1829-3 The Duke of Wellington, and Domestic Politics. 249 



has, where are his measures of preservation for our ally ? Where his 

 attempts to restrain the overwhelming and formidable power of Russia ? 

 Or are we to give him credit for the power of the pestilence that walketh 

 in darknesSj and wait for the development of his invisible victory, 

 like a work of providence ? Or are we not to believe our senses, and 

 the fact, that tiolhing has been done ; or worse than nothing ? — That a 

 British force has been sent to linger within sight of Turkey, only with 

 the effect of exposing the feebleness of our help in the hour of need ? 

 And that the parade of embassies has been added, as if only to show 

 that our diplomacy was as ridiculous as our alliance was unprofitable ? 

 But if the Duke of Wellington have not anticipated this, what becomes 

 of his wisdom ? Where has flown that supernatural sagacity, which 

 was summoned from the Horse-guards to the Treasury, to interpose 

 itself between England and ruin ? Where that Herculean nerve, which 

 was to put its shoulder under the falling system of Europe? Where 

 that illimitable genius, which embracing the most minute and the 

 most magnificent objects alike, was as great on a soldier's cuff as in a 

 council; and from its easy chair, in Downing Street, blew with its 

 breath, and shook every diadem in Europe, on the brows of its asto- 

 nished possessor ? If man is to be judged of by facts, the sentence of 

 this man's public incapacity is decided. If vapours and imaginations 

 are to make the substance of character, he may still triumph in all the 

 honours of political wisdom. 



The rumours of a junction with the Premier, we altogether disbelieve. It 

 is known that some of the younger and weaker aspirants of the Protestant 

 ranks, have suffered the pageantry of office to glitter before their eyes. 

 But we deny that any of the leaders, any one of those distinguished men 

 who resisted the Catholic question on principle, can ever, without utter 

 ruin, coalesce with the man who effected that odious, and most short- 

 sighted act of power. We can fully comprehend the influence that may 

 have been exerted from the highest quarters, to enlist those individuals, at 

 the hazard of their own cliaracters, in the protection of that of the sinking 

 Premier. But on one point they must make up their minds. If they join 

 the present cabinet, they will be first disgraced in the eyes of the empire, 

 and next, utterly duped by their new allies. The game of the present 

 cabinet is to share its unpopularity ; its actual power it never Avill share. 

 The Protestant who is rash enough to enter into this coalition, is from that 

 instant undone; he is the representative of Protestantism no more. He 

 is tile associate of the Dawsons, and Peels, and Copleys ; and after 

 having been compelled to recant his honourable and public reprobation 

 of them and their miserable motives, and having shewn, by his con- 

 descending to act with them, that his reprobation was hypocritical, and 

 his principles only a bait for oflice, he will be cast out to add to the 

 number of the Huskissons. With tlie Duke of Wellington's cabinet 

 no Protestant can combine. The popish question has drawn a line 

 between him and the confidence of Protestantism for ever. If ever 

 legislatorial act brought evil on a country, that act is the one. The 

 strength of England was the presence of Protestantism in her councils, 

 her standing as the great guardian of the interests of pure religion 

 throughout the world, Iier immaculate preservation of the one only faith 

 of scripture, as the guide and living essence of her Constitution. This 

 is at an end. We have broken the covenant under which England 

 was raised to power, as palpably as ever was king or peojjle of tlie old 

 world. The compact was dissolved by the sacrilegious act of suffering 

 the idolatr)r to enter into the councils of Christianity. There may be 



M.M. New Series— Vol. VUI. No. 45. 2 K 



