Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
others, by the recent movements of Sir Robert Peel. I have never thought
or spoken of him, up even to the present moment, otherwise than with
sincere respect for his spotless personal character, and the highest
admiration of his intellectual and administrative qualities. I would
scout the very faintest insinuation against the purity of his motives,
at the same time loudly expressing my concern and amazement at
witnessing such conduct as his, in _such_ a man!
"Who would not weep if such a man there be--
Who would not weep if Atticus were he?"
I said just now, that Sir Robert Peel's signal characteristic was the
doing things, the impropriety and danger of doing which he had himself
beforehand demonstrated; and that was the reflection with which I
yesterday concluded the perusal of a memorable little document which I
took care to preserve at the time--I mean his national manifesto at the
general election of 1841, in the shape of his address to the electors of
Tamworth. Apply it now like a plummet to the edifice of Sir Robert
Peel's political character; how conclusively it shows the extent to
which it has diverged or swelled from the perpendicular line of
right--how much he has departed from the standard which he had himself
set up! What must be his feelings on recurring to such a declaration as
this?
"That party," [the Conservative,] "gentlemen, has been pleased to
intrust your representative with its confidence--(_cheers_;) and,
notwithstanding all the remarks that have been made at various times,
respecting differences of opinion and jealousy among them, you may
depend upon it that they are altogether without foundation; and that
that party which has paid me the compliment of taking my advice, and
following my counsel, _are a united and compact party, among which there
does not exist the slightest difference of opinion in respect to the
principles they support, and the course they may desire to pursue.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I hope I have not abused the confidence of that
great party."[66] (Loud cheers.)!!!_ I give the eloquent and eminent
speaker credit for feeling a sort of twinge, a pang, a spasm, on reading
the above. One more extract I will give relative to the recent conduct
of Sir R. Peel on the sugar-duties:--"The question now is, gentlemen,
whether, after the sacrifices which this country has made for the
suppression of the slave-trade, and the abolition of slavery, and the
glorious results that have ensued, and are likely to ensue from these
sacrifices, we shall run the risk of losing the benefit of these
sacrifices, and _tarnishing for ever that glory_, by admitting to the
British markets sugar, the produce of foreign slavery? Gentlemen, the
character of this country, in respect to slavery, is thus spoken of by
one of the most eloquent writers and statesmen of another country, Dr
Channing, of the United States:--'Great Britain, loaded with an
unprecedented debt, and with a grinding taxation, contracted a new debt
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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