[Meeting at Birmingham]

First published Edinburgh Saturday Post, 1 September 1827, p. 132. Never reprinted. The article is the third of three on the fourth page, under the general heading THE EDINBURGH/Saturday Post/SATURDAY EVENING, September 1, 1827’), which was where the editor’s final commentaries for the week normally appeared. Although Peterkin’s resignation as editor was not announced till the next issue (8 September), it seems that De Quincey took over some of the editorial duties by 1 September. The three articles are separated by very short horizontal dashes, and appear to be all by the same English contributor. Stuart Tave includes the first two (‘[Mr. Canning’s Death]’ and ‘West India Petition’), but makes no mention of this third one. The article continues the analysis of English papers and London politics, which was one of De Quincey’s specialties at this time. Its English perspective, and informed interest in a Midlands city like Birmingham, are unusual in the Post, except in De Quincey’s contributions. Other signs include the ‘old proverb’, the use of italics and reported dialogue, and colloquial phrases like ‘some of these mornings’, ‘to match’, ‘Brummicham’, ‘hole-and-corner’ and ‘to palm it upon the public’. The sentence beginning ‘Most deplorable it will be’ certainly sounds De Quinceyan, as does the familiar treatment of Wilberforce, and knowledge of Wilberforce’s family, which anticipates ‘Mr. Canning and the Aristocracy’ of two weeks later (see below, pp. 68–9). Finally, the article combines editorial phrases like ‘we can assure our readers’, with an ironic tone, at times verging on high comedy, that points decidedly to the incoming editor, De Quincey, rather than the retiring one, Peterkin.