Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

66

Captain (pray give him hist I have here attempted a mere title!) CAPTAIN RAYNES; this sketch of the contents of this pamgallant soldier talks as freely phlet. It abounds in things wor◄. of his "spies," of the "cheat" thy of remark; and, whoever shall of passing Police Officers for undertake "the People's MemoOfficer's servants; of getting men" randum Book," proposed by me "convicted;" of the "too-leni- some time ago, will find many ent" conduct of some of the Ma-names in this book worthy of be gistrates; of taking the people ing put upon everlasting record. by surprise," and, in short, the While the gallant RAYNES was man talks like a thief-taker by so zealously active in the work of trade, of which trade he has all seeking for the people's blood, he the slang and all the hardness of appears not to have been less so heart. It must be confessed, how- in seeking for their money; for, ever, that he relates none of his at a very early period, we find acts, which do not appear to have him sending a memorial, through been approved of by his command- General Acland, to the Duke of ers, both in the field and the ca- York. The mercenary fellow binet. ACLAND (who ought to was in the Militia, and what he be remembered!) several times, in wanted was, to retire from the writing to this RAYNES, bids him service with Major's pay. He "keep up the alarm," "keep the wished to retire, because, to their "thing going," and the like. honour, the officers of the StirAmongst the names of the MAGI-lingshire Militia would not assoSTRATES, who co-operated with ciate with him after his spy-adventhis hirer of oath-takers, appears tures. This he acknowledges. that of COLONEL FLETCHER of For the same reason, or, for tear BOLTON, whom the Lancashire of giving umbrage to the officers people call Spy- Fletcher, who has of the army in general, but, I long been the chief agent of Cor-would rather hope, from honourruption in her Spy-works in the North, and who is said to have brought more men to the gallows than VAUGHAN, or any other of the profession. It is curious enough, that the letter, in which this man's name is found, has a blank instead of the name of the place of date, and also a blank instead of a signature. I dare say, that Fletcher could have hanged this narrator,traordinary exertions. Lord SIDand that, therefore, some sort of MOUTH Seems to have been charmsecrecy was to be observed with ed with him. Lord LAUDERregard to him. Above all men DALE also strongly recommended living this Fletcher ought to be him as a person having fair claims remembered. Until there exist to a parcel of the public money. the means of making this man ARBUTHNOT, one of the Secreanswer legally for his deeds, Eng-taries of the Treasury, acknowband cannot be a place fit for an ledges his claims to be just. But, honest and innocent man to live in. the gallant blade wanted a sine

able feeling, the Duke of York rejected the prayer of his Memorial. It appears, however, from the letters now published, that the Duke of Montrose, the Colonel of the regiment, highly approved of his spy-work. This approbation is expressed in many letters; and, indeed, it is very clear, that the Duke first urged him on to his ex

[ocr errors]

66

cure place, when he found he was | Letter to Major Cartwright, which shut out of the army; and, as he was written on the first of August, was out of date, and had been sup- I had pretty fully anticipated those planted by abler hands, he could effects. The truth is, that, as I obtain nothing but a few hundred there observed, the bold atrocity pounds in ready money. He wor- of the Government; its manifest ried the fellows to some tune; intention to introduce a perfect and, at last, he began to threaten. Bourbon System into England, This appears to have nettled did, at last, astound, stun into them; but still they were afraid thought, even the most thoughtto break with him out-right; and less amongst the people. Those the Duke of Montrose, though he who, at first, saw in the despotic can hardly disguise his haughti- Bills, nothing but bridles in the ness, desires the slave not to pub-mouths of the active Reformers, lish his letters to him on the now began to perceive, that, under subject. "At length," to to use the pretext of making those briRAYNES'S Own words, "wearied, "out with anxiety and suspense, "I resolved," says he, "on that step, which I only lament I did "not resort to, before I degraded myself by painful disclosures "and useless supplications." And, at the close of his pamphlet he says, that, having failed in these supplications, "justice to myself. "and the hope of benefitting my family, demand that I should "make known the foundation on "which my expectations rested." Thus this man hopes to benefit his family by making it known to the world, that he was himself a spy; that he bribed men to take oaths for the express purpose of breaking them; and that he large-who had joined, during the days ly contributed towards bringing great numbers of distressed and starving people to the gallows! This is no madman. To what a pitch, then, must familiarity with this system have arrived, when he could entertain any such hopes! He proclaims his own infamy, and, by so doing, he hopes to benefit his family!

66

As to the effects, which have been produced by the exposure of the Spy System, you will have perceived from the reading of my

dies for us, chains were preparing for the whole nation. These persons, too, I mean persons who took no active part in politics, could not refrain from reflecting, as soon as they had had time for reflection, that this was a most. shocking change; that this new state of things put England upon the footing of France; that there could be no more boasting about English freedom; that the pride of the country lay humbled in the dust; and that there was ro probable termination of this state of things. Under such circumstance, the most thoughtless began to think; the most obdurate began to feel. Even those

of asperity, in calling for these tyrannical measures; even these persons could not help perceiving that, in their eagerness to indulge their rancour against the friends of freedom, they had enabled the government to treat even them as slaves; and that, having now made the government their absolute masters, it no longer stood in need of their support, and that they could no longer expect to be objects of its favour; but that they were now compelled to obey all its

mandates, or submit to be treated | America, he himself had not only

with that very same rigour which they themselves had recommended to be employed towards the friends of freedom.

resolved to make a similar retreat; but that he had actually sent forward his attack upon me, and caused it to be promulgated here with the view, foolish as that view was, of bespeaking a friendly reception for himself; than which, not even the conduct of the employ

In such a state of the public mind, it was quite natural, that the government should lose the co-operation of Juries in the perpetration of its despotic deeds.ers of CASTLES, and REYNOLDS, The men who compose Juries are and OLIVER was more detestably a part of the people; and if once base; but, as if to over-top any the whole people perceived that thing that we have ever yet imathey were involved in one com-gined, as capable of proceeding mon state of slavery, it was im- from the baseness of human napossible for twelve men not to ture, Mr. WoOLER's ground of enter the Jury-box with that im-action upon this occasion arose pression on their minds, and with from personal revenge, and revenge, feelings in their hearts hostile to too, growing out of mercenary mothe despotism. Finding them- tives. To make good this charge, selves accidentally in possession which is the heaviest that I ever of power, and of very important preferred against man, I have power too, was it wonderful that only to state to you, that I have they exerted that power, as far as it in my power completely to their conscience would permit prove, from evidence recently rethem, in rescuing from the fangs ceived, that his unmannerly, his of the Despotism, men, whom they ferocious, his cowardly attack upon could not help regarding as fellow-me, when he knew that there was sufferers with themselves? Hence the acquittal of the prisoners, accused of State crimes; and hence also the acquittal of Mr. WOOLER. Long before the receipt of your letter, I had unequivocally ex pressed my admiration of Mr. WOOLER'S conduct upon that occasion; but I could not then, and I cannot now, speak of his conduct with regard to myself, without calling it unmanly and base; and, the occasion will yet arrive for the punishment of that offence in a manner suitable to the malignity of its nature. I have sent to England, to be published there, the indubitable proof, under his own. hand, that, while he was reproach ing me in the foulest of terms, for what he was pleased to call a desertion of the cause by coming to

|

nobody to face him but women and children, arose from his having been turned off as printer of the Register in London, on account of his dilatoriness, his inaccuracies and his slovenliness, arising from kis drunkenness and dissolute life. At the time here alluded to, the conducting of the Register was not in ma own hands. I did not know who was the printer at the time; but, after having written several letters,complaining in strong terms of the disgrace which my name suffered from the manner in which the printing was executed, I wrote peremptorily, that, unless the printer was turned off, I would take the Register out of the hands of its conductor. This, Sir, was the real ground of Mr. WOOLER's base assault upon me, and which as

sault,let what will happen, he must express his sorrow for, or he will finally be punished. Neverthe less, I agree with you, that his able and manly defence of himself, had not only a very great effect in humbling the despotism; but that great praise is due to him for his conduct upon that occasion. But again I say, that, against me, he has committed an offence, for which he shall answer, in some way or other, if I, or my sons, live to return to England.

country's good; it not only, as experience has proved, was greatly useful in this respect; but, it must necessarily have produced a great shock in the public mind; it must necessarily have tended to excite alarm, and to rouse all that description of feelings, which, when brought into active operation, in the Jury-box, would naturally afford protection to every man who had been singled out as a victim by the despotism. All the circumstances of my exile were calculated to produce this effect; and, though I do not, and though I need not, wish for any praise on this score, it would be improper to keep silence upon the subject on the present occasion.

It is not for me, against whom, and against whose writings, it is notorious, that all the despotic laws were levelled; it is not for me, who was able truly to say to the Boroughmongers, I will make you give to us Reformers what we pray for, or I will compel you to deprive the whole people of the shadow of freedom; it is not for me, who stand known throughout America and throughout the King's dominions, as having been the man, who reduced the Borough Faction thus to expose and to degrade itself; it is not for me to put forward pretensions to any minor sort of merit or of power. But, when we are speaking of the great effects upon the minds of Jurors, is it not quite natural to suppose that my exile had some influence in producing those effects? Must not every man in the kingdom have clearly seen in my embarkation for a foreign country the clear proof, that, if Juries did not now make a stand,good political feeling; but because the marks of slavery would be it would afford the Minister and imprinted on the nation for ever. the Boroughmongers an excuse That step of mine was not more for throwing the calamities of the prudent as to myself, than it was country upon "the dispensations patriotic towards my country. It" of Providence," with regard to not only secured to me the certainty of being able to continue the exertion of my talents for my

I am very happy to find, that you have had an abundant harvest in Old England. I was assured of this before, indeed, from the reading of Mr. HUNT's speech, at the dinner to celebrate the acquittal of Mr. WATSON and his associates. For, there is no man in England a better judge, as to such matters, than Mr. Hunt. I always lamented the high price of provisions, that is, to say, if the high price arose from a bad crop ; because, in such case, the labourers of all descriptions must suffer.. In the autumn of 1816, I observed in the Register, that there were all the appearances of a bad crop, and I lamented the circumstance, not only because it would produce great discontent not arising from

which, of course, they (innocent creatures!) could not possibly have any controul. Thus it turned

[ocr errors]

to us, the having taken advantage of the distresses of the country: try: though it was notorious, that we had been calling for Reform for many many years, under all seasons and all circumstances.

pers.

out; for, while they were plotting incessant fluctuation. Nothing for the gagging Bills, they most can remain steady for any consifalsely and most basely imputed derable length of time. The di stresses of traders, which induced them to glut all the markets abroad as well as at home, produced the ruin of a certain portion of them. These are no longer distressed traders. They are pa uThey are gone. Tho se who have been able to resist the past blows, feel, of course, sorne relief from the disgorging of the markets, which had been crammed at the expence of their less ofulent brethren. But, as far as re lates to predictions, I never predicted that the nation would";remain, with regard to trade, in the situation in which it was last w in

that, without a very great change in the mode of governing the country, even trade and commerce can never return to a state of prosperity.

As to the effects, in a political economical point of view, of this abundant harvest, they will be these: the abundant harvest will, by no means, add to the wealth of the land-owner or the farmer. It will tend to keep down and further to depreciate, the value of land. Leases are regulated by prices of corn and other produce; and the purchase money of farms is estimated upon the amount of ter. I only said, what I still gay, rent. The farmer is not at all benefitted by growing a hundred quarters this year, where he grew fifty quarters last year, if the hundred quarters now sell for no more than the fifty quarters sold then. Though the low price be no injury at all to the farmer upon an average of years, the change from high to low must always be injurious to him; because, he cannot, all of a sudden, reduce wages to the standard of the new prices of corn. So that, the effects of the plentiful harvest will be that the labourer will get a larger share of the produce of the earth for his labour than he got before: the farmer will have less means to pay his taxes; and the government will find it more difficult to collect the nourishment necessary to the sustenance of the Bourbon System; at all which effects I most sincerely rejoice.

I am by no means surprized that trade should have received improvement. In the present state of England, there must be an

As to the state of the currency of the country, it is impossible for the thing finally to be otherwise than I have repeatedly predicted. I defy all the contrivances, and all the sufferings which the despotism can inflict upon the nation; I defy the bayonets, stationed at the very doors of the farmers and tràders, to enable the government to pay the interest of the debt in full in a currency of gold, or in a paper which is at par with gold. Shallow, indeed, must be those observers, who regard the predictions. of PAINE as having been falsified. What were the predictions of Mr. PAINE? They were these: first, that, whenever the people should rush to the Bank and demand gold: in exchange for the notes which they held, the Bank would refuse payment, and thus prove itself in-solvent; second, that, at the end.

« AnteriorContinuar »