“I TOOK THE LEAD, IN SINGING THE PRAISES OF PITT.”
Mr. Cobbett’s facile pen could not remain completely at rest, whilst
the project of a newspaper was yet only in the bud. On the 30th August
he issued a sixth (and final) number of the _Rushlight_, wherein he
reviewed the circumstances of his career, and the tenor of his writings
in the United States. This fugitive number is not only very temperate
in style, but elegant, unless exception be taken to its strong
anti-gallican spirit; calling, as it does, upon the Americans to shun
“all connexion with that den of monsters, France.” With reference to
his own war-whoop, he says,--
“I studied the interests of my country. To make the name of
Englishmen a friendly sound, to recommend an imitation of our
Government, our fashions, our propensities, and finally to
make them pay a tribute to England, through the medium of her
manufactures, was the object nearest my heart.”
At last, in the course of the ensuing month, an advertisement appeared
of the projected newspaper; and the public were invited to ask for a
prospectus at the house of William Cobbett, at No. 18, Pall Mall. It
was to be called THE PORCUPINE, and to appear every morning at the
office, No. 3, Southampton Street, Strand.
The prospectus of the _Porcupine_ was on the lines of
anti-Republicanism. The editor confessed that it was with the utmost
astonishment and indignation that he found a portion of the press
endeavouring to bring down upon his native country the calamity and
disgrace attendant on revolution; still preaching fanaticism and
infidelity, and “still bawling for that change which they have the
audacity to denominate Reform.” It was not for him to fold his hands
and tamely listen to the insolent eulogists of republican governments,
who had seen republican officers of state offering to sell their
country for a few thousand dollars, who had seen republican judges
become felons, and felons become judges, &c., &c. The paper should be
distinctly anti-gallican:--
“The intrigues of the French, the servile, the insidious,
the insinuating French, shall be an object of my constant
attention. Whether at war or at peace with us, they still
dread the power, envy the happiness, and thirst for the ruin
of England.… Had they the means, they would exterminate us to
the last man; they would snatch the crutch from our parents,
the cradle from our children; and our happy country itself
would they sink beneath those waves on which they now flee from
the thunder of our cannon.… While we retain one drop of true
British blood in our veins, we never shall shake hands with
this perfidious and sanguinary race, much less shall we make
a compromise with their monkey-like manners and tiger-like
principles.”
The _Porcupine_ would also resist the mischievous portion of the press,
and pay much less regard to the feelings and interests of fanatical and
factious booksellers than to the cause of religion and loyalty. The
editor held it to be the duty of men in power to employ the pen, as
well as the sword, in defence of Government, yet,--
“The peculiar circumstances, under which I now come forward,
demand from me an explicit and solemn assertion of my
INDEPENDENCE. My undertaking is my own; it was begun without
the aid, without the advice, and even without the knowledge,
of any person either directly or indirectly connected with the
ministry; if, therefore, I hope to yield some trifling support
to that ministry, it is not because I have received, or ever
shall receive, any gratification at their hands; but because
I am most sincerely persuaded that, next to the virtues of His
Majesty and the general loyalty of his subjects, this country
owes its preservation to the wisdom and integrity of Mr. Pitt
and his colleagues.”
But all this should never make the _Porcupine_ “the blind instrument
of party, the trumpet of indiscriminate applause.” The prospectus
concluded with further references to the writer’s long-continued
solicitude for the happiness and glory of England.
The first number of the _Porcupine_ appeared on Thursday, Oct. 30th,
and the price was 6_d._ It bore the motto--FEAR GOD, HONOUR THE
KING. The proprietor had received five columns of advertisements,
notwithstanding a previous announcement that the “obscene and filthy
boastings of quackery” would, on no consideration whatever, be
admitted. So the paper had a very fair start. In the third week, the
early numbers were being reprinted; and on the 9th December, the
circulation had reached 1500. Also,--
“The Porcupine cannot boast of being seen in the numerous
pot-houses of this metropolis: but we have the superior
advantage of being generally read by persons of _property_,
_rank_, and _respectability_.”
This was probably the case, for the _Anti-Jacobin Review_ condescended
to back up Mr. Cobbett thus:--
“… A daily paper, under the title of the _Porcupine_, has
been most deservedly admitted as a desirable appendix at the
breakfasting-table of every _true_ friend to their _king_, to
their _country_, and to _decency_.”
Mr. Pitt’s resignation of office, early in 1801, although ostensibly
caused by his difference with the king upon the Catholic question, had
for its object, more probably, the substitution of a minister who could
consistently negotiate with Buonaparte. This was suspected by many; and
it appeared conclusive, upon the almost incredible announcement that
Mr. Addington was to take the helm of affairs. That arch-mediocrity,
owing his promotion entirely to royal favour, had filled the Speaker’s
chair with tolerable credit, but was without any of the gifts entitling
him to rank among statesmen; and, until it was discovered that Mr.
Pitt was still chief wire-puller, the nation could hardly credit the
appointment; and, as far as can now be judged, it was the beginning of
a more widely-spread distrust of Pitt.
The _Porcupine_ had consistently praised the “heaven-born” minister,
and continued to do so, more or less, during its whole career. It
began to diverge in opinion on the day of the above announcement. It
was high time “for all true Englishmen to rally round the Throne,”
for the granting of the proposed concessions to the Catholics
“would undermine and finally overthrow,” &c., &c., according to the
long-buried tenets of High-Toryism. A few weeks afterward, some
sarcasm, directed toward Pitt’s paper-financing, appeared, but was
disavowed next day by the editor, who had not seen the paragraph
before it appeared in print, and who continued to entertain, “in
common with a vast majority of the nation, the highest opinion of
that gentleman’s talents as a financier.” Upon a report that Mr. Pitt
was intending [July] to sell Holwood, he remarked that “we shall ever
continue to think that to suffer a man, who has rendered such services
to his country in particular, and to Europe in general, to feel the
consequences arising from a confined income, is to incur a national
disgrace.” But, by the end of the year, Mr. Cobbett was in opposition,
along with the new party under Mr. Windham’s leadership.
* * * * *
Before dismissing the _Porcupine_ newspaper, the reader will be
entertained with a few characteristic illustrations. The editor very
early began to display his pugnacity toward the opposition press. Not
that he was singular, but that he excelled all his cotemporaries in the
art of hitting straight when attacked. The newspapers of that day were
largely occupied in throwing dirt at one another,[1] and one column
was often taken up by a string of paragraphs, containing laboured
sarcasms directed toward public men or the other public prints. The
_True Briton_ was especially industrious in this way. But here is
_Porcupine_:--
“The DETECTOR.--Under this title, it is our intention to devote
a column or two of our paper, once a week at least, to the
detecting and exposing of the ignorance, perverseness, and
falsehood of the Jacobinical and stock-jobbing prints, which,
to the great scandal and reproach of the nation, are not only
tolerated, but _read_. From our experience, acquired in a
country where the spirit of Jacobinism is, if possible, still
more daring and violent than in England, we are convinced that,
to succeed in a warfare such as we have commenced, defensive
measures will not do,” &c.
“The _Times_ calls the _Chronicle_ the ‘leading print of
Opposition,’ which compliment the _Chronicle_ returns by
styling the _Times_ the ‘leading print of Government.’… What
can entitle them to the epithet ‘_leading_,’ we are at a
loss to discover, except it be their superiority in point of
turpitude … if falsehood and hypocrisy admit of degrees of
comparison, we are rather disposed to give the _Times_ the
scandalous pre-eminence.”
“The _Morning Chronicle_ was yesterday seized with the
horrors,” &c.
“To Correspondents.--Nimrod is surprised that we should have
condescended to notice the _Oracle_, and advises us to pursue
a nobler _game_; but he should do us the justice to recollect
that, when game are not to be found, sportsmen sometimes amuse
themselves by destroying _vermin_.”
“Ignorance and perversity: For these two amiable qualities the
_Morning Post_ and the _Times_ are eminently distinguished.”
(The _Observer_): “The occupation of this print is to scrape
together the orts of the week, and hash them up,” &c.
“The _Monthly Magazine_, a periodical miscellany, which we have
already mentioned with due abhorrence.”
“The _Morning Herald_, in the delirious enjoyment of its puns
and conundrums.”
“Profound _Morning Post_! poor innocent! what does it know of
the existing differences between this country and America? No
more, we dare engage, than do the footmen and chambermaids
who read its conundrums with such delight.… We would indeed
earnestly recommend the _Morning Post_ to avoid politics
altogether. Its company will always be welcome in the kitchen,
and sometimes in the nursery.”
The _Porcupine_ had the smaller difficulties to contend with; as when
several country subscribers complained of “other papers being foisted
on them;” and “the flagrant imposition of some of the hawkers in
Wimpole Street, who have charged eightpence for the _Porcupine_.” In
fact, there was a little too much communicability on the part of the
editor toward his correspondents, at the same time that correspondents
were permitted to be very plain-spoken. One of them suggested that
satire would be more keen if conveyed in the most polished language: he
thought that “the comparison, some days ago, of _the dog returning to
his vomit_, or any ideas or expressions bearing upon coarseness, offend
the more refined inhabitants of this kingdom.”
In inviting correspondence for his paper, Mr. Cobbett adopted a course
which is not usually taken, viz. that of requesting that communications
be _not_ accompanied with the real name of the author. He was,
besides, much plagued with unpaid letters--a circumstance which he
had often to complain of both before and after this period. Some of
his correspondents were people of real distinction, among them being
Lord Grenville, who wrote letters under the name of SULPICIUS. Jeremy
Bentham, also, contributed a long article upon the projected Population
Bill; which appears in the _Porcupine_ of Dec. 1st, 1800, and is
reprinted in Bentham’s collected writings.
Toward the close of the _Porcupine’s_ career, the negotiations for
peace came to a conclusion, and that paper stood almost alone in
opposition. The perilous task of boldly attacking the First Consul was
pursued:--
“We request our readers to observe that henceforth we shall
be very particular in what we say about the most illustrious
sovereign, Consul Buonaparte. Oh, how we shall extol him! We
shall endeavour to give our readers the earliest information
when he rises, breakfasts, dines, sups, and spits.”
And, as all this was in direct violation of the popular feeling of the
moment, a catastrophe occurred which, in all probability, contributed
to bring the _Porcupine and Anti-gallican Monitor_ to an untimely end.
Mr. Cobbett was repeatedly urged to bend before the blast, but that was
not in him.
The story appears to be this. Lauriston, the bearer of the despatches
containing the preliminaries of peace, received an ovation from
the mob, immediately upon his landing. On his reaching London, “a
vile, degraded rabble, miscalled BRITONS, took the horses out of the
carriage,” and dragged the vehicle round the parks and the West-end in
triumph.
The _Porcupine_ was horrified: this was all in the French style, and
the nation was prostrate at the feet of Buonaparte. But, among all
reflecting politicians, the peace was derided; and, several persons
declining to light up their windows in token of rejoicing, had the
mortification of seeing them broken. On the 7th October, all the
windows on the east side of Berkeley Square were damaged; and Bond
Street and the neighbourhood displayed similar evidences of popular
displeasure. On Saturday, the 10th, a general illumination took place;
and there were few who dared to run the risk of being counter to
that displeasure. Among those few, however, was the publisher of the
_Porcupine_, who had in the morning’s paper reiterated his objections
to the proposed treaty; and now, in the evening, resolutely kept the
windows in darkness, both of the house in Pall Mall, and of that in
Southampton Street. Of course, both houses were sacked, the cheerful
rabble keeping up a siege of six or seven hours’ duration,--the person
in charge, at the newspaper office, narrowly escaping with his life.
There was a great demand for this Saturday’s paper. On Monday, however,
the editor was “under the necessity of apprising his readers that the
publication of the _Porcupine_ must cease until the ‘delirium of joy’
shall have subsided.” This interregnum lasted two days. On Thursday
commenced the publication of a series of letters, addressed to Lord
Hawkesbury, “on the peace with Buonaparte.” They were signed WILLIAM
COBBETT, and continued to appear at intervals until the 4th of November.
But the _Porcupine_ was doomed. In spite of an increasing circulation,
the paper was a financial failure; it was interfering with the
bookselling business in Pall Mall, and the proprietor was getting
dissatisfied with the annoyances entailed upon him. “He who has been
the proprietor of a daily paper for only one month wants no Romish
priest to describe to him the torments of purgatory.” So, in the course
of November, the paper became the property of Mr. John Gifford; and
on the 1st of January, 1802, it finally disappeared, being merged in
Heriot’s paper, the _True Briton_.
The “Letters to Lord Hawkesbury” have been highly extolled, and not
without reason, for they contain arguments against the peace of
Amiens, which were very shortly after their publication completely
justified by events. The “Letters” were immediately collected into
a volume (together with three letters to Mr. Addington on the same
topic), and ran through more than one edition. And the historian of the
period, when that genius arrives among us, will regard them as classic
writings, as well for their eloquence as for the clearness and cogency
of their reasoning.
* * * * *
Among the personal matters of this year must be mentioned the opening
of Mr Cobbett’s shop in Pall Mall. On the 23rd of March, a notification
was made in the _Porcupine_ to the effect that Mr. Cobbett had
“formed a partnership with Mr. JOHN MORGAN, late of
Philadelphia, to whom he has been long attached by a friendship
founded on a concurrence of political principles, and on a
similarity of conduct at a time when few Englishmen were to be
found loyal and bold enough openly to defend the character of
their king and country.”
This was accompanied by an advertisement of the new business,[2] and
another announcing the forthcoming publication of Porcupine’s works in
12 vols. 8vo.
The re-crystallization of parties, which took place in consequence
of the proposed peace, drew together a band of gentlemen under the
leadership of Lord Grenville and Mr. Windham. This clique was known
as the “New Opposition;” and they became separated from their former
colleagues on the ground that Mr. Pitt had violated his solemn
declaration not to make peace with France until the political balance
of Europe should be restored.
Mr. Cobbett, then, believing in his heart that England was falling
into the grasp of France, and that the nation, besides, was in great
peril on account of the increase of the national debt, found himself in
the ranks of this new opposition party--not as a party man, however,
but solely from his own independent standpoint. They believed in his
sincerity, they applauded his wonderful courage and the fine power
of his pen, but did not exercise any dictation. They “agreed, and
sometimes disagreed, but never attempted to thwart” the course of his
mind.[3]
The need for a new organ in the press was manifest; and the project
of a weekly review--“something between a newspaper and a magazine,”
which should give easy instruction on political topics, not only to the
multitude, but also to those who lead the multitude--was submitted by
Cobbett to Mr. Windham.
“Such a publication,” (he continues) “conducted with great
diligence and care, some talent, unwearied perseverance, and an
inviolable attachment to truth, will, if anything can, awaken
the dormant spirit of the nation, and form a rallying-point for
the now scattered friends of the king and the country.”
The scheme will require 600_l._ to start it with. But he has already
sunk too much in the _Porcupine_, and he cannot draw any considerable
sum from the new promising partnership with Morgan. How the money is to
be raised it is not for him to say; yet, should a subscription be set
on foot, his own emolument must not be regarded as the object:--
“I disclaim all desire to derive pecuniary advantage from the
proposed undertaking, and all idea of _personal obligation_
towards any one who may think proper to contribute towards
it. I ask for nothing for myself. I myself want neither
remuneration for the past nor aid for the future; I have a
business quite sufficient to satisfy all my wants and all my
wishes; I ask not for encouragement even in that business. Its
success is so certain, and so perfectly independent of every
one in England, that I might, without the least injury thereto,
shut up my shop, and retire to the country, only taking a ride
to London twice a week.… Self-interest was never a _pecuniary_
consideration with me; and I have so long exerted myself for
my king and country--I have endeavoured to do, and have really
suffered, so much for them, in almost every way that a man
can act or suffer, that to desire to promote their interest
and their honour is become the leading propensity of my mind.
I am, therefore, willing--I am even anxiously desirous--to
conduct the publication now proposed; but that desire, great
as it is, will not suffer me to do, or to accept of, anything
that shall in the smallest degree work a forfeiture of that
independence--to preserve which I have all my lifetime
practised, and I still do practise, industry and economy to
their utmost extent.”
This plan was communicated to Dr. Laurence, and to several other
gentlemen of the new opposition, by Mr. Windham. It was warmly adopted;
the money was immediately raised, and the new journal started.
The first number appeared in January, 1802, and bore the title of
“COBBETT’S POLITICAL REGISTER.”
FOOTNOTES
[1] A practice which lasted, however, until a recent generation; _e.g._
see the following tit-bits from the _Times_ of July 26th, 1838:--Of
the _Morning Post_--“this kitchen-stuff journal;” “this cockney out of
livery;” “flippant and foolish as its brother blockheads.” And of the
_Courier_--“that abject slave and unprincipled tool of the Ministers.”
The _Post_ is also said to “proceed the entire swine,” &c.
[2] “Cobbett and Morgan, Booksellers and Stationers, at the Crown and
Mitre, Pall Mall, having commenced business under the patronage of
their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Dukes of Clarence,
Kent, and Cumberland, and Prince Augustus, beg leave to express a
hope that by their earnest and constant endeavours to render their
undertaking not altogether unworthy of the protection of their Royal
Patrons, they shall not fail to obtain some degree of encouragement
from the nobility and gentry, and the public in general,” &c., &c.
[3] A squib of the time (from the _Morning Post_, reproduced in _Spirit
of the Journals_, 1802) illustrates this topic and the influence which
Mr. Cobbett then had with the Windham party:--
“Plan of the Campaign. From our Head-quarters in Pall Mall, April 1,
1802.--_General Orders._--The army to be formed into two divisions;
the first, commanded in person by General L----d G----e, to occupy the
_heights_; the other, under the orders of Lieut.-General W----m, to
attack the enemy in his _lower_ position. The ground to be taken by
either division to be previously marked out by Quartermaster-General
Cobbett. A copy to be given to each officer, to whom the command of
a column may be entrusted; the Quartermaster-General’s advice to be
taken, and studiously observed in every operation,” &c., &c.