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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1826
Sydney Smith to Edward Davenport, 26 December 1826
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Author's Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Index
Editor’s Preface
Letters 1801
Letters 1802
Letters 1803
Letters 1804
Letters 1805
Letters 1806
Letters 1807
Letters 1808
Letters 1809
Letters 1810
Letters 1811
Letters 1812
Letters 1813
Letters 1814
Letters 1815
Letters 1816
Letters 1817
Letters 1818
Letters 1819
Letters 1820
Letters 1821
Letters 1822
Letters 1823
Letters 1824
Letters 1825
Letters 1826
Letters 1827
Letters 1828
Letters 1829
Letters 1830
Letters 1831
Letters 1832
Letters 1833
Letters 1834
Letters 1835
Letters 1836
Letters 1837
Letters 1838
Letters 1839
Letters 1840
Letters 1841
Letters 1842
Letters 1843
Letters 1844
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Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Produced by CATH
 
December 26th, 1826.
Dear Davenport,

I wish you would turn your talents and activity to oppose this odious war. There is no such thing as a “just war,” or, at least, as a wise war; at all events, this is not one. Pray be pacific. I see you have broken the ice in the House of Commons. I shall be curious to hear your account of your feelings, of what colour the human creatures looked who surrounded you, and how the candles and Speaker appeared. We must have a small massacre of magistrates; nothing else will do. The gentleman you have mentioned shall be among the first.

272 MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.

I wish you had added a word of the nature and condition of my old friend Mrs. H——: breeding, of course; at least, the onus probandi is with her.

We hear nothing here but of distress, bazaars, and the high price of hay. I am not without alarm as to the state of the country: the manufacturing distress has lasted too long.

For God’s sake, open upon the Chancery. On this subject there can be no excess of vituperation and severity. Advocate also free trade in ale and ale-houses. Respect the Church, and believe that the insignificant member of it who now addresses you is most truly yours,

Sydney Smith.