Pamphlets and Parodies on Political SubjectsHone, William
General
Pamphlets and Parodies on Political Subjects
Hone, William
Political satire, English
Harnessed with other hacks to the machine of tyranny, he must answer to
the lash of the driver, and drag it along, or be trampled over. Smack
went the whip, and on went Slop. To support the new order of things in
France, it was necessary, in addition to the bayonets of foreigners,
that the press there should be put under a censorship, and that the
_free_ press of England should make {202}a monstrous experiment to write
up the advantages of a shackled press in France. Dr. Slop undertook the
task, and joining to himself another Doctor, the Poet Laureate, they
united with persons of similar qualifications in France, and commenced
operations by announcing a publication called the '_Correspondent_,'
which was to appear at London in the English, and at Paris in the
French language on the same day. It was conducted on the plan of
a 'Class-meeting' among the Methodists, where each relates his
'experience.' But neither the French nor the English cared a _sous_
about the political 'experience' of Doctor Slop, Doctor Southey, or
the mad Viscount Chateaubriand. Besides, the Poet Laureate, instead of
telling his own 'experience,' told, a long story about the Rev. John
Wesley's, while Slop came 'lumbering like a bear up,' and Chateaubriand
illustrated the affairs of Europe with tales about the city
of Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Crown of Thorns. The
'Correspondent' fell still-born amid the laughter of the few people of
both nations who knew of its coming forth, and perhaps there are only
five persons in England who remember it even by name--Messrs. Longman,
Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, who had the honour of the profit and loss
account.
Devoid of political principle, Slop's real source of action is pure
selfishness. His end and aim are antisocial, because his _Slop-pail_
can only exist during political strife. He would inflame the passions of
ministers and their minions, to vex and to harass the people, that the
people may be irritated into resistance against persecution. He and
his fellow-laboureres vilified and goaded whole communities of starving
manufacturers. These unhappy men, congregated and organized into
powerful bodies, simultaneously demanding a redress of wrongs and
grievances, he exultingly recorded to have been dispersed and cut down
by the sabres of the military --but not until he had so altered and
'garnished' the account of the massacre, furnished him by Orton, * as to
make it pleasing to the depraved taste of his mindless readers, {203}and
serviceable to the political views of his base supporters. This was his
harvest; but he has reaped that, and is sowing another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account