THE cREAT RADICAL DILE7V1MA.

\•' is last week endeavoured to give sonic definition of the meaning of the word Radioal. We showed that the word was a Very proper and significant wood, expressing a distinct principle in politics— :I. word worthy of an honest psrty working faithfully for the good of the people; that all the discredit it may be in was ascribable to the conduct of the party who so rashly (as being too weak to act up to its meaning) or so basely (as never intending to do so) have assumed it for their political denomination.

For these, in fact, the word was too plain in its significance. A Whig, not too notorious to begin with, in these times may act like, and even become a 'Tory, and nobody know any thiog about it (so small the difference grows—we fail to note it !) The position of these two parties has been so repeatedly changed, and their prin- ciples have been mutually so affected by the changes, that it is a comparatively easy flatter for a versatile—a toesiversatile member, with a few' sophistries to defend his conduct. But a Radical car- ries his principle in his name ; if he work not rad/co/in, how shall he work ? llis conatitucnts may say, " Did yon this session work radically for us? that is, did you work with a view to clearing away cant and humbug, and so preparing the ground for those in- vestigations and operations relative to the state of the poorer classes which mest and will sooner or later take place ? Did you, when any Inca. cr:, concerning cur interests was sought to be

passed, keep and ace that it had an eye, not io some shabby- convenient part a the question, but to the great unblinked whole-- was f'ramed on a ;selico/ and not on superficial ground—was really meant for ns and sot for It ursdec8 that proposed and seconded it ? flare you, in a word, worked for us radically ? If not, have you worked trinnuingls—speciously—treacherously ? Did you contrive to perk up your feetures into a moderate grin of anguish at Mr. Sioteser's statemsets ; and did you then—purely in admiration of the lofty sympathy expressed by my. Lord Jour Ressem. in his

speech—imitate also his Lordship's vote Are we to you, in fact, just like so many puppets in a balance, ready to be weighed at a moment's notice teeniest any sordid object of tinnily or personal in- terest that might possibly be clutched in exchange for the baubles of hnnoor, faith, and moral principle it" Others might be asked. " Did you work at ail ?" If the common people only knew the meaning of the word Ra- dical, and chose to insist on that meaning and all its responsibili- ties, we think they might successfully pose many a shammer at the next general election. The poor Mock-Radical, perhaps, knowing nothing whatever about etymology but something too much about his responsibilities, would become so alarmed at the very sound if the word—grow so pale at the Latin, so frantic at the Greek—as even to decamp at once, precipitously or, as the painters say of a good portrait, (though this is only a sketch,) would actually " bur,d from the canrass."

But then the remedy—to be a Radish ! We arc truly glad to find that the suggestion we made last week, so supported as it was by arguments hy,ieal, philological, etymological, onomatological, has not been lost tin tleee lin wnom it was designed. We lose no time in placing bei;)re one renders the following correspondence.

" Temperare Cseeeiee • /Own, 3, 1.11/k Duke Street, Wi.stnatider, lilerth Pair Buck, 281h 411«p 1840.

and a few other three-times-and-four-times perjured Par-

liamentary Radieals, with power to acid to our numbers and a fair pros- pect of doing so, beg to return you our best aesnowledgments for the ingenious and prof. mid observations on the commutation of names which appeared hu your last number, end more especially for time valu- able suggestion attars ,sed to ourselves and our erring brethren, and to inform you that we have already formed ourselves into a Committee for the institution of a liastish Club.

"I, Sir, as en individual member of' this Committee, cannot help ex- pressing how much I have admired your consideration for us. We are feet, Sir, unfit fin, use, as you have often said—quite mouldy, and,

without some grew' metamorphose, could, I fear, never again be brought into the lb l'ou, Sir, come to us at a critical moment with the noble offer of a new unsullied name. It is our last hope, and we shall trust in it.

" l do not know, Sir, if you can imagine the feelings of a house at oae o'clock when the plasterers have gone to dinner—whitewashed up

to tie• drawing-room windows, butt dark and dirty all above: but if you cal, then, Sir, I may ventnre to say that you may form some coneep. tion of Ivhat I have felt myself. You must know, Sir, that time process of whitewashing. is new to me : perhaps you will deny that it has com- menced at all ; but I assure you, Sir, that during the few days I have set up as a Radish I have felt strangely affected—have had sensations Sir—priekings, Sir—mumplaasant prickings—nuituations of whoew„sh the very necessity, for appearance's sake, of talking up the old principles of 1;: burnt has a monstretts smothering whitewashy effect: I have felt, Sir, like that house—as if I were half done, and have remained so some time irresolute, casting my eyes law the past ard Imo the fu,tiulruc,nd(i)bolot Cal t,hether to go on or to ref f;.at, deliberating 1;atween dishonesty the old walks amid your proposed voyage of discos cry into neva ?Twee it, Sir, to be the part of a man to abide by his resolutions. " But the die is cast ; new eAreer has been resolved upon and I feel feature in your scheme is, that, grantine its succ.ess, one may run over • i rain the seine course, and, as it ware., that one ran be. fOre. The •-t.ettt ditlieulty with ns at ix. scut is to obtain any hearing either front the I louse or from our constituents ; but if this new hoax, wit:0x you may be sure we shall make the most of. comes (dram at the elections, and we are once seated in the House again, then, with a new lease of i'.,1.liamentary life before us, we are better off than ever; pro. thing by experience, we can play our vents to twice the advantage. r, for my part, consider I have lost umaily opportueities through want of address ; but for these, thank Cod, 1 may now hope to make up

at a future day. Meanwhile I remain, Mr. Editor, Sc. &c., " A Rainsii."

This writer, whom in the beginning of his letter we took for an honest man, turns out to be a highly elaborate and circuitous rascal! Alas, alas, we fear little is to be hoped. Let us thy another. This looks serious.

4, Abingdon Street, 28th May 1840.

•• ,ua—As a Radish, I beg leave to convey to you the expression of my fervent gratitude for the simple, yet, 1 ant induced to believe, efficacious means, which you have placed in my power, as in that of others similarly circumstanced, of repairing a shattered reputation, t was first returned to Parliament by the electors of my native tout — us a Radical. I pledged myself to regard the Refbrm Bill, not as it thing finale but merely as an instalment of improved legisla- tion offered to the people ; and I vowed to carry it out, us fair as lay in my single power, through all those subsequent stages which constitute so important a feature in the scheme of Radical Reform. 1 will not enumerate all the other popular measures I swore to further, nor recall the list of promises I made : suffice to say, Sir, that I broke them all one by one as occasion served, and that from being one of the most popular men in all — I am become a byword in may own town for whatever is base and ignominious. I am a tradesman, Sir, and have felt the effects of this odium so severely in my business, as to have been more than once on the eve of bankruptcy, while on the other hand I have not pocketed one farthing from the hlinistry in any shape; though I may confess to you, that I believe no man ever more shame- lessly or pers,o-eringly offered himself to sale.

" Sir, I am come of a religious family ; and these things will dwell painfully on a mind naturally prone to sensibility. That which weighs most laavily on my conscience is, that I should not have got a single place or pension for self or sons, though I have fawned and flattered and lied and voted away all my moral character! Oh, Sir, the first sensation of shaking hands with any Lord MEL- eoutse ! shall I ever forget it ? No. I was a plain man, Sir, and had never seen a Minister before, much less a prime one ; and when lie talked to me, still holding me by the hand, his discourse was so fluent and persuasive—far beyond any thing I had ever heard before—that I could do nothing but assent to all he said ; mind as for going and voting against him after this, I felt it was impossible. But, Sir, I have been told that I have been too facile, and that the custom in Parliament is to hold off for a while and not yield till sure of your ground.

" Often, recalled from thoughts of this Rind by those of a higher sort, have I meditated the Chiltern Ilundreds, and thought of seeking in the bosom of may family and the blessings of religion a refuge from all my disappointments. But, Sir, I am no longer what I was—1 am a reduced tradesman ; and honour—a certain feeling—Mrs. Jones, and my eldest daughter—all urge me to seek by one means or another the restoration

of my original fortune. • " Thus it is, Sir, that I have resolved on becoming a Radish,— fondly hoping that if by this magic watchword i eau get returned at the 'Hee general election, with a mew repute and a higher position, I may be t ide, with the assistance of the Lord, to act with such improved dis- cretion and spirit in Parliament as in a few years to restore the affairs of my family to affluence.

If we knew by what collation of vowels, gutturals, or diphthongs, it were possible to express at deep groan, it is all we should desire to add to the above letter.