Vol, 33, No. 19.---Price Two Pence,

COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.

571]

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1818.

LETTER II.*

ΤΟ

1

Messus. BENBOW, EVANS, SEN. EVANS,
JUN. JOHN ROBERTS, JOHN SMITH,
FRANCIS WARD, JOHN JONSON,
JOHN KNIGHT, SAMUEL BROWN,
JOHN BAGUELLY, AND THE REST OF
THOSE, WHO HAVE ACTED THE SAME
NOBLE PANT.

North Hampstead, Long Island,
April 4, 1818.

[572

practised against us; and to an
endeavour to shew, what are the
means, we ought to employ against
the despots, the Boroughmongers.
To record, that which is so noto-
rious; and especially to describe
to you acts of tyranny that are
written on your bodies, and in
your very heart's blood, may seem
to some unnecessary; but, it is
not unnecessary; for, it will be of
the greatest advantage for us to
have all these things in print, rea-
dy to refer to; and, besides, you,

forget, or, if you can help it, to
suffer others to forget. Your suf-
ferings; the blood of the brave
DERBY men; the sufferings, the

FRIENDS AND FELLOW COUNTRYMEN,
Fam addressing a series of let-
ters to the Freemen of Coventry,
on the subject of electing Mem-above all men living, ought not to
bers to serve in Parliament, as
things now stand
I intend that
that series shall exhibit the present
set in their true light; that it shall
contain a display of all their fol-anxiety, the torment, the half-
lies and vices: no; not of all of madness of the wives and children
them; for, then my Letters, like and fathers and mothers. of you
the books mentioned in the Gospel all these must be avenged, or
of St. John, must be too big for life is not worth having.
the world to contain. Neverthe-
less, I intend that series of letters
as a sort of A, B, C of parliamen-
tary history and anecdote. This
series, which I am doing myself
the real honour of addressing to
you, I destine particularly to a re-
cord of the acts of tyranny, which
have been practised, and still are

The former Letter was subjoined to "Letter Co Coventry," published in No. 17, May the 9th,

My friends, be you well assured,
that the day of our deliverance is
not far distant. When I say, not
far, I mean, not many years, and
what are a few years, when the
object is considered? And, by
deliverance do not suppose, that I
mean a deliverance from a jail, or
from exile. I mean a deliverntree
from the robberies of the Borough
b
mongers and their dependents and
agents. I mean a restoration to

Printed by W. Jackson, 11, Newcastle-street, Strand.

1

I say, that the time is not far distant; for, the system, by which Boroughmongers have been ena bled to enslave us, hastens fast to destruction. There are people to laugh at expressions like this, and to tell us, that all these prophesies have failed. How have they failed? In general they have foretold ruin and slavery, or revo•

our right of choosing one House | lest possible means; that is to say,
of Parliament ourselves; for, any the gentlest means consistent with
thing short of that is delusion; it effectual accomplishment.
is mockery; it is insult that calls
for punishment on those who offer
it. There was, I read, one of the
men, who was dungeoned, who
killed himself in prison! Is the
blood of this innocent man to go
unavenged? Where is the comfort
for his family? Have they no
hearts to feel? Where are the
Subscriptions to raise a monument
to his memory? Who steps for-lution, as the effect of this atroci
ward to lament his "untimely ous system. And have not ruh
end"? Do the news-papers garb and slavery come? Can this be
themselves in black borders for denied now? What else are we to
him? No: but, I trust that Mr. consider proofs of ruin, if not
JACKSON will have the goodness thousands starving in the streets,
to collect the facts of his death, and the work-houses choaking?
I read, the other day, in the Cou
publish them, and array the re
cording page of my little bookRIER, of a man, in Cornwall, who
in black. But, my friends, when-
ever a day of real deliverance and
of real justice arrives, is there,
think you, to be no compensation
for your losses and sufferings, and
for those of your wives and pa-
rents and children, who may out-
live you? Do our tyrants hope,
that they shall keep, worst come
to worst, all that they have robbed
us of? Oh, no! They are not
such fools; and, therefore, they
will never, now, let go their grasp;

it
must be loosened by us, and, I
trust, it will be done by the gent-

The Publisher believes that most of the facts of this shocking case are already before the public; but if any friend of the unfortunate victim can furnish him with a more particular account than has yet appeared in print, he would thankfully receive it, and readily give it insertion.

had been refused work the day before, by a farmer, found the next day, in one of his fields, partly eaten by hogs! Is this ruin; or is it hell? This man's death would, indeed, have demanded a black border, wherein to record it.

But, when was the like of these things ever known before? Never, in no country upon earth. Then, look at the state of the Borough mongers' affairs, even according to their own shewing. I have now their last year's report before me. They acknowledge, that their in come, with all their acts of extor tion, falls, at least, twelve millions short of their expenditure. In 1814, at a Meeting at Winchester, I em bodied into a resolution, seconded by Mr. HUNT, this proposition,

namely, that one of four things demand cash for their notes, the destruction will only be the more certain and the more swift; for, all the real money in the Bank would not last out two hours pay

"A reduction of the interest of ments. If, as I put the case in

thousand pounds bonds for good be-shall insure you redress? Will

they do that? They can, if they will. Oh! no! They will not do that; that is "wild;" that is "mad"; that is "nonsense." Alas! my friends, they mean nothing in earnest but to get into place. It is a sham-fight as far as relates to us, and a real fight for place, power, titles, and emolument.

a few kind words, though from the lips of the bloodiest of villains, have sometimes caused all his vil lainies to be forgotten-by Englishmen. When the sailor JEFFE RIES, whom the Honourable Cap. tain LAKE (son of Lord Lake) had left on a desert island, or rather rock, came to London, he was

haviour for seven years; and all this for having complained, that Englishmen (for it was not myself) had been fogged, in the heart of England, while Germans, with their bayonets and sabres, stood over the flogged men, and kept them to the stake to which they were tied? Does any man living suppose, that I do not yet seek I should not, my friends, labour redress for this wrong and com- this point with so much earnest. pensation for all the losses attend-ness, if I had not seen so many, ing it? And, am I to forget; are many instances, of successful çajoa few big words from the Borough-lery; and, if I did not know, that mongers opposite to make me forget my recent wrongs, in which, my friends, I am, in some sort, a participator with you? And, if I have these rights to redress and compensation, what rights have you, in whose persons all the laws, all the forms of laws, have been violated! Oh, no! It is not a little talk about your hard-talked out of all his resentment in ships that will make you forget. a day, and when he came to see Is there any "gentleman oppo- me (by that time in prison) he was site," who will obtain you re- full of the kindest of sentiments dress? Who will obtain compensa- for his old Captain, and never tion for you and ample punish once mentioned the word grati ment of your oppressors. Oh, no! tude to me, but wanted to get me Mr. BROUGHAM and Mr. BEN-to help him to a pension, though NET and Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY it was I, AND I ALONE, who cannot do that. Why not? Oh! because the House will always be sure to have a majority to vote against any such proposition. Well, then, will these zealous and liberty-loving and tyranny-hating gentlemen, vote for a Reform, a real and Radical Reform of that same House: such a Reform as

had caused him to be brought home from America, and to obtain all the redress he had obtained. I am well aware, that you are men, whose minds are of far different mould. But, still you are Eng lishmen, with whom good words are so powerful. There will be false friends enough to endeavour

to kush you up. And, indeed, I advise you to be very prudent. It is useless to have your resentments everlastingly on your tongues; and, I trust, that no exhortations of mine are needed to keep them alive in your hearts.

be cajoled out of his just resentment by any of their flatteries, though they flattered till doom'sday? Yet, why not? For, what difference ought there to be in estimating the value of the same identical words? And, especially.. when there is no difference in the minds of those by whom those words are uttered? I trust the day of mental slavery is past, at any rate; and, I am sure, that every man of you will reject its bonds with as much indignation as you have treated the pretended lenity of the Borough tyrants, who have now slackened their grasp, be you well assured, for their own sakes, and not for yours.

There have been men, who have greatly suffered from the acts of tyrants, and who, upon seeing their cause espoused, as they call it, and their names mentioned with approbation, by "the Ho"nourable Gentleman," or the "Noble Lord," have been flatter ed out of all their just feelings of resentment; not perceiving, that these words of approbation were only intended to cajole, and to disarm the injured of their only There is another point, with remeans of protection for the future. gard to which, though I think no Only observe, too, that this flat-warning necessary, I cannot retery has often been received from frain from addressing you. No; the lips of Boroughmongers, seat- I do not mean to insult your unhirers, and sinecure - placemen! derstandings by supposing you caHowever, days of delusion so pable of joining in that general shocking as these are, I trust, past, howl, which, if I were to believe never, no never, to return. Be the vile hypocrites of the daily sides, this flattery, or, rather, the press, "all ranks and degrees" being pleased and disarmed by have set up for the loss of the this flattery, is not seen in its most PRINCESS CHARLOTTE; for, contemptible light, till we look your conduct has proved you to well at the parties from whom it be neither fools nor hypocrites. And, where shall we find, Now, observe, that I do not wish upon the face of the whole earth, to inculcate any thing disrespect any set of men, of equal number, ful to the memory of this young with so little understanding, or so woman; for I did know, and I little virtue of any description? could know, nothing at all If this set of men, with their pre- about her. I am willing to supsent minds and mental acquire-pose, and to believe, that she was ments, were shoe-makers, car- a very virtuous person; and that penters, or weavers, who would her death, under the peculiar cir