Revolutions in Spain:-Action for Slander.

he has not yet reached. NAPOLEON has not, with unrelenting barbarity dragged from the death beds of their dearest relatives, neither CHARLES nor FERDINAND: those princes did not soon after their arrival at Bayonne" die of a dysentery!"* It is earnestly to be wished that our city orators, together with the writers in our ministerial prints, who have so profusely lavished on the French Emperor, the epithets of "base Corsican usurper,-most odious "monster,-blood thirsty despot,-hell born fiend,-greatest curse, "and scourge that ever plagued the world," &c. &c. &c. who are now expressing their ardent hopes that he and all his "monster race, may be speedily EXTERMINATED," it is earnestly to be wished that these infuriated birelings possessed some remains of conscience, and that they would recollect, that the man who can explore language for epithets to reprobate the vicious actions of some, and explore the same language for epithets to panegyrise actions equally vicious of others, exhibits that most odious vice in the sight of God, HYPOCRISY, and proves that it is deeply engraven on his heart.

We for the present conclude our observations on this interesting subject. Whatever may be our wishes for the amelioration of the Spanish nation, we still maintain, that the will of the majority ought to prevail. If the insurrection should prove to be general, and if the people are even resolved to preserve what our ministerial writers appear to have so much at heart-" all their ancient institutions," or in plainer language, all that wretched mass of corruptions and abuses, that system of despotism and priestcraft, their " venerable constitu❝tion in church and state," still, no foreign power has a right by force to interfere, and every attempt so to do will be highly criminal.

ACTION FOR SLANDER.

THE EDITOR has that confidence in the respect which his readers entertain for his character, that he trusts he shall be excused for very briefly intruding on their notice an affair, in which his dearest interests are deeply involved. On Monday last, after a forbearance on his part of four and twenty years, he was at length by imperious necessity, compelled to bring an action against a relative, who with others of his family, were bound by all those ties which unite society together, to have been the protectors instead of the assassinators of his character. In the Court of Common Pleas an action was brought by the Plaintiff, Benjamin Flower, against his Nephew the Rev. John Clayton, jun. for DEFAMATION. The charges were— That he had accused the plaintiff of having, twenty four years since, committed the crime of FORGERY, and his mother with having, for the purpose of saving his life, committed the crime of PER

* See the speech of Sir T. Turton. Pol. Rev. Vol. III. p. lxxxvii.

JURY! The charges against the defendant were clearly proved by two respectable witnesses, Banister Flight, Esq. and the Rev. Samuel Palmer, both of Hackney, Middlesex. No evidence was called on the part of the Defendant; but his Counsel were instructed to plead-His innocent intention--the provocation he and his father had received by the criticisms of the Plaintiff in his Memoirs of Mr. Robinson, prefixed to a late edition of his works; and certain pecuniary transactions which occurred twenty four years since! Some of the falsehoods advanced on this occasion, and which have since appeared in several of the public prints, are only inferior in atrocity to those of which the Defendant stands . publicly convicted. Chief Justice Mansfield in summing up the evidence, observed-That although the Plaintiff was entitled to a verdict, as the witnesses had not told the words to any other person, he could claim only slight damages. One of the jury asking his Lordship what damages would entitle the Plaintiff to costs, was informed 40s. on which a verdict was given for that sum.

The Readers of the Political Review have a right to be informed of the motive which induced the Reverend father of the Reverend slanderer to compel the latter to defend this action. This shall be given in his own words. When a respectable gentleman waited on the former, the day before the trial, informing him that he had reason to believe "that if Mr. Flower's character were ex“culpated, and the law expences paid, the action would be dropped," the Rev. John Clayton, sen. replied as follows:-" The "affair had gone too far, and was not well understood. That it was not so much a contest between Mr. Flower, and his [Mr. Clayton's] Son, as between. DEMOCRACY and HERESY on the one side, and LOYALTY and ORTHODOXY on 'the other!" The Editor however, ventures to express his hopes, that notwithstanding the verdict was given against the Defendant, the British Throne still stands firm, and that the Pillars of Orthodoxy are not materially shaken!

The calumnies which have been widely circulated for four and twenty years past, first by a relative who, at setting out in life was under peculiar obligations to the Editor, the Rev. John Clayton, sen. and afterwards by two of his sons, the Rev. William Clayton, and the Rev. John Clayton, jun. some of which, although publicly refuted in a court of justice, have been accompanied by others, which equally call for refutation, have determined the Editor to publish the late proceedings. But he will not again intrude the subject on the readers of the Review. The trial as taken down in short-hand by Mr.. Gurney, together with a STATEMENT OF FACTS, and observations on the speech of the Counsel for the Defendant, is preparing for the press, and will be shortly published.

In our last Review we presented to our Readers an impartial statement of the principal occurrences which had taken place from the commencement of the recent Revolutions in Spain; and in tracing the progress of subsequent events, we shall endeavour to ob serve the same impartiality. Our readers may rest assured, that, as on the one hand we have no inclination to mislead them, so, on the other hand it is our earnest wish that they may not be misled by others. In this early stage of the business, we cannot but warn our countrymen against expressing an undefined or implicit confidence in ministers. We are somewhat mistaken if certain respectable statesmen, who wish well to their country, and certain editors of our public prints, who are not the hirelings of administration, do not ere long repent of their conduct in hurrying on their countrymen to unite in presenting adulatory addresses to the throne, expressive of their approbation of the conduct of ministers, with whose plans and views respecting the Spanish nation, they are yet but very superficially acquainted; and who are, judging from their past conduct, the enemies of the peace, and of the liberties of mankind both political and religious.

The information which the public receive of the state of affairs in Spain is derived from two sources:-The Paris Journals, and the Madrid Gazettes: the most important of the official accounts contained in the latter are transmitted by our naval officers stationed off the Spanish coast, and inserted in our court Gazette. Great caution, we have reason to believe is necessary in attending to the statements derived from each of these channels. In comparing the very different and often opposite accounts of the same events, it is not to be wondered at, if the majority should credit those statements which are the most agreeable to their wishes; and that those who desire to be rightly informed should be unable to form a competent judgment of passing events, till time shall afford them information more impartial and complete. As to the representations and comments of the great majority of our diurnal and weekly journalists,

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VOL. IV.

they only serve to shew the force of hasty, ill-formed popular opinions, and violent national prejudices. Our ministerial hirelings in particular, are exerting all their efforts to spread the flames of war over Europe, and express their sanguine hopes and wishes that their masters may be able to form new coalitions of kings, and to hire the armies of Europe, which may, with the liberal assistance of this country, undo all that has been doing for these twenty years past: they hold out to us the expectation that the present French government will be annihilated; that not only the power, but the person of " the atrocious usurper of France" (so the Emperor is now styled in our official documents*) and all his "detested monster "race" may be destroyed from the face of the earth. Ministers, in short, confidently hope, that by turning over a few leaves in the chapter of accidents, they shall find the accomplishment of the vast, the gigantic, the glorious projects, first planned by their master PITT, and obstinately persisted in to the close of his life;project which they seem determined to accomplish, although they perish, or, to speak more correctly, although their country should perish in the attempt; for it will be generally found by referring to revolutionary periods, that cabinet councillors and courtiers are the first to secure themselves from the effects of those measures that end in the ruin of their deluded, and too-confiding countrymen.

In our last, we left the Emperor NAPOLEON, his brother JoSEPH (the newly-proclaimed King of Spain) and the principal grandees, and constituted authorities of the kingdom, at Bayonne.After settling and publishing the new Constitution, his Spanish Majesty proceeded to make choice of his ministers, and to fill up the principal posts in the most important departments of the state, civil and military these different officers were, it was acknowledged by all parties, selected from the most ancient and respectable families of the grandees; and there appears on their part to have been no unwillingness to accept the stations assigned them. His Majesty then proceeded to take possession of his kingdom; and to repair, without loss of time to his capital. On entering the Spanish territories he published a proclamation replete with royal professions of love, esteem, and regard, and descriptive of the happiness his subjects might expect to enjoy in consequence of their newly-formed Constitution. The Madrid Gazettes present us with the most flattering account of the reception which his Majesty and his court uniformly met with on their journey, and of their joyful entry into the capital; of the addresses from different bodies of the people, the indubitable signs of affection, which the whole nation shewed

* See the letter of Mr. Secretary Canning to the Envoys of Asturias. Pol. Reg. P. 121.

"for his Majesty's person;" of his Majesty's most gracious and condescending behaviour to all ranks of his subjects, his luminous discourses on the affairs of his kingdom, and his foreign possessions. The listening auditors we are informed "were struck with admira"tion of his Majesty's eloquence, the suavity of his manner, the "force of his reasoning, the extent of his knowledge and under"standing, and his majestic attitudes!" We are farther informed,' "that it was the supreme wish," of this enraptured assembly, "that the whole nation had had the pleasure and the advantage "of being present on the occasion!"* Such is the picture of the new monarchy as drawn by court artists, and it must be acknowledged that they do not appear to be novices, but to be thoroughly acquainted with the style of colouring so well suited to courts in all countries. A few obscuring clouds may indeed be here and there discovered, which may tend to raise some suspicion, even in the minds of those who have no other representation before them; but we are assured that every cloud will be transient. "The turbu"lence which still prevails in some of the provinces will cease, as "soon as the Spaniards shall have been apprised that their religion, "the integrity, and independence of their country, and their "dearest rights are secured; as soon as they shall discover the germs of their prosperity in the new institutions. Every honest Spaniard must then open his eyes, and all must then crowd "round the throne."

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The proclamation of the "illustrious Monarch as King of Spain " and the Indies, took place on the 25th. ult. with great pomp and solemnity;" and all ranks and classes of the inhabitants of Madrid are represented as uniting in the demonstrations of joy common on such occasions.

We have thus laid before our readers the sum and substance of the intelligence which has since our last been published in the French papers, official as well as others, respecting the Spanish Revolution. From these sources we have yet no account of adverse events, such us the surrender of the French fleet at Cadiz, &c. which were published to the world in other countries, upwards of six weeks since. To what a state of degradation must the press be reduced in France! The inhabitants of that large, and in many respects enlightened empire, surely cannot long be contented at being thus deprived of that first blessing of a free country. However this inestimable privilege might have been occasionally struck at by different administrations in this country, and however it may be prostituted and abused by the hirelings of the present day, + Ibid, p: 79.

Pol. Reg. p. 123.