threatened his integrity, he bound himself like Ulysses to the mast." Over his tomb let us, in pious gratitude to his memory, inscribe, Here lie the remains Who dar'd to be honest in the worst of times! In this awful period of public calamity and distress, when the children are suffering in sackcloth and ashes for the follies and sins of their forefathers, we must have no whiffling shuttlecock to be bandied about by every battledore-no light piece of gossamer to be blown where the wind listeth-no tool of opposition-no soul-less puppet of the minister; but a man who would be firm to his duty," amid the crash of worlds." The place of a County Member is on the benches of the opposition; sedulously to watch every action of the government, to support all its measures which are beneficial to the country,-to oppose all which tend to injure the public welfare. Trust no man who sits constantly on the treasury bench: I would not confide in an angel there. Power is the cancer of virtue-it curdles the milk of human kindness--it poisons the beneficient feelings of our nature-and, like Aaron's rod, it swallows up all those passions which it cannot destroy. Forget not WILLIAM PITT. This day he was the glowing orator of freedom-the friend of the people—the zealous advocate of reform-the champion of our rights and liberties: the next, he sacrificed to his cursed lust of power, the noble principles which his immortal father had instilled into his mind, and became a truckler about the hot-bed of corruption! Forget not EDMUND BURKE. For nearly half a century he shone as a refulgent star in the political hemisphere--glorying in freedom-hating oppression despising venality -- opposing power: in his dotage, he sighed for the golden fruit of the Hesperides, which grew within the precincts of the palace: he sighed—he tasted-and, like our mother Eve, he fell! He left a paradise of sweets, for the base and unmanly worship of Baal and Mammon! Forget not the tyrant NAPOLEON; he who, whilst humble, was the foe of unjust privileges, and the pretended friend of equal rights; but as soon as he had seized the iron sceptre of stern dominion, he made nations bend to his unruly will, and millions tremble at his nod! Remember NERO. At the commencement of his reign, when called upon to ratify the sentence of the death of a malefactor, he wished he could not wrile; yet afterwards he fiddled while Rome was burning, and regretted that his subjects had not but one neck, that he might sever it. Such are the direful effects of power in all ages and in all climes. Do you gain prudence from experience; and in the history of man read the folly and credulity of the race! Read, remember, and act from that remembrance. Trust not to general professions. Whoever asks for your votes, demand from him his political creed. Have some standard by which to try him if he errs. Say nothing, hear nothing, believe nothing from him, until you have seen his POLITICAL CREED. A FREEHOLDER. To the Freeholders of the County of Devon. BROTHER FREEHOLDERS, Two persons have presented themselves as candidates for your votes, and have called on you to exercise in their favour, the noblest Privilege of freemen! Sacrifice it not on the shrine of interest, favor, or affection. Think of your poor devoted country-consult her welfare-regard her interestand behave as it becomes true Britons. Look at the political conduct of LORD EBRINGTON--behold him opposing the peace establishment of an immense standing army-the increase of salaries of public offices, when their labours are decreasing—the continuation of the income tax; in short of all those wily measures which would have destroyed our libertyswallowed up our property--and converted us into miserable slaves, like the nations on the Continent. He has opposed the measures of that party which has heaped on us hundreds of millions of debts-which has sacrificed the interests of agriculture, and of commerce, at the shrine of ambition-which has loaded the nation with unparalleled taxes-which has placed on the list of pauperism 1,600,000 of our brethrenwhich has sapped the foundation of our laws; and all for the mighty purpose of placing a poor old man on the throne of France! You, I trust, my brother freeholders, will act as freemen, as Englishmen, and give your support to LORD EBRINGTON, and vote for him, because he has done that which he ought to have done; because he has fought in your cause against the arm of power, and the spirit of corruption! Let the lovers of inordinate taxation-of destructive and ruinous wars-of wanton and useless expenditure-of rapacious sinecurists and extravagant placemen-let them support any champion who will fight their battles: but let us fight the good fight, and we shall be victorious. It will be a triumph of principle, a triumph of the doctrine of our noble ancestors, over the cold blooded opinions of toryism. But should you desert LORD EBRINGTON's noble cause, he well have at least the consolation of deserving success, " "Tis not in mortals to command success.-He has done more, he has deserved it.” Exeter, April 27, 1816. A FREEHOLDER. To the Gentlemen, Clergy, Yeomanry, & Freeholders, of the County of Devon. GENTLEMEN, The inaccurate list of the freeholders of the county, which has unfortunately come to my hands, has, I fear, prevented my making that individual application which it was my wish, and my duty to do; but I trust that you will generously bear in mind the confusion unavoidably connected with the occasion of my addressing you, and put the most liberal construction upon any accidental neglect. Bound as I am, gentlemen, to mark, by every possible attention, the respect I feel for you, it is not however, upon mere forms that I rest my pretentions to your support, but upon a steady determination of discharging faithfully, honestly, and assiduously, the duties of that honorable situation, which the universal encouragement I have hitherto received in my canvass, gives me the strongest reason to believe I shall ultimately obtain. ulti I have the honor to be, Your most obliged and faithful humble servant, Exeter, April 28, 1816. EBRINGTON. To the Gentlemen, Clergy, Yeomanry, & Freeholders, of the County of Devon. GENTLEMEN, Offers of support from every part of the county excite my warmest gratitude, and encourage me to solicit earnestly the personal attendance of my friends on the day of nomination, fixed by the High Sheriff for Saturday, the Eleventh day of May, at 11 o'clock, at the Castle of Exeter. Your early appearance on that day will be essentially important. My delay personally to acknowledge favors never to be effaced from recollection,--my unintentional omission to address every freeholder in this extensive county, must be attributed to the haste and confusion of the moment, and, more than all to my peculiar domestic circumstances. I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, GENTLEMEN, Your devoted humble servant, EDMUND POLLEXFEN BASTARD. Committee-Room, Gandy's-street, Exeter, 29th April, 1816. To the Gentry, Clergy, Yeomanry, and Freeholders, of the County of Devon. GENTLEMEN, As a report has been circulated, that Lord Ebrington alone is favorable to a bill for the commutation of tithes, you are requested to peruse the following circular letter, issued by Mr. Bastard, from his Committee Room, and from that alone you are desired to form your opinion thereof. A FREEHOLDER. To the Gentlemen, Clergy, Yeomanry, & Freeholders, of the County of Devon. GENTLEMEN, A report has been circulated, that I am unfavorable to the agitation of any question respecting an arrangement for the FAIR COMMUTATION OF TITHES. This insinuation I feel it due to myself to state is unfounded. If such a measure should be discussed in Parliament, I pledge myself to consider it with an unbiassed and independent mind, and with a due attention to the true interests of the clergy and agriculturists of this important county, I have the honor to be, With the greatest respect, Your devoted humble servant, EDMUND POLLEXFEN BASTARD. Committee-Room, 26th April, 18 8. EALTER, APRIL 30, 1816. A report having gone forth, that it is not my intention to carry this contest to a poll, I take this mode of pledging myself, not only to do so, but to keep the poll open (if necessary) to the last day, in the confident assurance which I entertain of ultimate success. EBRINGTON. |