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May 1780 Political Magazine

Revolutionary War Reports and Edmund Burke on Public Opinion and Retroactive Laws

"I am not one of those who think that the people are never in the wrong..." Edmund Burke

As a result of Burke's support for free trade with Ireland and his advocacy of Catholic emancipation which were unpopular with his constituents in Bristol he lost his House of Commons seat in 1780. It is thus not surprising to have him correctly note in a 1780 article in the Political Magazine that "the people are liable to fall into great mistakes; they are miserably open to all the artifices of ambitious me, and to all the various deceits of political hypocrisy." For the remainder of his parliamentary career Burke represented Malton, a pocket borough controlled by Charles Watson-Wentworth, the second Marquis of Rockingham who later became Prime Minister in 1782.

The May 1780 Political Magazine has more of Burke's views, such as what is quoted below, as well as news on the Revolutionary War.

"The very essence of government by law...is that no man should be ultimately deprived of his right, ..but by some act, or some defect, of which he might previously know the nature and the consequences. This, I say, is essentially necessary to every law, and to every lawful judicial proceeding."

Burke is referring to the legal prohibition of what is called "ex post facto" laws and the practice of judicial activism by changing precedent to fit personal whim, prevailing politics or ideology. The legal principle played a large part in the 2000 United States Supreme Court decision of Bush v. Gore, at least in the concurring opinions of Justices Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas.

Below is the a picture of the Spanish Manifesto reprinted in this 1780 newspaper which explained why Spain was joining France in opposing the British in Europe and the Americas, and thus helping the American Revolution. The magazine also contains a report of Sir Henry Clinton before Charleston, South Carolina which he is about to conquer in the biggest victory of the British in the war. By the time this published report reached England Benjamin Lincoln had surrendered Charleston and his entire Continental Army of the South to General Clinton. The magazine also contains a report of the defeat of the French fleet by British Admiral Sir Rodney in the West Indies. This was the highpoint of the Revolutionary War for the British.

The magazine has about 55 pages and does not include the chart of the English Channel which was removed prior to our purchase.  While there is some foxing and browning of the edges it is completely readable and easy to handle, helped in part by archival tape on the spine.

Price: $75/ SOLD

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