• THE GENERAL FALL.
THE Standard has undertaken to prove that the shot fired by an insane gamester at the King of Hungary's shoulder, was a result -of the general endeavour which for the last two years has been making all over the civilized World to bring royalty into contempt. .Arguing in the same strain, our ingenious contemporary con- cluded, when the drunken sailor who was tried on Wednesday, for high treason, threw a stone at the King of England's head at As- cot, that the ultimate cause which gave motion to the audacious pebble was the excitement of the Reform Bill. It has been ob- jected to the former of these theories, that, from the facts that have transpired, the attempted assassination of the Emperor expectant was the result of anger and an empty pocket, and that politics had as little place in the motives of the assassin as ducats in his purse : and to the second it has been objected, that Mr. DENNIS -COLLINS, to the shame of his parents, not being able to read, could not be influenced by the terrible Reforming newspapers, whose leading articles have for some time past been leading poor John Bull to—where he ought not to go, if he can help it. The Standard, however, has its reply. It may be true that Captain What's-his-name was pennyless, and DENNIS COLLINS bookless; and both disposed, in consequence, to shoot, throw, cut, stab, and • do all manner of mischief to all manner of persons ; but had it not been for the excitement, they would have 'aimed lower. As to the absence of direct communication with the sources of the anti- social poison, it mattered not— the infection, like that of the .Cholera, was in the atmosphere ; and wherever it lighted on a -susceptible subject, it produced its natural effect. To this last ar- gument of the Standard, we are not aware that any satisfactory .answer has been given, nor shall we attempt to give one. We would merely express our opinion of the unnecessary limitation of our contemporary's theory. The excitement, according to our reading, has extended farther than the Standard traces it. We are disposed to concur with him that kings are somewhat lower in value than they were a dozen of years ago; but we would add, that subjects have fallen propor- tionably in the market. The compensating principle has been at work as well as the levelling. The Diet of Frankfort interdicts - :free discussion on penalty of throat-Cutting and house-burning ;• auu Constitutional. seeutitieS go down-50- perteent. _forthwith. A crazy captain lets fly a pistol-bullet at the heir of the house of' Hapsburg, and down come Imperial Bonds in a similar ratio. Mr. DENNIS COLLINS knocks King WILLIAM the Fourth's hat of with a stone; the price of royalty tumbles like Bank Stock, and all the Conservative brokers in the kingdom are struck dumb with amazement. Mr. IRVING and his military tail cut off a dozen of Referm ears and noses at Clithero; and the Bill falls as rapidly as the King. In short, the universal currency of humanity is clipped and worn; the circulating medium of society is at a discount. By what means we shall contrive to have it rerninted, or what is to be the character that is next to be impressed upon it, must be the subject of some future speculation.
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