General in, unless from a motive of the | So that these expressions about his Nephew most consummate vanity?-Next, this have, at any rate, given the world to unchosen vessel has to propose that the City derstand, that this great preacher of humiof London shall be invited to give some- lity has not sprung from the very dregs of thing to the fund; and one cannot help ad- the people; but, that he belongs to a miring the ingenuity with which he here family, who have been able to expend great brings the poor Nephew again upon the sums of money, in the work of election at scene. The City of London, says he, Shrewsbury.-We come now to the charge gave my Nephew a sword worth a hundred which Rowland prefers against the Devil. “guineas, and I trust they will give an- He says, that Napoleon, in his conduct other hundred guineas to the present fund." towards the king, or, rather, kings, of A man with any sense of modesty, if he had Spain, must have acted" at the suggestion wanted an example to refer to, would have "of the Devil himself."-Now, we cited some instance where the City had might ask Rowland, in the first place, how given a hundred guineas for charitable pur- he could know this fact, unless he had poses; but who, besides this teacher of direct or indirect communication with the humility would have thought of thus bring- Devil; for, Napoleon could not give him ing his Nephew upon the scene a second the information without exposing Rowland time, in order to convince his hearers, that to the charge of carrying on correspondence the City aught to relieve the sufferers in with the enemy. If he does not derive his Germany, because they had given a sword information from the Devil, his assertion to an English general?-But, even this is made at hazard, and, for aught he knows, was not enough. The select vessel has to it may be wholly false. Then, if it be recommend to the Established Church to mere guess work, we may ask him, why bleed freely upon this occasion. Accord- he supposes, that the Devil should have ing to his account, the Devil is a very art- had so much power. He must, I think, ful personage; but, I think, it would have say, that he believes the Devil to be more puzzled the Devil himself to find out a way powerful than God, or that God approved of hooking in the Nephew here too along of what the Devil did, in this instance; with the Church. Yet Rowland Hill does and, if Rowland adopt this latter opinion, it, and thus: the Church, says he, ought with what justice, with what decency, with to be called upon, to assist the fund; "and" what face, can he rail against Napoleon for (now, watch him!), "if I were as high the acts he performed at the Devil's sug"in the Church as my Nephew is in the gestion?Leaving Rowland to answer "6 army, I would set the example." this question at his leisure, let us proceed Now, reader, can you form an idea of to put a few other questions to him, first egotism and vanity more barefaced, more observing, that there can be little reason to disgusting than this? Can you conceive suppose, that the Devil, if he were at the how a man could find face sufficient to elbow of Napoleon at Bayonne, the same utter these passages, upon such an occasion, personage has not followed him in all his and amongst an assembly of persons, who actions, as well before as after that time. might reasonably be supposed to be toler- Was it, then, the Devil, who suggested able good judges of what they heard to Napoleon the putting down of the quispoken? It has often been remarked, that, sition, and the turning out of the Monks and in paint of front, men of this description Friars? Will Rowland say, that it was surpass all the rest of the world. But, the Devil, who inspired Napoleon with though the Reverend Gentleman's repeated such inflexible and efficient hostility to these mention of his Nephew was certainly ex- two establishments of Christian Priests? tremely disgusting, it was not altogether I have heard Rowland bellowing most thrown away upon me; for, I always loudly against the Scarlet Whore of Babythought, from the language and manner of lon, whose seat was the seven hills of this person, whom I remember to have Rome. I have heard him rave about the heard holding forth some years ago, that cup of her abominations, out of which the he had been one of the lowest mechanics, world had been made drunk. Well, was or labourers, Indeed, till told of my it, then, the Devil, who suggested to Naerror about two years ago, I thought that poleon to put down the Pope; to destroy he was that famous coal-heaver, who made his power; and to root out the Priests and such a noise by his preaching; but I then the superstitions, by which the Pope was found, that that man's name was Hunting- supported? Was it the Devil, who sugdon, or Huntington, or something like it.gested to him the putting-down of the idolatry, as it was called, of the Church | Napoleon to do all this; who stood at his elbow and urged him on and chuckled at his success? It was the Devil, was it, who was at the bottom of this grand scheme? Come, Rowland, never hesitate, man! Say, at once, that it was the Devil, and then you will at least, be consistent. -The Bourbon Proclamation (my AN SWER to which has been so much sought for) calls Napoleon an instrument in the hands of God. So, one calls him God's instrument, and the other calls him the Devil's instrument! If I were to venture, if I were to dare, to talk of the Deity in this familiar, this vulgar, this grovelling strain; if I were presumptuous enough thus to trace the events of this earth to the maker of the Universe; if I were thus to pull down the Deity to the level of my own narrow conceptions, and to make him almost a party in the squabbles of men; if [ were to do this, leaving out of view all the great scheme of intermediate causes, I should certainly say, that Napoleon, in giving perfect religious liberty, in unbinding the consciences of so many millions of people, before subject to the cruel persecutions of ecclesiastical power, was urged on by God and not by the Devil.For many years past, we have heard of schemes for the abolishing of tithes, which, by all sorts of people, have been represented as the greatest of nuisances and the heaviest of burdens. From Mr. Coke, the most enterprising and public-spirited agriculturist in the kingdom, and Mr. Arthur Young, the most voluminous and very able writer upon the subject of agriculture, down to the lowest of the farmers, who, in the scale of being, are but one remove above the clods which they till, or, rather, leave untilled, and which are the masters in the struggle. From the Lord to the artisan; all, yea the whole nation, have joined in this cry against tithes, as a nuisance, a burden, a grievance, a cause of impediments to the growing of corn, a source of want and of misery.-I, who am called a great Jacobin, have never been able to see them in this light. But, if this be the proper light to view them in, was it the Devil; was it the Devil, Rowland, who suggested to Napoleon to drive the idea of tithes from his Code? I fancy, if you ask the opinion of farmers upon this subject, you will find that they are disposed to believe, that, in this instance, at least, he was -It is true, that surely inspired by God. of Rome? Will Rowland assert the affirmative of this? If he does, what becomes of all his railing against the Romish Church; and, yet, it appears to me, that he must assert this, or he must confess, that the Devil had nothing to do in the prompting of Napoleon; for, to suppose, that he was prompted by him in some of his invasions and not in others, we must make the Devil a very whimsical being.-Rowland should observe, that the putting down of the cruel, the infernal Inquisition, in Spain, was not only the work of Napoleon, but it was a consequence of the very art of which Rowland particularly complains. I will not stop here to ask, what sort of kings those must be whom it was possible to kidnap. I will not ask, whether it was very likely, that they should be the fittest persons to be at the head of the government of a great nation. These inquiries, though proper enough to be made, do not come within the scope of my present object. The Inquisition, that proverbially cruel and infernal instrument of tyranny over the bodies and consciences of men, was put down in consequence of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon, and of his putting a new sovereign on the throne. Now, could the Devil wish to see this bloody institution destroyed? And, if he could not, why are we to suppose, that it was he, who prompted Napoleon to the act which was the cause of it; and, if we were to suppose, that the Devil really was zealous for the destruction of the Inquisition and of the power of the Monks, should we not be led to doubt, whether the Devil be so very detestable a personage as we have been taught to believe him?-It was the Devil, too, I presume, who, in the opinion of Rowland, suggested to Napoleon to establish by law, and on the clearest ground and most firm basis, religious liberty in France and Italy; it was the Devil, who prompted him to lay the axe to the root of superstition; to leave all men free to worship God according to their several opinions; to make all religious sects perfectly equal in the eye of the law; to abolish all religious tests; to open all stations and employments and honours to men of all religions, not excepting the Jews; to give, in short, to fifty millions of people, a perfect freedom in all matters relating to religion, and, thereby, doing all that it was possible for the greatest potentate of the earth to do for the success of religious truth.It was the Devil, was it, Rowland, who prompted I could wish, as, doubtless, many persons in France wish, that more liberty existed in France; I could wish the form of the bell and against Mr. Mant.- -Before I MR. MANT AND CAPTAIN CAMPBELL. Since my last article upon this subject, to which the reader will please to refer, in page 149 of the present volume, I have seen some authentic documents on the other side; that is to say, in favour of Captain Camp "OF HIM." These were prize-goods, which Mr. Mant sold for the benefit of the Captain and crew of the ship to which he belonged.- -Another document is a passport to permit a vessel to proceed with a cargo of corn, signed by Captain Campbell. But, after the signature, and without the Captain's knowledge, Mr. Mant I have only to add, that, if Mr. Mant finds his situation worse on account of this article, the misfortune is wholly to be attributed to himself. interlines, or rather adds, in other ink, the words and to return with merchan"dise." The master of the vessel, fearing that the interlined words would carry a suspicious appearance, went to Captain Campbell and asked him for a fresh pass- PUBLIC FEELING.I have inserted a port, telling him that he had paid Mr. letter below upon this subject, which I Mant 300 dollars for the part interlined. think not undeserving the notice of my It was wholly unlawful for Captain Camp- readers.I am glad to find that there are bell to grant any passport "to return with some individuals who entertain hopes, that "merchandise," and he therefore refused the public mind may yet be roused from the it. Mr. Mant, when the master re-lethargy with which all classes of society turned to him, drew up a paper, which I seem to be seized; but I never was very have seen in his own hand writing, for the sanguine that any exertions of mine could master to sign, declaring that he, the overcome this sottish disposition. The master, had not paid Mr. Mant any money writer of the letter to which I allude thinks for the interlineation. This paper was not he discovers syınptoms of "returning reasigned, but was carried unsigned to Capt."son" among the multitude, in the flucCampbell; and, another document, clothed tuation of the stock exchange; in the boldwith all legal forms, proves that a third ness of the public press; and in the present person was present, when Mr. Mant offer- state of the contest in the field. It is true, ed the master of the vessel to return him that the fluctuation of the stock exchange the 300 dollars, if he would sign the above- has been regarded as the barometer of pubmentioned paper, declaring that he had lic feeling; but I question much whether never paid him, and never said that he paid this feeling ever went deeper than the bothim those very 300 dollars, which were, tom of a man's pocket. At present, it evion such condition, to be returned.- dently has no other effect upon the holders This was quite enough for me, and I dare of stock, than to set them about contriving say, that it will be quite enough for the schemes to raise the funds when they are public, as to the charge of Captain Camp- low, or to keep them from falling when bell against Mr. Mant. The legality or they have reached a desirable pitch. I ueillegality of the disposing of prizes without ver yet was able to find a single stock-jobsending them in for trial, and of making ber, who was led from contemplating the compromises of the kind stated by Mr. rise or the fall of stock, to view with atMant, in charge against his Captain, is tention the ruinous state of the country; to wholly another question. As I have said turn his mind seriously to what the much before, I am convinced that Captain Camp- talked of deliverance of Europe is likely to bell did nothing unlawful; or, at least, lead to; or to inquire what was the amount that he did not depart from the real spirit of the national debt, at what rate it was of his orders and the law. And, I think, accumulating, or how it would bear upon that if he had not been conscious of having the country, should peace with France be done nothing unlawful, he never would the result of the present negociations. As have proceeded to such extremities against to the present state of the contest in the field, Mr. Mant, who was master of all the proofs I have as little hope from this source. The against him. It is not usual for a man to Allies appear to my correspondent to have excite the rage of one who has him so much acted foolishly in not pushing forward, and in his power.Besides, if there had improving the advantages which victory had been any deviation from the law in these given them over the enemy. But I susprize transactions, Mr. Mant, as the vo- pect, notwithstanding all that our wise conluntary agent, must have taken his full ductors of the press say about the ignorance, share of the guilt; and, the most awkward the stupidity, and the cowardice of the circumstance of all, for him, is, that we Emperor Napoleon, that the Allies know do not hear of any complaint of his upon him much better than we do. He is not a this score, until after the Captain has soldier of yesterday, nor need they be told caused him to be displaced, and has repre- that they have all been compelled, in their sented his conduct to the Transport Board; turn, to bow beneath his victorious arm. which, I repeat it, the Captain never The people here, however, have been so would have done, if he had been at all ap-effectually worked upon by base and hireprehensive that Mr. Mant could give in-ling writers, and the same vile and unformation of any great account against him. founded calumnies so often repeated against the French Emperor, that were he again to man even dares avow his honest sentiments force the invading armies to recross the as to public measures, without running the Rhine; ; nay, were he even to drive them risk of being utterly ruined by what are back to the Elbe; such is the besotted state termed legal proceedings. But this is not of mind to which the multitude are reduced, all :-Though the corrupt and ignorant such their willingness to be deceived, that dread the existence of a free press, they feel I am persuaded they would not allow this no hesitation in converting it into an engine to be the effect of victory on the part of the to serve their own purposes. Aware enemy. During the whole of Napoleon's that it may be employed with equal success progress to Moscow, a distance of about in deceiving as in undeceiving mankind, 1,500 miles from Paris, we heard of no- they have availed themselves of its powerthing but defeats and disasters which at- ful influence, which they have rendered tended him. Every advantage which he more extensive in the propagation of error, obtained, was converted into a victory gain- than it ever was in the promulgation of ed by the Allies; and even when the battle truth. At this moment there is scarcely a was fought which removed the last obstacle single news-paper that is not indebted, in to Buonaparte's entering the ancient capital one shape or another, to the fostering hand of Russia, we were gravely told, that the of corruption; and even where symptoms French army had sustained so signal a de- of patriotism do sometimes appear, the feat, had been so completely dispersed, cause of truth is advocated in so feeble a that scarcely a man of them was to be manner, and the writers who pretend to found; and that Buonaparte himself, who, support it, are under so much restraint, it was said, had fled with the utmost preci- that they seem rather to make advances topitation from the field of battle, was certain wards a total surrender of the limited porof being taken prisoner. All this was not tion of independence which they enjoy, only put forth in foreign journals, and Te than to be the champions of the people's Deum chanted by our pious Allies for the rights. The effect which this degraded glorious success; but here, aye, in this en- state of the press has had on the public lightened country, every leller of it was be- mind, is what it will always be among a lieved, and the highest expectation prevail- people who court deception, and who seem ed at the time, that the "Corsican" would to cherish it the more that they are deceivsoon be exhibited to the gaping rabble, as ed. Truth with them becomes fiction; some "fell monster" who had hitherto de- vice, virtue; defeat, victory; and victory, solated the earth, and "gorged in human defeat: what common sense pronounces blood." Every victory, in fact, which ruin and wretchedness, is thence deemed Buonaparte has gained, has been treated by prosperity and comfort; and the destruchis enemies as of no account, and steadily tion of commerce more desirable than the viewed in the same light by the mass of the employment of our starving manufacturers. people, who, I do not find, are less credu- Those measures which every enlightened lous at present than when the arms of politician condemns as fatal to happiness France were almost every where victorious. and independence, are applauded as the But if I calculate upon little towards the result of a wise and profound policy; and enlargement of the public mind, resulting the confidence which powerful men have from the state of the contest in the field, I thereby acquired, not only encourages them expect still less from the public press. It to persevere in their pernicious schemes, is long since the liberty of the press could, but to conspire more effectually against pubwith any propriety, be regarded as the pal-lic liberty. My correspondent "Hortator" ladium of British freedom. It is even a has flattered me by supposing, that I am matter of doubt, whether the art of printing" alone sufficient to unteach the English has not become a greater curse than it ever was a blessing. The notorious profligacy and total disregard of principle so prevailing in the world, has directed the powerful means, originally intended for the benefit of society, towards checking free discussion, arresting the progress of inquiry into public abuses, protecting notorious delinquents, and exercising a novel and unwarrantable rigour against every press possessing the least semblance of freedom, that no world the follies, which its own ductility, practised upon by interested craft, has rendered it so easy to adopt." I am of opinion, however, with SOLOMON, that "it is more difficult to convince a fool of his folly than for seven wise men to render a reason." If the task then is so difficult with one fool, what must it be with the many? I have not the vanity to think that my feeble exertions are sufficient to avert the impending storm: nothing, I am |