red-headed laddie:-"It's no fair; anither should hae come by this time. I wad rin awa hame, only I'm frighted to gang out my lane. Do ye think the doup of that candle wad carry i' my cap?" "Na, na, lad; we maun bide here, as we are here now.-Leave me alane? Lord safe us! and the yett lockit, and the bethrel sleepin' wi' the key in his breek pouches!-We canna win out now though we would," answered I, trying to look brave, though half frightened out of my seven senses; "Sit down, sit down; I've baith whisky and porter wi' me. Hae, man, there's a cauker to keep your heart warm; and set down that bottle," quoth I, wiping the saw-dust aff n't with my hand," to get a toast; I'se warrant it for Deacon Jaffrey's best brown stout." The wind blew higher, and like a hurricane; the rain began to fall in perfect spouts; the auld kirk rumbled, and rowed, and made a sad soughing; and the bourtrie tree behind the house, where auld Cockburn that cuttit his throat was buried, creakit and crazed in a frightful manner; but as to the roaring in the burn, it was past a' power of description. To make bad worse, just in the heart of the brattle, the grating sound of the yett turning on its rusty hinges was but too plainly heard. What was to be done? I thought of our baith rinning away; and then of our locking oursells in, and firing through the door; but wha was to pull the trigger? Gudeness watch ower us! I trumble yet when I think on't. We were perfectly between the deil and the deep sea-either to stand and fire our gun, or rin and be shot at. It was really a hang choice. As I stood swithering and shaking, the laddie ran to the door, and, thrawing round the key, clappit his back till't. Oh! how I lookit at him, as he stude, for VOL. XVI. gliff, like a magpie hearkening wi' his lug cockit up, or rather like a terrier watching a rotten. "They're coming! they're coming!" he cried out, "cock the piece, ye sumph;" while the red hair rose up from his pow like feathers; "they're coming, I hear them tramping on the gravel!" Out he stretched his arms against the wall, and brizzed his back against the door like mad; as if he had been Sampson pushing ower the pillars in the house of Dagon. "For the Lord's sake, prime the gun," he cried out, "or our throats will be cut frae lug to lug before we can cry Jack Robison! See that there's priming in the pan.” I did the best I could; but my hale strength could hardly lift up the piece, which waggled to and through like a cock's tail on a rainy day; my knees knockit against ane anither, and though I was resigned to dee-I trust I was resigned to dee-od, but it was a frightfu' thing to be out of ane's bed, and to be murdered in a session-house, at the dead hour of night, by unyearthly resurrection-men, or rather let me call them deevils incarnate, wrapt up in dreadnoughts, wi' blackit faces, pistols, big sticks, and other deadly weapons. A snuff, snuffing was heard; and, through below the door, I saw a pair of glancing black e'en. Od, but my heart nearly loupit aff the bit-a snouff, and a gur, gurring, and ower a' the plain tramp of man's heavy tackets and cuddy heels amang the gravel. Then came a great slap like thunder on the wall; and the laddie, quitting his grip, fell down, crying, "Fire, fire!-murder! holy murder! "Wha's there?" growled a deep rough voice; open, I'm a freend.' I tried to speak, but could not; something like a happenny row was sticking in my throat, so I tried to cough it up, but it wadna come. “Gie the pass-word then," said the laddie, staring as if his een wad loupen out; gie the pass-word?" 66 First cam a loud whissle, and then "Copmahagen," answered the voice, Oh! what a relief! The laddie started up, like ane crazy wi' joy. "Ou! ou!" cried he, thrawing round the key, and rubbing his hands; " by jingo, it's the bethrel-it's the bethrel-it's auld Isaac himsell." First rushed in the dog, and then Isaac, wi' his glased hat, slouched |