36 
“‘ On the Difcipline of Light Cavalry,”’ 
containing concife pra¢tical infructions 
on this branch of the military art. 
* POLITICS. 
The fubjeé of politics is, as ufval, very 
prolific, but chiefly in {mail tracts, and on 
the occurrences of the day. On general 
politics, the only pieces which offer them- 
felves to our notice, are, a tranflation of 
Profeflor Kant’s ‘ Proje& for a perpe- 
tual Peace ;’ the work of a profcund phi- 
lofopher and bold philanthropif, which 
clothes much politicel wifdom in a {cho- 
laftic drefs; Mr, Patne’s {mall trad, 
intitied, “* Agrarian Juftice oppofed to 
Agrarian Law,” in which the author, 
in that forcible manner fo peculiarly his 
own, pleads the caufe of the poor, and 
-propofes, as a debt of jultice, that the 
tenth part of the produce of land fhould 
be paid to the poor, as comipenfation of 
he injury done them by the prefent 
difiribution of landed property; *‘ De- 
mnocracy vindicated,’ a re-publication of 
WaLTER Moyue’s “Effay on.the Go- 
vernment and Conftitution of the Roman 
State;” and Mr. THELWALL’s “ Rights 
cf Nature, againft the Ufurpations of 
Eftablifhments,”’ Part. the Second, more 
temperately written than fome of this 
author’s former works. On particular 
national politics, the piece which, far 
beyond every other production of this 
period, has interefted the public, is Mr. 
EXRSKINE’s “ View of the Caufes and 
Confequences of the Prefent War with 
France; a work which, within a few 
months, has paffed through about thirty 
€ditions. The very extraordinary fuc- 
cefs of this publication has, deubtlefs, 
‘been owing, in part, to the univerfal in- 
tereft which the nation felt in the great 
queftion difcuffed, and, in part, to the 
celebrity which the author had already 
acquired; but chiefly to the fingulsrly 
happy combination of honefty and in- 
tegrity, with candour and moderation ; 
of ftrength and animation in the exhibi- 
tien of faéis and arguments, with eafe 
znd perfpicuity of ftyle; in fhort, of the 
fuaviter in modo, with the fortiter in re. 
If Mr. Burke’s dazzling fophiftry 
fafcinated the nation into the phrenzy of 
war, Mr. Ersxane’s clear and forcible 
appeal to reafon and experience broke 
the charm, and contributed to raife the 
general cry for peace. Mr. ERsK1NE’s 
ate defence of intolerance, obliges us to 
exclaim here, O 7 fic omnia! The fur- 
reptitious, or, at leaft, irregular, manner 
in which Mr. Burxe’s ‘ Letter to the 
Duke of Portland” was introduced to the 
5 
Politics. 
‘ 
. 
[July 
public, has {creened it from rigorous cri- 
ticifm : it may be fufficient to remark 
upon this publication, that while it per- 
fectly breathes-the fpirit, and exhibits 
the principles of this mighty champion 
for ariftocracy, it falls far fhort of his 
former publications tm brilliancy of ex~ 
preflion, and richnefs of imagery. Mr. 
ERsKINE’s powerful arguments againit 
the continuance of the war called forth 
an able refpondent, in the anonymous 
author of * Reafons againft National 
De{pondency ;”’ though his arguments 
are by no means conclufive, his fiyte is 
nervous, animated, in fhort, worthy of 
the Burkean fchool. We cannot beftow 
equal praife on another reply, by Mr. 
GIFFORD, in “A Letter to Mr. 
ERSKINE:’ it abounds with loofe de- 
clamation and virulent inveétive. Mr. 
BurRxKE has met with a fairer and more 
candid antagonift in Mr. WorkMAN, 
whofe “ Letter to His Grace the Duke 
of Portland” is a judicious and tempe- 
rate refutation of his arguments againft 
making peace” with France, Qn each 
fide of the great queftion concerning the 
continuance of the war, various other 
publications have appeared. On the 
affirmative fide, the pamphlets which 
feem moft entitled to attention, from the 
Ingenuity with which they fupport a 
weak caufe, are, “A general Addrels to 
the RKeprefentatives of Great Britain;’’ 
‘‘ Plain Thoughts of a Plain Man;” 
and Mr. Bow xgs’s ‘“¢ Third Letter to 
a Britith Merchant.” On the negative- 
fide, are, a ftrong expofition of the im- 
merality of the meafures by which the 
war is conduéted, in “* An Appeal to the 
Moral. Feelings of Samuel Thornton, 
&c.”. a fpirired attack upon admini- 
ftration, by Dr. BEDDOES, in his 
«* Alternatives compared ;”’-a liberal re- 
commendation of peace, and an intimate 
alliance between the governments of 
France and Engiand, in Mr. Luson’s 
“ Conciliation ;”’ and a temperate. judi- 
cious, and philanthropic attempt to unite 
all good men in the profecution ef paci- 
fic meafures, in ‘* Thoughts on the late 
Negociation.” 
The unhappy ftate of affairs in Treland 
has given occafion to fewer publications 
than might have been expeéted. A fen- 
fible and liberal pamphler, written with 
great elegance, recommending unanimity, 
on the ground of a conceffion of equal 
privileges, to all feéls and claffes, is 
intitled, ‘* Obfervations on the Prefent 
State of Affairs in Ireland.” Mr. 
EpGEWORTH has publifhed “A Let- 
Wei ter 
