out, as a delicious morsel to glut his sanguinary appetite, and leaves him a complete triumph over law and civilization, the protectors of mankind.

The vice of drunkenness offers a delusive asylum to a mind oppressed with the cares of life, and the hospitable host at first, like the blandishing harlot, caresses and comforts in lascivious embraces, and dismisses at length, with empty pockets, and an infected constitution.

Civilization, with its extravagant and unnatural refinements, demands so much activity and industry from every individual, to keep pace with the velocity of its orbit, that where any one from extreme sympathy or probity, finds his motion retarded, his respiration becomes painful, if not aided by great intellectual capacity, and he seeks relief from the oblivion of intoxication, and sacrifices the basis of happiness, health, to its superstructure, pleasure.

It is a matter of much wonder to observe, that while Nature in the moral and physical world produces a variety of capricious combinations, or lusus naturae, that she has not yet sported, in the political world, an union of integrity and ability to form a king or minister: But what augments the wonder is, that, moral aptitude or fitness is constantly presenting this matter to creation; for true ability implies integrity, and the reverse.

A minister whose prevalent motive is the applause of his country, would be sure to obtain it by absolute integrity; but in temporizing with prejudice and custom, he betrays an integrity that is only comparative, and keeps but at a little distance from dismissed and unpopular predecessors, and proves how averse Nature is to produce that political phænomenon-an honest minister; which would be such a prodigy in the moral world, that it would be impossible to calculate its effects upon the happiness of all mankind, which could not fail to be of the utmost magnitude, as would be the esteem and veneration paid to his person.

It is this predominancy of impetuous passion over

powerful reason, that induces the senator to sell himself to a sovereign; to betray the country-and what country! a country enlightened, generous and free to know his conduct, to reward it, and to render him happy. How lamentable to observe, that in this iand of genius, virtue and truth, Nature has yet produced no public character, where they have completely triumphed, led on by wielom, to obtain untarnished laurels for the victor; of which the conduct of the late Lord Chatham furnishes an humiliating instance. His ambition, (like the rage of avarice, duping its votary, giving shadow for substance,) reduced him with the tinsel glare of title, from the pinnacle of glory, and brought the splendid sun of his political fame to a precipitate decline, under the dark horizon of oblivion, and left such an indelible blot on the character of patriotism, that it has ever since become a term of reproach.

Among the various factions that have constantly and still continue to agitate this happy isle, the present appears to be the most alarming. It is formed by a union of the first talents and abilities of the kingdom, deprived of every virtue but liberality, which standing alone, has degenerated into licentiousness.

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Administration, headed by a minister in possession of talents and virtue united, would triumph easily over a ruinous faction, though supported with the greatest abilities but the increase of luxury, the corruption of manners, and the avaricious principle of self-interest, destroying patriotism; while the exigencies of the state, caused by an immense public debt, demand uncommon sacrifices of personal interest from every citizen, and forms a favorable conjuncture to the insidious combat of a vicious interested faction.

I have viewed this conjuncture with all the impartiality of a philosopher and citizen of the world, and it appears to me to be a combat of vice and virtue.

The arms with which vice combats in the hands of the present dangerous faction, are the temptations of personal interest and personal liberty, held out in the opposi

tion given to taxes and democratical innovations in the system of the constitution; and it seems a problem, that they have not gained the victory, as their enemy, a virtuous minister is obliged, by taxes and order, to oppress and control the great body of the people, and by that means furnish an insidious faction with arms against himself.

This problem can be solved only by considering the opposite characters of the two parties.

The minister possesses that vernacular English character of probity, prudence, thoughtfulness and candor; and this attracts the congeniality of the English people.

The character of the faction is the reverse-cunning it substituted for probity, extravagance for prudence, activity for thoughtfulness, and ingenuity for candor; and this character repels in the same proportion the other attracts. The body of the people pressed down by the weight of taxes, and incommoded by the restraint of legal liberty, moves on to unite with the very source of these inconveniences, and flies from the blandishments of the faction as from a political harlot, who promises present pleasure, but betrays her victim to future pain. And thus the faction assuming the character of the guardians of liberty, being suspected by the people, induces them to place a dangerous confidence in their minister, which though his virtue might not abuse, would grow into habit, and expose them to the treachery of wicked

successors.

It is wonderful to observe, that a nation excelling all others in the strength of intellectual capacity, should in a great collective assembly of its abilities, be confounded, imposed upon and betrayed, by an impertinent logomachy, which is stiled abilities. Velocity of thought and speech is here constantly directed to triumph, and not to the investigation of truth. This can be effected only by colloquial discourse, and all long orations confound and perplex it.

The vanity of triumph in argument is the cause of all error in public or private discussions. Man will not

suffer a momentary suspicion of the inferiority of his judgment, and he prefers to triumph verbally in error, rather than arrive at truth by doubt, and deliberate reflection, which avoid decisive dogmatic assertions, and moves forward with the gravity of doubt, and not the velocity of articulated air, seeking truth and not triumph as its object.

The present conjuncture prognosticates the decline and fall of the British empire. Virtue, its trunk, is grown old, and vice spreads with great luxuriancy its ponderous branches to subvert its parent stock, when the tempest shall arrive. To an observant eye, vice has grown so bold, as not only to refuse all connections with virtue, but standing alone, has chosen leaders, whose qualities are dissipation and licentiousness, to prove its audacity.

Ministers are brought from a gaming table, and the highest magistrates are sought for in spunging houses. Who, that has the least spark of wisdom in his mind, or virtue in his soul, to produce the austerity of the English character, but feels the highest indignation for the affront offered to the dignity, and the alarm given to the safety of the nation. What can the man do, whose tempestuous and agitated passions delight in the storm and tempests of play; pleased only as a friend is ruined; content only with existence, in proportion as it becomes precarious; and living on a point or moment, without the prudence and caution of foresight and reflection?Is such a character compatible with the office of public magistrate; on whose prudence, dignity, sobriety and tranquil reflection, depends the safety and happiness of millions? Will he be desirous or able to procure for them what he cannot, and wishes not to procure for himself? Will not the activity of his.passions involve the nation in all the disquietude of his own mind? and while he stakes his existence, estimated by the value of the moment, upon an ace of spades, will the existence of the nation be of greater estimation? or will it not be staked frequently upon the axe of war?

What integrity or economy can be expected from the man whose insensibility renders him deaf to the cries of distressed creditors; and who, from the infamy of legal executions, is elevated to the highest post of confidence and importance, as supreme magistrate? Will he treat the nation with more justice? And he, who has not prudence or foresight to preserve himself from an abyss of distress, shall he, by the exercise of those faculties, in regulating a complete and most delicate constitution, secure liberty, virtue and happiness to the British empire? When such characters assume the magistracy of the state, corruption, that has hitherto been measured by expediency and necessity, will then become absolute. Patriotism and English austerity will be terms of reproach, and rogue and knave be terms of glory; as they imply splendid talents and abilities, or more properly low cunning, or left-handed wisdom."

The very characters stigmatized by the National Assembly of France, as unworthy of the rights of citizens, in England aspire to the supreme magistracy; and this single instance among many other inconsistencies of humanity, forces speculation, after the most profound investigation, to continue in doubt and discussion.

I am sorry, in a work of universal interest to Humanity, to condescend to the censure of parties; but as the source of happiness, which will ultimately inundate all Nature, is placed in this island, whatever impedes or augments its current, becomes an object of magnitude and importance. And this reflection leads me to consider the nature of that source

THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

Had I the talent of speech of all the orators the world ever produced, it would be inadequate to give form to the operation of thought, while it contemplates this hallowed subject, involving the happiness and well-being not only of humanity, but of all animated Nature.

O Britons! could I inspire you with my sentiments of veneration for this holy fountain, you would guard it with the affectionate vigilance of a protecting parent to his beloved offspring.