Letters to the inhabitants of Northumberland and its neighbourhood, on subjects interesting to the author, and to them : part I[-II] / by Joseph Priestley, L.L.D. F.R.S. &c.

  • Joseph Priestley
Date:
MDCCXCIX [1799]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters to the inhabitants of Northumberland and its neighbourhood, on subjects interesting to the author, and to them : part I[-II] / by Joseph Priestley, L.L.D. F.R.S. &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    among other falfcfioods, ;; I had been, he fays, for many years an avowed and open enemy to the go- v iment and conftitation of mv country; that in my inflammatory difcourfes Ca ] i / the En- giifh conftitution was openh ;' and I doctrines there held forth were fubv< rfive • and religious order; and in his n \ he fays. my conventicle at Hackney \ ' _»n- venient and faccefsful fchool off ai V- tained, he (ays. the hope of bridging ab< ut c re- volution in England on the French plan, and that I had no objection to the continuance of tythes in England, provided I came in for a fhare. He fays that my public celebration of the French riots and ma fiacres ^s a convincing proof of my approving them, and that my fending my fon to Paris in the mid ft of them, to requeft the honour of becoming a French citizen, is another proof of the fame that cannot be difputed; that I approved w of the unmerciful perfecution of the unfortunate and worthy part of the French clergy, men as far fur- palling me in piety and ability, as in fuffering ; that the French conftitution is my fyftem, and that fooner than not fee it eftablifhed, he much queftions if I would not with pleafure fee the maflacre of all the human race. But if all mankind were deftroy- ed where is this conftitution of mine to be eftablifhed ? As he has not told us where, I muft fuppofe that he meant among bears, wolves, or wild beafts of fome kind or other. With refpecT to the riots in Bermingham, he fays, that I was the principal caufe of them ; that the fef- tival of the commemorationof the French revolution was to celebrate events which were in reality the fubjeel; of the deepeft horror; that this riot, confi- M dered comparatively with what I and rr.y friends wiih:jd to ftir up, was peace harmony, and gentle^ F nefs ;
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