tions the Revolution as an instance, and believes the Pr. of Orange would not have so easily succeeded, had the army been as true to the King as they were to their country. That the disbanding the army after the peace of Riswick embolden'd the French King to set his Grandson on the Throne of Spain, and declare the Pretender, which involv'd us in a ten years war: That nothing more intimidated the Ministry in the last four years of Q. Anne's reign, than the honesty and bravery of the gentlemen of the army.
As to the riot act, he says that power is necessary to prevent riots and tumults, and to disperse the people when so assembled. To this purpose a law is made which tells them the consequences of it; a proper officer gives them warning; and if after this they will stay and be hang'd, 'tis their own fault.
He allows, that shou'd a Justice of the peace assume the liberty of reading the proclamation where a member of parliament is chusing, he ought to be hang'd. He don't see how this act can injure us any other way for while the constitution is preserv'd, and our liberties taken care of by the government, the people can't be unjustly hurt by it.
The remaining part of his discourse is spent in setting forth the unreasonableness of repealing this act, from the behaviour of the authors of the Craftsman and their abettors, who by their conduct in exciting uneasiness in the people, have made it necessary to continue it in force.
London Journal, Jan. 9, No. 597.
Contains remarks upon a paper in the Craftsman, called, An extra of a letter from the Hague.
The author begins with observing, that tho' the pretence of the Craftsman is liberty and patiotism, yet his real design is opposition to the court.
He then reflects on the Craftsman's incoherent way of arguing, just as it serves to vent his spleen; for according to him the ministry are never right when they do what he counts wrong, and always wrong when they do what the Craftsman counts right.
When we were broken with the Emperor we were quite wrong, and now we are going to unite with the Emperor we are equally wrong.
This paper, or letter, the Journalist says, is made up of mere conjectures, and suppofitions; or else insinuations, unsupported by facts or reason: justifies our ministry from the aspersion that we are undoing what we have been doing these five years; and insists that we have been continuing to do the same thing, that is, pursuing the peace and happiness of the nation by different means, as alterations happen'd, or circumstances varied.
He then answers the Craftsman's charge of deserting one ally, by supposing that this ally may have views inconsistent with the two other allies, and so stand disposed to act contrary to the design of that treaty and our interest. England is not obliged to execute the treaty, unless the other allies will act their part.
The Craftsman charges the ministry with obstinate perseverance in bad measures, and now with a precipitate alteration of councils. This the author of this Journal denies, and says, it should be more justly called, a wise and prudent accommodating themselves to the late unfortunate juncture of affairs. Changing hands is not an alteration of councils, but a conduct which wise and honest men ought to observe.
London Journal, Jan. 16. No. 598.
Reflections on the present State of Affairs, occasion'd by the Craftsman, Jan. 9.
HE takes notice of the Craftsman's method of drawing of characters, in which he offends all the laws of honesty, propriety and decorum; charges without evidence or reason,and
