nion is, that, if these two latter Be assured that they care no- and Solicitor-General are Whigs. thing about the Queen! If they Remember the conduct of Mr. could sell her, indeed, they Brougham; remember the promight and they would; but tocols; remember the miserable when once their hope of place defence which they made for is blasted, they will soon shew her Majesty; remember how us, as they showed us upon her pitiful, how childish their conarrival, that they care no more duct, compared with the steady, for her than they care for a strenuous, and most able exerstump or a stone. Recollect tions of the King's Attorney and how still they were for six long Solicitor-General. My real opimonths; how they shunned her as if pestilence and famine were her attendants. Recollect, that it was not till the people, at the head of whom were those very persons, whom these insolent Reviewers stigmatise as wicked and designing men seeking to make profit of tumult and disorder; recollect, that, it was What I imagine as likely to not till the people with these take place is this, that the very men at their head had Whigs will endeavour to make rescued her Majesty from her an instrument of the Queen 'to enemies, that the Whigs ven- effect their own selfish purtured even to call at her mi- poses; that they will fail in serable dwelling to ask whether their projects owing to the want she were dead or alive. The of support on the part of the triumph of her Majesty, there-people; that her Majesty will fore, is indebted to the Whigs discover that there is no reliance for nothing, save and except to be placed upon them; and the speech of Lord Grey, who, that, after a great deal of wen-" you will observe, is neither riness and disgust, she will be a borough-holder nor an up-disposed to seek tranquillity in holder of the tremendous system some foreign land. There are, of funding the Queen's law-to be sure, numerous circumyers, or, at least, her Attorney stances which may arise, and against which the keenest spe- main steady to our principles. culation cannot provide. But but, if we suffer them to be, this is what I contemplate as pro- shaken for the sake of a momenbable, and this, in justice to her tary triumph over the present, Majesty, as well as to the servants of the King, we shall people, will, in all likelihood, be secure o ourselves on once more defeated by the sel- that will probably descend to fishness of this faction, and our children, especially by the determination I am Your faithful friend, bedWM. COBRETT...... P.S.---I read, in public prints, mons against fo 1 s In conclusion, let me express a hope, that it is unnecessary which appear to have the interto caution you against giving est of the Queen and the coun the smallest countenance to pe- try very much at heart, heart, strong titions for the mere dismission recommendations to the people, of the Ministers; which, as I to petition the House of Com have shewn, is at once foolish mons against further proceedings, and mischievous. I think that, in the case of her Majesty, pray on the contrary, such petitions ing that House to cause her ought to be opposed by us with rights, to be restored to her; and all our might; for, and I beg especially praying that hers you to mark this well, not to name may be placed in the lioppose such petitions, is tacitly turgy,; soinu rei call goqu ils to acknowledge that we want Nobody can more sincerely merely a change of men, merely wish to see these things accomchange of the King's servants, plished than I do; but I am for and no change at all of the sys- no petition to the House of tem ; and whi while such acknow- Commons, to the Lords, or to ledgment would be a complete the King, even upon this subject, abandonment of our cause, it unless the petition include a would render ourselves con- prayer for a Reform of the Par temptible, and our sufferings liament. Nay, I will frankly unworthy of commiseration. To declare that, unless accompanied secure our final triumph, we with a Reform of the Parliament; have nothing to do but to re- I do not wish to see accomplish གསས་ནམས་ moral force. Let such a Lord only give notice, that he will ed any of the proposed objects of such petitions. I know too well what the Whigs have in bring in a Bill for a Reform of view. They wish to play off the Commons House, and he the Queen against the Minis-may send, if he will, to the House ters; but not to make the Queen's of Commons the petitions of the cause conducive to the restora-whole body of the people in fation of the rights of the people. vour of her Majesty's rights, toI told them from the beginning gether with the rights of the that they would not succeed in people. But while no one will this. They would have done take a step so very easy to be well to listen to my advice; but, at any rate, let the Reformers take care, not only not to join in any petition, but to oppose every petition which shall not include a prayer for Reform. Let them take care of this, and all will be right in the end: Queen and people will both triumph. taken, the Reformers (who are sufficiently united already) will remain glum and sulky and will wait for events. It is possible (and I have more than once hinted at the thing) that the Queen may become disgusted at perceiving that the Whigs have got about her The Whigs, not daring to merely for the purpose of makspeak out upon the subject, ing her the instrument of their amuse themselves with indirect ambition. A man of greedy and appeals to the Reformers. They unsparing ambition, having been call upon them for union; for a foiled in his projects of satiating - combination of their moral pow-that ambition by keeping her or ers against the Ministers. But, getting her out of the country; for what? For what, I want to having next endeavoured to acknow! The whole thing would complish the same selfish object be settled in an instant, if only by making use of her popularity as one single Whig Lord, with half an instrument in the hands of his a dózén Boroughs would step self foiled here also, and having party; and having now found himforward and call for petitions arrived at the conviction that even for Reform! This is the way to the Queen's popularity will give put out the Ministers. This is a passport to no one who is not an advocate for Reform: such the way to unite the people. man of greedy and unsparing This is the way to combine their ambition may now, again, per 1689 DECEMBER 30, 1820. 1690 haps, havé returned to his primi- first, the advertisement for a tive means, and may once more subscription to carry on these be hard at work to effect what prosecutions; second, Mr. O' the interview at St. Omer's and Bryen's advertisement, giv the London Protocols failed to ing an account of the nabring about: but let him work ture of the prosecution against away; I know enough to con- him, and requesting informavince me that the wisdom of her tion respecting the witnesses Majesty will make her deaf to whose names are indorsed on all councils tending to her dis- the bill of indictment; the honour as well as to her ruin in third is a letter of Mr. Charles all other respects. Such in- Pearson; and the fourth is a triguer will, at last, find himself communication from Mr. O'Bryfoiled and defeated; and the en. All these are taken from people of England, if they stea- the Morning Chronicle. dily resist every thing tending It is not for me to enter into to inveigle them into the the little squabbling contained scheniess of the Whigs, will see in these communications; but accomplished that Reform, for I again call the attention of the which they have been so long public, and particularly that of contending. All that they have every one connected with the to do is, to give countenance to press, to the danger of the nothing, whether address, peti- precedents, which must be tion, or remonstrance, which established if this prosecution does not include a prayer for should unfortunately succeed. Reform. The prosecution for High Treason is monstrous; but, as the alleged Traitor has absconded, we are likely to have the beThis subject was mentioned nefit of the precedent (if we in the last Register; and, per- have it at all) without the cuthaps, enough was said there to ting off of heads, or the quarinduce the reader to believe, tering of bodies. High Treathat the prosecutions which had son, in the publishing of a been commenced for Treason placard, is, at any rate, a noand Conspiracy, cannot, if they velty and, I dare say, that, be persevered in, be unattend- having been discovered by ed with great danger to every Reformers, it will be hailed as man who meddles with the something extremely valuable press. The matter is, how-by Borough-mongers and their ever, so deeply interesting, satelites. Printer, compositors, that it seems necessary to di- pressmen, bill-stickers; all these rect the reader's attention to are traitors, too; and, if they some of the publications which be spared, it must be by the have taken place relating to it. recommendation of the MinisTherefore, hereunto are sub-try; that very Ministry, to disjoined four documents, which grace whom, has necessarily appear in the public papers:been the main object of these "PLACARD CONSPIRACY." " proceedings. However, I look | Ministers of setting at defiance upon the Treason part of the every principle of law and of project to be too wild and justice; may not this be intermonstrous to be suffered to preted as exciting unlawful opmake its appearance before a position to the Government? Judge and a Jury. Indeed, the And yet, such is the language advertisement for a subscription of every paper that is opposed speaks only of a Conspiracy; to the Government; or rather, and, now, let us take a look at to the Ministry. So that, if a the nature and probable con- conviction take place upon this sequences of such a prose-charge, the jailors all over the kingdom, should have timely cution. “ Until I saw, in the Chronicle notice to clean out the dunof the 9th instant, the adver- geons, and get them well tisement of Mr. O'Bryen, I was aired for the reception of teat a loss, to imagine upon what nants! grounds such a charge could The second part of the charge rest. In that advertisement is is of a still more dangerous tencontained a statement of the dency. It leaves us not a single substance of the charge, taken, loop-hole to creep out at. It is as appears, from the words of this: intending to cause it to the Bill of Indictment. The be believed that the receivcharge consists of two parts, ers of the Queen's plate subfirst, "conspiring to bring the scription are hostile to his "measures of his Majesty's "Majesty's person and govern "Government into hatred and "ment." Did ever mortal man contempt, and to excite un-hear of a charge like this be"lawful opposition to it." Now, fore? What! am I to be inlet any one look at this charge, dicted; am I to be laid by the and he will at once see that heels; am I to be put into a every opposition newspaper is dungeon; because I may have guilty of it every day that it intended to cause it to be becomes from the press. Does lieved that a certain man is hosthe Times, does the Morning tile to his Majesty's person and Chronicle, ever miss a single government? Why, is there a day to describe the measures day passes over our heads do of the Government as being we ever look into a newsp "hateful and contemptible"! without seeing the Ministers Are there any terms of hatred themselves accused of being and contempt, which they do enemies to their master and to not bestow upon those mea- his kingly government? Have sures? With regard to ex- not I said that they were this sort citing unlawful opposition, the of enemies; have not I said phrase is not so very equivocal; this, at least, once a-week for but, still, to reprobate the acts seventeen years. Does not the of the government; to call Morning Chronicle say it five those acts atrocious, detestable, hundred and thirteen times, at tyrannical; and to accuse the least, every year. I I'll make |