SD278. James Martin to Edward Moulton-Barrett (father)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 319 (in part).
Park Lane
Friday [30 January 1818] [1]
My dear Barrett
I hope you feel with me in thinking that sincere applause for honest political conduct is & ought to be acceptable to every one however weak the voice of him from whence it comes, or exalted the Station of him upon whom it is bestowed.
Will you under that hope accept mine which tho’ very humble is very sincere–
Dining yesterday in company with a part of the Cocks family I heard your conduct somewhat censored for having exerted yourself in support of the old Members for Hereford or rather for having dared to oppose yourself to the will & mandate of the potent Baron of Eastner. Will you accept my thanks & gratitude for having so done?
That men who have supported the principles of the constitution & uniformly opposed the tyranny & corruptions of the Government for twenty Years are entitled to a continuance of our confidence is past question, nor ought they to be dismissed from our service tho’ somewhat infeebled by age or infirmity. These are good reasons I think for all honest men exerting themselves in endeavouring to return the old members for Hereford tho’ not half so good & strong as those which exert & ought to stimulate them in endeavouring to exclude my cousin Cocks from misrepresentation of that respectable & independent City–
The certainty with which I am told the Baron counts on Victory ought to be no discouragement to you for tho’ he succeeds in his object (which pray God he may not) the occasion affords all honest men an excellent opportunity of expressing the disgust & abhorrence they feel at the unprincipled Politics lately betrayed by him & his family–
The wretched Pamphlet which he has written & published against the most usefull & necessary of all political Reforms equally betrays the weakness of his head & the selfishness of his heart, and the wicked & wanton mode in which his son voted away the writ of Habeas Corpus (the most usefull & necessary Bulwarke of our political liberties) ought never to be forgotten or forgiven until they sincerely repent & publicly recant their Errors!–
If the noble Lord, & his family object to parliamentary Reform, from fear of being bereft of their rotten Boroughs, for heaven sake, let them confine themselves to it, & return their sons or servants for Ryegate without obtruding themselves upon the respectable, & independent parts of our Representation! If they vote away our liberties, from an unmanly, & cowardly fear of being driven from their Castles, let them confine themselves within their walls, & not Sally out & bully the Country with the stren[g]th of their Purses, & the aid of their corrupt Government Influences–
Pray bestir yourself, for I am told much may yet be done, & I know that a single sparke when well blown, has on similar occasions produced a conflagration that has burnt the fingers, & mortified the bloted Pride of greater men than my Lord Somers–
I hope you will attribute these observations to my love of communing with honorable men, my friendship for you, & my detestation of political me<…> & corruption, & believe <me> with best regards to Mrs Barrett
Yours very sincerely
James Martin
Address and franked by Martin, on integral page: London January thirty / 1818 / E. M. Barrett Esq / Hope End / Ledbury.
Docket, in the hand of EM-B (father): Mr James Martin / Political.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Dated by the frank.
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