NONSENSE — " FOR THOSE WHO MAY DEEM IT ENTITLED TO NOTICE."
MORNING JO URNAI—We can imagine a case, and one not of mere visionary application, when the devolvement of royal honours on the next in succession would place in the hands of the Prime Minister all the power and patronage of the Crown. If such a Minister avere an honest one no danger might be created, no abuse of power might be indulged in, no arbitrary measures sanctioned, no family interest erected into a monopoly of all the gifts of the King. But if it should happen, as it ought happen, that the Minister were an and itifsis soldier— a Mall of vast e salth and great family connexhms—proud, overbearing, grasping, * '5 a, and " ' * *--a man having the Army at his command, the Navy at his nod—every situation under the crown at his disposal—every sinecurist, every Commissioner of Taxes, every dignitary of the Customs and Excise, at his mercy— what could not such a man do to overturn the very throne itself, and pis:trate to the earth the laws and liberties of England ? We put this case quite hypotheti- cally. We point to no individual. We have no desire to direct suspicion against this or that man. We only state a possible case, coming within the range of the changes of time, and suggesting itself by the line of succession, the degeneracy and corruption of the period, the feebleness Of public-spirit, and the temptation which a weak Monarch or a defenceless infant, would give to inordinate ambithni and insatiable pride. The presumptive successor of the Duke of Clarence is the infant daughter of the late Duke of Kent. Should this interesting child live for but a few years, she must, in the course of nature, and according to the law of descent, be Queen of England. And supposing she should inherit the Crown during her minority, who then ought to be her guardian ? The nation with one voice will say—the Duke of Cumberland; but, as Parliament is at present con- structed, and if it should happen that the Duke of Wellington is Premier, is it not likely that his Grace would aspire to be Regent ? The title of the "Regent Murray" stands the proudest among the historical honours of the Scottish nation. Such a title in England would be a thousand times more worthy a mates ambi- tion; and it might be considered the 12C plot ultra of human grandeur to be styled the " Regent Wellington." And who would censure the Duke of Wellington for aspiring to it ? It is a bold shot and a brave hazard, and is tempting enough even to make one stake life, character, and friends upon the consequences. The Duke of Wellington could not be blamed for his ambition in such a cause, and the more especially as he would possibly have the address to satisfy Parliament that his aspirations were founded upon his patriotism, and his desire to benefit his country. These are important reflections, and we present them in this shape for the calm consideration of those of our countrymen who may deem them entitled to notice. We have only to add, that we do not put them forth unadvisedly. These specu- lations are, we regret to say, more canvassed in certain quarters than is generally known. Apprehension speaks to sympathy ; and suspicion, pointing to events, no matter how remote, poisons the mind with unreal realities. Time steals on, and the falling of one leaf points to autumn, and the falling of more leaves. We should, therefore, even in summer, be preparing ourselves to meet the rigours of winter. We should never confine the probabilities of events to merely passing appearances. Because the sun shines we ought not to conclude it will always shine upon us, nor, because the sea is smooth, ought we to argue that there will be no more tempests. But " nonsense is nonsense," as Dr. Adam Smith says in his Theory of Moral Sentiments ; and we therefore hope that no ex eefieio may arise against us for inditing what we suppose is unintelligible.
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