source of honour, found their argument upon a mere quibble, the fallacy of which would at once be apparent, if they would define the signification in which they mean the word honour to be taken. If by honour they mean titles and privileges of rank, no one can deny the justice of their remark: and their own assertion is sufficient to prove that such titles and privileges never can be conferred by the committee at Lloyd's, since they are altogether out of their reach. If, however, they who make the assertion alluded to, would have the word honour to signify mark of respect, the falseness of their statement is, in that case, demonstrated by daily and even hourly experience; for marks of respect are perpetually conferred both by public bodies and by private individuals, upon those whom they esteem; nor is it in the power of the most absolute despot to prevent them from doing so. "Man praises man.” If Mr. Cobbett be inclined to dispute the reality of so plain an assertion, I beg leave to refer him to the instances brought forward in the sixth book of Cowper's Task. One of these instances I cannot refrain from producing; since it may serve to remind Mr. Cobbett of certain circumstances which have occasionally happened at Brentford, and upon which he has often descanted with peculiar satisfaction. Man praises man. The rabble, all alive The gilded equipage, and, turning loose His steeds, usurp a place they well deserve." Surely, when the worthy baronet to whom I at present allude, was conducted to his house by the rabble “in triumph," † their design was no other than to confer a mark of honour, and a very public one too, upon the man whom they had chosen to idolize. Whether their design was accomplished, is quite another matter; but, at all events, Mr. Cobbett will allow that it was, whatever may be thought by the rest of the nation. He, I doubt not, would be well contented to reserve for his triumphant fraternity, the right of exercising themselves abundantly in those delectable practices, by which applause may be exemplified in so emphatic and engaging a manner; though he would willingly doom to vengeance every other set of men in the kingdom, and (by parity of reasoning) our representatives in parliament themselves, should they ever hereafter aspire to the privilege of "rewarding or of honouring" merit. But who is the man that shati censure Mr. Cobbett's decree? By assuming such a privilege, they would incur the guilt of usurping an authority which is not truly their own; and, beyond a doubt, they are all far inferior to their majesties the rabble, with regard both to power and to prudence. I have the honour to remain your most obedient servant, A PLAIN ENGLISHMAM. As, for instance, by Lord Howick and the rest of our representatives, who are accustomed, upon various occasions, to pass votes of thanks in their collective capacity. + Mr. C's own expression. NOTICE. The letter of an admirer of the illustrious William Pitt has been received.. He is requested to mention, whether he will allow the excellent inscription to be inserted in the Review. Alexander Davison must wait until next week, and even longer, should he be sent to trial, as I conceive it to be inconsistent with the principles of justice entertained in a free country, that any man's fate should be prejudicated before trial. MILES will receive a letter from me on Monday; and Albert will find one at the office on that day. Observations on the present system of military law, as enforced in this country, in the next number. LONDON: Printed by W. MARCHANT, 3, Greville-Street, Holborn; and published. by H. R. YORKE, 412, Strand, opposite the Adelphi, I HAVE bren diverted from the subjects which I had intended to discuss this week by an unforeseen, and, certainly, a very unexpected circumstance. I have uniformly observed one rule of conduct since the commencement of this work, namely, to abstain from all reflections upon private character. This has been so often repeated in former numbers, that it is not necessary to expatiate upon it in the present instance. However, it is proper to inform you, that on Saturday last I was served with a rule from the Court of King's Bench, to shew cause why a criminal information should not be filed against me, at the suit of the right honourable John Sullivan, for the article which appeared in the Review of February 1st. entitled "the Pictonian Controversy." Since that moment, I can safely allege, that I have been perpetually occupied in the pursuit of those legal measures, which every one of you must know are necessary to rebut a charge of this description: consequently, I have had no time to think of my duties as a public writer. I am, therefore, constrained to postpone until the next week the remarks which I had intended to insert in this number. That any writings are strong and warm I do not pretend to deny ;. and I trust their strength and warmth have never deviated from the love I bear, and the duty which I owe, to my king and country. It is an unfortunate business; but it is an ordeal which I must now pass. The same motives of public justice which have led me to expunge, or rather to suppress, the promised article concerning Alexander Davison, shall now govern my conduct, when I myself am implicated. Mr. Sullivan will be heard, and so shall I: and though I have hitherto taken no interest in the transactions between that gentleman and colonel Draper, in relation to the conduct of general Picton, yet, immediately upon the close of this article, I shall sit myself down, and calmly read over the book of colonel Draper, said to be libellous, and every publication which has appeared on either side of the question. The result of my reflections you shall know hereafter: and I trust my character is too well established in your opinion, and in the opinion of the world, for it to be entertained, that the judgment which I may form thereon shall not be manfully and boldly detailed. SIR HOME POPHAM AND GENERAL BERESFORD. Sir, I am not a very obtrusive man, and am therefore little inclined to give dogmatical opinions on any subject either in private society or in public. I have lived long in the world, and every day's experience convinces me more and more of the truth and propriety of two things, which, after a matured consideration of sixty-five years, I have now laid down as axioms, at least, with respect to my own conduct. The first is, sir, that having never known an instance but one, of a great talker in private society who ever executed any great public measure, I am now very much predisposed to look upon all such men as inefficient for any purpose but talking and making a noise. The second is, that, notwithstanding my lord Henry Petty's asser. tion in the house of commons, on Monday last, of the great use and public utility of reiterating subjects in the same session,I am disposed, on the ground of experience, to differ with his lordship on the principle; that is to say, that the conti nned discussion of any public measure, either in the parliament or among the peo ple, has the smallest good effect on the question itself, I mean as to illiciting truth the sole legitimate object of every investigation; and for substantiating this opinion, I could, if it were necessary, adduce the greater part of all the popular subjects which have agitated parliament and the people for these last fifty years, without even being in the least dismayed by the fate of the slave trade bill; it is, therefore, on this ground that I have laid down the second axiom, which is, never to obtrude my opinion on any public measure, in a coffee house, reading-room, or any public meeting, nor even in any large circle of persons for whatever purposes they may have met. But, sir, though I am thus seemingly passive and quiescent in public, my curiosity is not a whit diminished; I attend to all those discussions with as much attention as if I were preparing myself for giving a public opinion; I read all the daily newspapers, the monthly and weekly publications, and among a few of my old cronies who listen to me, I am considered a man of free opinions, and possessing a good budget of anecdote, which they say I give sufficiently well in my own peculiar way. A few of us to whom in our joking club way we have given the name of shelf men, met the other evening; and as recent military transactions never fail to set our tongues going, the re-capture of Buenos Ayres by the French colonel Liniers became the subject of our conversation. It was among my old friends, and the flattery that steady attention always gives to a speaker, induced me (who do not profess to be more than mortal) to open out a little more on that subject than I am habituated to do. My friends, I believe, saw that I was a little more animated than they had ever before seen me, and I suspect that they conspired with their usual sly knavery and waggishness to encourage me; one proposed a doubt, another a difficulty; one stated a principle, another offered an exception; but these they cunningly contrived to veil under such an air of modesty and self diffidence, as led me insensibly into an argument of considerable length, and very much protracted our usual evening's sitting. When I returned home, I was revolving the subject in my mind, I felt how unwittingly I had been deluded from my habits and resolutions, but reflecting on the importance of the subject, and running over again in my mind the train of reasoning which was made use of that night, I felt a desire the last wet day, Monday, when I could not stir out to take my usual walk, to commit it to paper; and immediately afterwards taking up your Review of Saturday, I saw a letter onthe same subject, signed Manlius, which induced me to send you our thoughts upon it, which have some coincidence with the sentiments of that acute writer. After we had conversed upon the subject generally, that part I mean which has been the common topic in every circle, viz. whether sir Home Popham and sir David Baird had any private instructions for ordering the expedition against Buenos Ayres; how far they might be borne out in this act of authority by the place being within the circle of their command, supposing that they actually had no public or private instructions; how far they were under any circumstances countenanced in sending so small a force against it, &c. after we had given our opinions upon them and different other parts, I believe, sir, you will hardly believe that a set of shelf men could separate without a minute investigation of the conduct and comparative talents of those who conducted the enterprize. The misfortune (perhaps I should say the good fortune) of age is, that it is always sending us even more back than forward; this may appear a paradox, but it is not the less true; our march at a certain period of life is as much retrogade as progressive; for, in the proportion as our bodies move on to dissolution, our minds go back to the past, and thus produce a complete struggle between contraries. I spoke of some of the actions of my old friends in the seven years war, one of our club, who to our general regret now seldom comes amongst us, but who yet possesses all the intellectual vigour of youth, and as good a stock of bealth as ever was permitted to eighty-three, was mentioned by me in the terms of praise which I thought due to his talents and zeal. My companions were not wanting to their favourites, and, in short, sir, we became perfect fogies: upon this, a member who sat by and seemed to take very little interest in any part of our conversation, until my friend who sat next to me, pulling the newspaper which contained sir Home Popham's dispatches out of his pocket, and putting on his spectacles, began to read the second paragraph of that dispatch by way of illustrating what he had just advanced on the subject; and as the great question of our night's discussion turned upon the points contained in that paragraph, I shall extract it for the information of your readers. He says, "I feel CONFIDENT that I shall be able to SATISFY the lords commissioners of the admiralty that the liberal and beneficent principles upon which the government of general Beresford was conducted, do more honour to his majesty's arms and the character of Great Britain, than if he had resorted to expedients completely within his power, which would have effectually annihilated all the efforts of the enemy, and wrested probably for eter these countries from the crown of Spain." " Pueridon "........ My friend was proceeding to read the second paragraph, which begins with this word or name, but suddenly, we saw, to our general great surprise, our hitherto silent companion angrily threw his pipe, which he had almost uninterruptedly smoked all the evening, into the fire, and turning a little in his chair sideways, he crossed his legs, and with some indignation which seemed at first intent on interrupting my reading friend, he hemmed' aloud; but, as instantly recollecting himself, and raising his majestic figure, he, in a tone of mildness, and with the greatest urbanity, apologized to the company for this involuntary act of rudeness, by saying that the emotions produced in his mind when first he read those dispatches, particularly the paragraph just alluded to, were so strong, that he had not been able to efface, or even to weaken the impressions that had thus involuntarily caused the disturbance which he had now produced, and for which he was extremely sorry, and asked our pardons. Every member present was conscious of his worth, and though with difficulty brought to engage in conversation; we had, notwithstanding, felt the force of his intellectual power, and, at times, admired his colloquial ability. My friend understood him well, and as a mark of deference, took off his spectacles, folded up his paper, and put it into his pocket. There was a general and profound silence for some time; he saw that we were anxious to hear more from him; and, as no man feels more keenly than he does, he felt, I believe, that he owed something to the society for the partial interruption which he had given to the harmony of the evening; and, as he found that my friend did not resume his subject after he had put the newspaper into his pocket, in a tone of voice, and in a manner peculiarly impressive, he addressed himself to the society nearly as follows:-There is not a single member of this club, who has not known more or less of me, or with whom I am not connected now for upwards of forty-five years. Some of us have served together, and there are few incidents of our lives that are not known to each other. It is not with presumption I speak, but with a conviction of the truth of what I say, when I assert that there is not one individual amongst ye, that ever heard me utter an expression contrary to the honour, reputation, or character, of any man in or out of the service, naval or military; the indignation that I felt on hearing that sentence read by my old friend, and the improper interruption which I gave him by the involuntary emotion which unguardedly followed, were not on account of any irritation which the sentiments themselves produced, much less of any hostility to the officer who penned them. Those expressions taken abstractedly are excellent, and do honour to the mind of any man who feels and knows the true value of "liberal and beneficent principles," acting in their duc place, operating in their proper sphere, and regulating, correcting, and restraining, the vices, errors, or luxuriancies of a morbid state of society. But, sir; says he, raising his voice, and directing his piercing eye at me, stable as the principles of justice and humanity are, eternal as God himself, justice, sir, is distributive, and humanity is yet circumstantial. Gereral Beresford, or any man circumstanced as general Beresford was, had two great objects to pursue; either of which he was not for a single instant to lose sight of. He had 1500 British soldiers to protect by his vigilance, exertion, and talent, against an opposing force of many thousands. He had their lives, their welfare, in every point of view to look to, and guard with all the circumspection of a parent; he had what in another sense is perhaps a paramount object to this in his conservation; he had the national character as far as it could be concerned by military prowess, in his custody; he had those two concerns of infinite magnitude both to manage and preserve. He had yet more, sir, turning his face round to the different individuals, he had a superadded delicacy annexed to his charge, because if he was at all aware of the tender ground on which those who directed the expedition stood, he had their reputations and fortunes more particularly in his keeping, knowing as we all well do, that success like charity covers a multitude of errors. General Beresford may not have been prepared for the whole of the dangers that awaited him; because, if the difficulties foreseen were of this extent, there can be no excuse, no palliation whatever, no extenuation offered in fa vour of the two commanders sending so inadequate a force; but of this there is no proof or appearance whatever. The town soon capitulated, and the army was made prisoners; the general had, therefore, a full opportunity of surveying the ob -jects of his defence, and of understanding completely the entire latitude of his situa tion, and of his ways and means. My old friends, all of you know without wearying your patience with circumstances, that his was a critical situation when nothing but extraordinary vigour, singular and unceasing activity, joined to the most unwinking vigilance could command success; all was at stake; on one side, all the horrors of insurrection, assassination, murders and massacres, cruel captivity, loss of life, loss of honour, loss of every thing national or personal. Need I load the dark side of this picture more; my friends will forgive me; my blood runs cold on the consideration of it. I have said, and I hope my old comrades, says the old gentleman, (his fea tures all assuming the most benevolent appearance) believe what I have said, that justice is distributive, and that humanity is circumstantial. Shall I insult the good sense of my friends by asking, were the lives and fortunes, the personal conduct, and national character of British subjects to be put in jeopardy by the treasonable conduct of a French sans culottes officer? were the future horrible consequences which every man of common sense and understanding must have foreseen from a compromise or capitulation with such fellows as Pueridon and Liniers to be put in competition with the lives of two men who had completely and bonâ fide, according to the. established laws of war, forfeited all right to safety and protection? I see it raises a smile, humiliating and sickening, as the bare mention of it is on the countenances of my friends. Where are the instances of vigour and exertion shewn in any part or place of general Beresford's defence? Sir Home Popham's dispatches are long, and in some parts minute and circumstantial; but on this part there is a dead silence., He enumerated, with the greatest distinctness of information, all the plots and plans of those conspirators, but not a single act of prevention. And all this he says he will be able, he feels confident that he will be able to convince the English nation, was a conduct more just, more honourable to that nation and his majesty's arms, than if he had, by the greatest display of all the qualities which legitimately constitute a great man or a great officer, effectually annihilated all the effects of the enemy, and wrested for ever these countries from the crown of Spain."-Why my friends (still rising in animation and eloquence) why did I express my indignation in a manner so unbecoming? Can I listen to those things unmoved, like a stick or a stone? Can I hear such nonsense, such rank and contemptible nonsense from the pen of any officer of any name or character, without giving way to the feelings which agitate my whole frame? What! to have it trumpeted to us in a public dispatch, that an officer, under such circumstance, had it "completely within his power fully to perform the object of his expedition, to have effectually annihilated all the efforts of the enemy!!"-Good God, what do we hear annihilate, I say again, all the efforts of the enemy, only by having recourse to the expedients, which all the established laws. of war, the insidiousness and treachery of his prisoners, so fully entitled him to!! The old gentleman's animation was so great, and his exertions so inadequate to his strength, that he could not proceed, and a general murmur running through the room, the old man still on his legs; after a few minutes of profound silence, which followed the buz, our old friend said-I am exhausted, and fell back into his chair. We were all solicitously attentive to our old companion. Some of us drew nearer to him; he waved his hand, as much as to say, don't press on, and taking out his pocket handkerchief, he wiped the drops of perspiration that flowed down his forehead. We were all yet silent, and the old man, yet weak and enervated by his exertion, faulteringly resumed. My friends, I do not wish that I should leave your company with your minds full of those impressions which the unusual warmth of my language may have created; I may have implied censure on general Beresford, but it is a duty which I owe to that officer, and to my own character, to explain (while yet I have any remaining strength,) myself more fully on that question. General Beresford's reputation is at issue, every thing that a man or a soldier values is at take. Let me not therefore be misunderstood. Let me not be supposed to imply, that while I said that he left undone those things which in my opinion he should have |