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private virtue and the sacred rights of conscience? Must a man who forms a party attachment give his morality into the keeping of an unscrupulous and daring leader, or consign it to the perilous guardianship of an obedient and uninquiring majority? Will even neutrality, after all but a poor and disreputable compromise betwixt profigacy and fear, not satisfy the cravings of party spirit; but must its votary speak, decide, vote, and act, in contradiction to the clearest dictates of his understanding, and sacrifice the present good of his country to the future triumph of his party? It is vain to compare this profligate conformity to the laws of a voluntary association, with that inevitable obedience due to the laws of society, into which we are cast by fortune, and from which we cannot be severed without ruin. Men of integrity seek party connexions for the general good alone; but how is that to be promoted by the means of particular crime? Is that systematic hypocrisy which has become so fatally prevalent among factions, as to have made the very name of party a byeword and a reproach, favourable to private honour, to public virtue, to that lofty independence so proudly arrogated by the very men in whose name this profligate avowal has been made, and of whose public principles it must be considered as a solemn declaration put upon their most authentic and enduring record? The danger of " the establishment forever" (to use the words of the Reviewer), "of the bad system which all agree ought to be changed," will not justify-will not even palliate for a moment, this monstrous compromise, for that system is not so bad which may not be put down by other and more legitimate weapons, -and no system of public policy, how inexpedient soever, can be compared in magnitude of mischief to the fatal corruption of private honour. In vain will the Reviewer claim the sanction of Burke for this detestable sophismin vain does he discharge his pointless sarcasm against the unsullied bosoms of those who shudder at the remorseless latitude of his party faith-who love to hold fast that integrity which is the living source of all public and private good-and would scorn to be seduced into the crooked passages of an unprincipled ambition, although they should conduct through their de

vious windings to the most splendid pinnacle of worldy grandeur.

Who can be surprised, after such an avowal of principle, at the practices which are afterwards inculcated or defended? A party need not be ashamed, says this enlightened champion, of its most selfish and interested adherents.-The Ministers are surrounded and sustained by their hirelings; and would you range all the corruption on their side, and deny to their opponents the benefit of a share in the ample stock of available depravity? "When we see by what means, and by what persons, the worst of Ministers is always sure to be loaded (says the Reviewer), can there be a more deplorable infatuation than theirs, who would see him displaced for the salvation of the state, and yet scruple to obtain assistance in the just warfare waged against him, from every feeling, and motive, and principle, that can induce any one to join in the struggle?"-It is known to all the world, that there are many base and selfish party attachments and it has long been suspected, that they are not the least numerous in quarters where the reputation of purity and independence is most fiercely vindicated; but it never before occurred to any person to defend them on principle-to embody them in the shape of a political theorem-to admit them as a part of his serious and solemn profession of political faith. Why, this is the very unblushing nakedness of political profligacy-the callous unthinking prostitution of party

the open, avowed, vaunted, consecrated, triumph of vice, without one particle left of redeeming shame-the unveiled, unretiring, hideous display of unstinted corruption. While the base retainers of party were kept in the shade-while they were left to burrow under ground in its shameful and midnight work-while their very existence was considered a scandal to the confederacy, and all visible connexion with them was studiously avoided as a disgrace-there was still a semblance of virtue left to contract and overawe, if it could not extirpate the evil-and to secure the more distinguished and disinterested leaders from the infamy, if it could not wholly save them from the guilt of so foul a contamination. But here is an open and

Edinburgh Review, No 59, p. 190.

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absolute avowal of corruption-a published recruiting placard from the party of the "natural leaders of the people," to intimate to the world that no high standard of moral principle is recognised by the corps, or demanded of its members, who shall be welcomed and cherished, whatever be their moral stature or constitution-nothing being required, but that they shall possess and exert in full vigour, the pugnacious principle against the existing Administration. Let the Whigs cease in future to talk of purity and independ

ence.

The topics of coalition and of aristocratical influence are delicate ones for the party whose cause the Reviewer advocates; yet has he ventured to discuss them with the aid of his usual gratuitous assumptions and palpable mistakes as to the true nature of the question. The point for consideration is not, whether aristocratical influence, mingling itself with the other powers in a mixed government, be mischievous, or include the evils of a pure aristocracy; but whether this influence, if not mixed in due proportions, but absolutely predominant in the constitution of a party, can be restrained, in the natural arrogance of its career, by any of the barriers which the constitution opposes to the actual possessors of power, from giving full scope to its partial and domineering spirit from insulting the prince and oppressing the people-from degenerating in substance, if not in name, into a detestable oligarchy? This question the Reviewer has not well solved. While upon the subject of coalitions, he has said no more but that they may by possibility be honest-a mode of reasoning not well adapted to defend some coalitions which it was probably his aim to justify, but upon which the public voice has long pronounced an unalterable judgment.

The Reviewer having thus " pre pared the way (as he says), for the few observations which he has to offer upon the present aspect of politics in this country," that is, having, under pretence of a general dissertation on party, attempted to apologise for some of the memorable errors with which his own party is chargeable, rushes "into the midst of things," by the following panegyric on the short administration of 1806. "But where is the Ministry that ever did so much

for the country in so short a space of time? They introduced upon sound and enlightened principles a new military system; they raised the revenue to meet the extravagant demands occasioned by the unprovident schemes of their predecessors, until they could retrace their steps, and relieve the people, by economy and peace; they began those inquiries into public expenditure, which have since, in spite of their successors, produced a material saving to the country, and which, had they continued in power, would ere now have effectually relieved its burthens; they laid the foundation for peace with America, and of tranquillity in Ireland; finally, they abolished the slave trade, which had grown up to a horrible maturity under Mr Pitt's eloquent invectives, and which he, in the plenitude of his authority, had never ventured even to abridge."* The last item of this swelling enumeration is the only one deserving notice; and with most unfeigned gratitude do we thank that administration for the abolition of the slave trade, which the long predominance of selfish feeling and worse than barbarian prejudice alone compells us to call a glorious boon to humanity. Such was the palpable and stupendous character of the enormity. But as to the military system, by which they repressed the ardour, and almost dissolved the splendid voluntary array formed for the defence of the country-as to their financial doings under the inventive imbecility of their stripling Chancellor of the Exchequer-as to their invisible, and hitherto unrecorded operations in Ireland and America-their more characteristic and memorable expeditionstheir negotiations with Russia, by which they committed a yet unexpiated treason to the interests of Europe, it is needless to say any thing, as there surely was more valour than discretion in the above ostentatious parade of the Reviewer, and his absolute challenge of comparison and inquiry.

How pitiful it is to see him exhaust the artillery of his eloquence against the harmless loquacity and stumbling latinity of poor Major CartwrightCould not his gray hairs and expiring ardour have protected him from the rude assault of a fellow-labourer, although upon a lower slope,jof the field

Edinburgh Review, Vol. 59, p. 196,

of liberty? The Whigs indeed complain bitterly of the injury done them by the existing race of "Utopians," who are naturally more impatient under the repulse which they have received from an Opposition bound to them by many ties of kindred, than under the discountenance of a Ministry to whom they are, and ever must, remain entire strangers. Of this infatuated party, we pity the wild enthusiasm of some, and detest the malignant turbulence of others; but in the excess of their insanity, every one sees the promise of an approaching and speedy dissolution.

We engaged to shew, that the unwary zeal of the Reviewer had prompted him to state his case in such a manner, as to lead irresistibly to the inference, that the public interests demand the continuance of his friends in Opposition; and we proceed to fulfil our promise by quoting his own words; "As long as men are ambitious, corrupt, and servile," says he, every sovereign will attempt to extend his power; he will easily find instruments wherewithal to carry on this bad work; if unresisted, his encroachments upon public liberty will go on with an accelerated swiftness, each step affording new facilities for making another stride, and furnishing additional confidence to attempt it." Splendid as are the pretensions of his friends, the Reviewer does not, we presume, assert their entire exemption from the frailties and corruptions of human nature; it might be necessary, therefore, if they were in power, to watch even their operations. He admits as much, indeed, and eludes one of the difficulties of the discussion, by assuming the fact. "Of the imputations cast upon party men," says he, "for deserting their followers or their principles when they take office, it is the less necessary to speak at large; because, as soon as they have the government in their hands, they ought to be closely watched, and are pretty sure to be so by those whom they have dis

Edinburgh Review, No 59, p. 184.

placed."* But the present Ministers, who are, in the opinion of the Reviewer, "beyond all comparison the most contemptible, in pretensions, of any that have ever governed a great nation," would, in the supposed event, become the Opposition; and if the character thus given of them be just, it is impossible that men can be worse qualified for the undertaking. Nay, they have in fact discovered their utter incapacity, on a former occasion, for this great constitutional trust. "The risk," says the Reviewer, "would be considerable, of the new Opposition rather encouraging than checking such a dereliction of duty: they followed this course during the year 1806, when the country had not the benefit of a constitutional Opposi tion."+ But how splendid are the qualifications of the Whigs for this great undertaking!" It is certain," we are told," that at no period of the English history was there ever embodied so formidable an association in behalf of the principles of civil and religious liberty, and, in general, of liberal, enlightened, and patriotic policy, as the great body of the Whigs now are." The country, it would seem, has but a choice of evils; but as there can be no comparison betwixt the danger of having even a weak and corrupt Ministry, when overawed by the constitutional terrors of a formidable Opposition, and that of having an administration resistless in talent, and overwhelming in influence, which, instead of being retarded in a career of guilty ambition, would be more rapidly impelled by an under-current of sympathising corruption;-as there can be no comparison betwixt the occasional perversion of power and the utter extinction of liberty, the inference is irresistible, that things ought to remain as they are, and that the Whigs perform their best and noblest service to their country in the ranks of Opposition.

Edinburgh Review, No 59, p. 195. + Ibid. p. 195. Ibid. p. 197.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

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Platina.—A very singular mass of platinum has lately been found in South America, and is now deposited in the Royal Museum at Madrid. Dn. Ignacio Hurtado is the proprietor of certain lands in the Quebrada de Apotó, in the province of Notiva, in the government of Chocó. In this Quebrada is situated his gold mine, called Condoto. One of his negro slaves, named Justo, found this mass of platina in the year 1814, near the gold mine. Dn. Ignacio, most generously, and full of ardour for the sciences, presented this unequalled specimen to His Most Catholic Majesty, through his Excellency Sor. Dn. Pablo Morillo, commander-in-chief of the Royal Spanish armies in the province of Venezuela, who transmitted the same, together with other objects of natural history, belonging to the botanical department, under the Spanish naturalist, Dn. José Mutis, to Europe, through General Pascual Enrile, who brought it safely to Spain, and forwarded it to the hands of the king himself by Captain Antonio Van Halen. Being an unique specimen, his majesty gave it to the museum. Its figure is oval, and inclining to convex. The Spaniards term it "Pepita," which signifies water worn, and not in situ.

Its large diameter is two inches, four lines and a half, and its small diameter two inches. Its height is four inches and four lines. Its weight is one pound, nine ounces, and one drachm. Its colour is that of native silver. Its surface is rough, and here and there spotted with yellow iron ochre. The negro who found it suspected that it contained gold he tried to fracture it, but he was only able to make a dent in the metal, which is, however, sufficient to show its character.

To avoid every possible doubt about the mass of platina, it should perhaps have been mentioned, that the Spanish Secretary of State, his Excellency Dn. José García de Leon and Pizarro, had taken all the measures to ascertain the fact of its being ge nuine native platina.

Precious Opal-Two mines of precious opal have lately been discovered in the kingdom of Mexico, in the district of Gracias de Dios, sixty Spanish miles in the interior of Honduras. The opals are imbedded in Perulam earth, and are accompanied by all the other varieties of opal, but particularly with the sky blue Girasol, and the sun opal of Sonnenschmidt.

Parhelia at Gosport.-At half-past six, A. M. a fine parhelion appeared on a thin vapour passing to a Cirrostratus cloud; it was situated E. by N., and its altitude from

the horizon, allowing for the necessary corrections, was 15°; its distance from the true sun, which bore E. by S. by the compass, was 22° 30', and its continuance upwards of half an hour. No halo round the sun was perceptible at the time.

At half-past seven, a beautifully coloured parhelia appeared on an attenuated Cirrostratus, namely, one on each side of, and both horizontal with, and equidistant from, the real sun, which was then 22° in altitude. These two mock-suns sometimes appeared at the same time for two or three minutes, and at other times alternately, when their colours were brightest: they disappeared twice from the intervention of clouds; and, at the place of their re-appearance, a bright light was first perceived in the cloud, gradually forming into the shape of a cone ly. ing horizontally, with its apex turned from the sun; and at the base of this cone, nearest the sun, there was a light red, a delicate yellow, and lastly, a pale blue, which altogether formed the mock-sun: when the parhelia appeared most perfect, they were circular, of an orange colour, and nearly as large again as the apparent size of the sun's disc only two parts of the solar halo, in which they were situated, could be traced; and these were perpendicular through the phenomena, which did not disappear till after eight o'clock.

The State of the Clouds and Instruments.

During this rare and pleasing sight, there were, in the vicinity of the sun, Cirrocu muli and plumose Cirri descending to Cirrostrati, and Cumulus clouds rising in the W. from whence a fresh breeze and vapour sprang up. The barometer at 30 inches, but sinking slowly; the thermometer rose from 56° to 62°; and De Luc's whalebone hygrometer receded from 65° to 60°. Before ten o'clock, the azure sky was completely veiled with compound modifications of clouds, followed by large passing Nimbi and a few drops of rain.

The Rhinoceros. It has been questioned if a musket-ball would penetrate the hide of a rhinoceros. An opportunity lately occurred of making the experiment on the carcass of an old animal of uncommon size, which had been killed near Givalpara, on the border of the wild country of Asam, a spot where rhinceroses abound. After repeated trials the bullet was found always to fly off, for the skin being very thick and extremely loose, it was constantly by that means put out of its course.

In that part of the country there are many rhinoceroses, and elephants in vast numbers. So numerous a flock was seen crossing the

Burhamputa River, at a breadth of two miles, that the channel seemed full; nor was the end of the line perceptible, although they had been some time passing. A boat, going down the river, was obliged to put about, as it was impossible to get by them; and it was a considerable time before the line had left the jungles of the eastern side, whilst the jungles on the western side prevented their course being traced by the eye.

The people of the country say, that the rhinoceros is much an overmatch for the elephant as the former being very nimble, gets round the elephant, makes his attack in the same manner as the wild boar, and rips up the belly of his antagonist.

Gas Lights. By the list of the Local Acts, it appears, that legal powers were obtained, in the last session of Parliament, to light with gasBath, Leeds,

Nottingham,

Oxford,

Sheffield,

Liverpool, Edinburgh, Worcester, Kidderminster, Brighthelmstone,

ten of the most considerable and most intelligent cities and towns in the empire.

Gas Light Apparatus.—Mr Mair, of Kelso, has, by a simple process, constructed an apparatus which produces gas sufficient to supply ten different burners, the flame of each far surpassing that of the largest candle, and which completely illuminate his shop, work-shop, and dwelling-house, with the most pure pellucid brightness, the cost of which is only about three pence per night. Wax cloth bags have been invented, which, when inflated. with gas, are removed at pleasure from place to place, and when ignited, they answer all the purposes of candles. By this process, it would seem that any person, with bags as above prepared, may be furnished with gas from the coal-pits, and apply the gas so procured to whatever number of tubes for lights he has occasion for.

Cow Tree. M. Humboldt and his companions, in the course of their travels, heard an account of a tree which grows in the valleys of Aragua, the juice of which is a nourishing milk, and which, from that circumstance, has received the name of the cow-tree. The tree in its general aspect resembles the chrysophyllum cainito; its leaves are oblong, pointed, leathery, and alternate, marked with lateral veins, projecting downwards; they are parallel, and are ten inches long. When incisions are made into the trunk, it discharges abundantly a gluti nous milk, moderately thick, without any acridness, and exhaling an agreeable balsamic odour. The travellers drank considerable quantities of it without experiencing any injurious effects; its viscidity only ren dering rather unpleasant. The superintendent of the plantation assured them that the negroes acquire flesh during the season

in which the cow-tree yields the greatest quantity of milk. When this fluid is exposed to the air, perhaps, in consequence of the absorption of the oxygen of the atmosphere, its surface becomes covered with membranes of a substance that appears to be of a decided animal nature, yellowish, thready, and of a cheesy consistence. These membranes, when separated from the more aqueous part of the fluid, are almost as elastic as caoutchouc; but at the same time they are as much disposed to become putrid as gelatine. The natives give the name of cheese to the coagulum, which is separated by the contact of the air; in the course of five or six days it becomes sour. The milk, kept for some time in a corked phial, had deposited a little coagulum, and still exhaled its balsamic odour. If the recent juice be mixed with cold water, the coagulum is formed in small quantity only; but the separation of the viscid membranes occurs when it is placed in contact with nitric acid. This remarkable tree seems to be peculiar to the Cordilliere du Littoral, especially from Barbula to the lake of Maracaybo. There are likewise some traces of it near the village of San Mateo; and, according to the account of M. Bredmeyer, in the valley of Caucagua, three days journey to the east of the Caraccas. This naturalist has likewise described the vegetable milk of the cowtree as possessing an agreeable flavour and an aromatic odour; the natives of Caucagua call it the milk-tree.

New Researches on Heat.-MM. Dulong and Petit have lately given to the world a Memoir on Heat, which gained the prize medal for 1818, of the Academy of Sciences. The title of the paper is, "On the Measure of Temperatures, and on the Laws of the Communication of Heat."

Law 1. If the cooling of a body placed in a vacuum terminated by a medium absolutely deprived of heat, or of the power of radiating, could be observed, the velocity of cooling would decrease in a geometrical progression, whilst the temperature diminished, in an arithmetical progression.

2. For the same temperature of the boundary of the vacuum in which a body is placed, the velocity of cooling for the excess of temperature, in arithmetical progression, will decrease, as the terms of geometrical progression diminished by a constant number. The ratio of this geometrical progression is the same for all bodies, and equal to 1.0077.

3. The velocity of cooling in a vacuum for the same excess of temperature increases in a geometrical progression, the temperature of the surrounding body increasing in an arithmetical progression. The ratio of the progression is also 1.0077 for all bodies.

4. The velocity of cooling due to the contact of a gas is entirely independent of the nature of the surface of bodies.

5. The velocity of cooling due to the con

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