Page images
PDF
EPUB

hought that from entertaining a fellow-feeling on the subject, the Chancellor would have been ready to favour the Poet-Laureat's application to the Court of Chancery for an injunction against Wat Tyler. His Lordship's sentiments on such points are not so variable, he has too much at stake. He recollected the year 1794, though Mr. Southey had forgotten it!

The personal always prevails over the intellectual, where the latter is not backed by strong feeling and principle. Where remote and speculative objects do not excite a predominant interest and passion, gross and immediate ones are sure to carry the day, even in ingenuous and well-disposed minds. The will yields necessarily to some motive or other; and where the public good or distant consequences excite no sympathy in the breast, either from short-sightedness or an easiness of temperament that shrinks from any violent effort or painful emotion, self-interest, indolence, the opinion of others, a desire to please, the sense of personal obligation, come in and fill up the void of public spirit, patriotism, and humanity. The best men in the world in their own natural dispositions or in private life (for this reason) often become the most dangerous public characters, from their pliancy to the unruly passions of others, and from their having no set-off in strong moral stamina to the temptations that are held out to them, if, as is frequently the case, they are men of versatile talent or patient industry.—Lord Eldon has one of the best-natured faces in the world; it is pleasant to meet him in the street, plodding along with an umbrella under his arm, without one trace of pride, of spleen, or discontent in his whole demeanour, void of offence, with almost rustic simplicity and honesty of appearance-a man that makes friends at first sight, and could hardly make enemies, if he would; and whose only fault is that he cannot say Nay to power, or subject himself to an unkind word or look from a King or a Minister. He is a thorough-bred Tory. Others boggle or are at fault in their career, or give back at a pinch, they split into different factions, have various objects to distract them, their private friendships or antipathies stand in their way; but he has never flinched, never gone back, never missed his way, he is an out-and-outer in this respect, his allegiance has been without flaw, like "one entire and perfect chrysolite," his implicit understanding is a kind of taffeta-lining to

the Crown, his servility has assumed an air of the most deter independence, and he has

"Read his history in a Prince's eyes!”—

There has been no stretch of power attempted in his t has not seconded: no existing abuse, so odious er

he has not sanctioned it. He has gone the whole lenga s most unpopular designs of Ministers. When the heavy a of interest, power, and prejudice is brought into the fiead, the m pellets of the brain go for nothing: his labyrinth of nice, a wa doubts explodes like a mine of gunpowder. The Chance, v mat weigh and palter-the courtier is decided, the pohtician » tra, cal rivetted to his place in the Cabinet! On all the great qu that have divided party opinion or agitated the pubhem at t Chancellor has been found uniformly and without a sing a tion on the side of prerogative and power, and against ever posal for the advancement of freedom. He was a stres ama porter of the wars and coalitions against the principles of abroad; he has been equally zealous in urging or de ma/ng every act and infringement of the constitution, for atris home: he at the same time opposes every amelioration of laws, on the alleged ground of his abhorrence of even the shadow of innovation: he has studiously set his face against Catbuor ema cipation; he laboured hard in his vocation to prevent the about of the Slave Trade; he was Attorney-General in the trimis aug Hi Treason in 1794; and the other day in giving his opemain on Queen's Trial, shed tears and protested his innocence braire Ci This was natural and to be expected; but on all ocenons he is t be found at his post, true to the call of prejudice, of power, so the will of others and to his own interest. In the whole of his career, and with all the goodness of his disposition, he bone must shown "so small a drop of pity as a wren's eye" He seems to be on his guard against every thing liberal and humane as his wai side. Others relax in their obsequiousness either from subery r disgust, or a hankering after popularity, or a wish to be above narrow prejudices. The Lord Chancellor ajone z tzed immovable. Is it want of understanding or of principie 3 Dow

it is want of imagination, a phlegmatic habit, an excess of false complaisance and good-nature. He signs a warrant in Council, devoting ten thousand men to an untimely death, with steady nerves-Is it that he is cruel and unfeeling? No!--but he thinks neither of their sufferings nor their cries; he sees only the gracious smile, the ready hand stretched out to thank him for his compliance with the dictates of rooted hate. He dooms a Continent to slavery. Is it that he is a tyrant, or an enemy to the human race? No!-but he cannot find in his heart to resist the commands or to give pain to a kind and generous benefactor. Common sense and justice are little better than vague terms to him: he acts upon his immediate feelings and least irksome impulses. The King's hand is velvet to the touch-the Woolsack is a seat of honor and profit! That is all he knows about the matter. As to abstract metaphysical calculations, the ox that stands staring at the corner of the street troubles his head as much about them as he does: yet this last is a very good sort of animal with no harm or malice in him, unless he is goaded on to mischief, and then it is necessary to keep out of his way, or warn others against him!

Mr. Wilberforce is a less perfect character in his way. He acts from mixed motives. He would willingly serve two masters, God and Mammon. He is a person of many excellent and admirable qualifications, but he has made a mistake in wishing to reconcile those that are incompatible. He has a most winning eloquence, specious, persuasive, familiar, silver-tongued, is amiable, charitable, conscientious, pious, loyal, humane, tractable to power, accessible to popularity, honouring the king, and no less charmed with the homage of his fellow-citizens. "What lacks he then?" Nothing but an economy of good parts. By aiming at too much, he has spoiled all, and neutralised what might have been an estimable character, distinguished by signal services to mankind. A man must take his choice not only between virtue and vice, but between different virtues. Otherwise, he will not gain his own approbation, or secure the respect of others. The graces and accomplishments of private life mar the man of business and the statesman. There is a severity, a sternness, a self-denial, and a painful sense of duty required in the one, which ill-befits the softness and sweetness which should characterise the other. Loyalty,

patriotism, friendship, humanity, are all virtues.
sometimes clash? By being unwilling to jorezo
to any, we may forfeit the reputation of au, and, inste
the suffrages of the whole world in our favour,
becoming a sort of by-word for affectation, cant, busa sa
trimming, fickleness, and effeminate imbecity. I
choose and act up to some one leading character, as
have some settled profession or regular pursuit in like.

We can readily believe that Mr. Wilberforce's first principle of action is to do what he thinks right hus es we fear is of almost equal weight with the first) is to be thought so by other people. He is always at a game and buzzard between these two: his “conscience w.u unless the world goes with it. He does not seem great the denunciation in Scripture, but rather to court -~ | you, when all men shall speak well of you" We suspe not quite easy in his mind, because West-India panter Guinea traders do not join in his praise. His ears are not enough tuned to drink in the execrations of the sport a oppressor as the sweetest music. It is not enough that one ! the human species (the images of God carved in ebunt, Fuller calls them) shout his name as a champion and a through vast burning zones, and moisten their parched my the gush of gratitude for deliverance from chams-be a Prime Minister drink his health at a Cabinet-dinner for nating rivet on those of his country and of Europe! He goes hand heart along with Government in all their notions of gram and political aggrandizement, in the hope that they wat wave hum a sort of no-man's ground of humanity in the Great Desert, where his reputation for benevolence and public spirit may spring up and flourish, till its head touches the clouds, and it stretches out its bras + es to the farthest part of the earth. He has no mercy on those claim a property in negro-slaves as so much live stock on thear estates the country rings with the applause of his wit, his eloquence, and han indignant appeals to common sense and humanity on this si

[ocr errors]

but not a word has he to say, not a whisper does be breactie against the claim set up by the Despots of the Earth over theat Continental subjects, but does every thing in his power to com.burm

and sanction it! He must give no offence.

Mr. Wilberforce's

humanity will go all lengths that it can with safety and discretion: but it is not to be supposed that it should lose him his seat for Yorkshire, the smiles of Majesty, or the countenance of the loyal and pious. He is anxious to do all the good he can without hurting himself or his fair fame. His conscience and his character compound matters very amicably. He rather patronises honesty than is a martyr to it. His patriotism, his philanthropy are not so illbred, as to quarrel with his loyalty or to banish him from the first circles. He preaches vital Christianity to untutored savages; and tolerates its worst abuses in civilized states. He thus shows his respect for religion without offending the clergy, or circumscribing the sphere of his usefulness. There is in all this an appearance of a good deal of cant and tricking. His patriotism may be accused of being servile; his humanity ostentatious: his loyalty conditional; his religion a mixture of fashion and fanaticism. "Out upon such half-faced fellowship!" Mr. Wilberforce has the pride of being familiar with the great; the vanity of being popular; the conceit of an approving conscience. He is coy in his approaches to power: his public spirit is, in a manner, under the rose. He thus reaps the credit of independence, without the obloquy; and secures the advantages of servility, without incurring any obligations. He has two strings to his bow:-he by no means neglects his worldly interests, while he expects a bright reversion in the skies. Mr. Wilberforce is far from being a hypocrite; but he is, we think, as fine a specimen of moral equivocation as can well be conceived. hypocrite is one who is the very reverse of, or who despises the .character he pretends to be: Mr. Wilberforce would be all that he pretends to be, and he is it in fact, as far as words, plausible theories, good inclinations, and easy services go, but not in heart and soul, or so as to give up the appearance of any one of his pretensions to preserve the reality of any other. He carefully chooses his ground to fight the battles of loyalty, religion, and humanity, and it is such as is always safe and advantageous to himself! This is perhaps hardly fair, and it is of dangerous or doubtful tendency. Lord Eldon, for instance, is known to be a thorough-paced ministerialist: his opinion is only that of his party. But Mr. Wilberforce is not a party-man. He is the more looked up to on this account, but

« PreviousContinue »