The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-04 00:00:00

the principles of justice and the commandments of
Heaven. So far as his reputation is concerned, it
would have been better if the General had fallen
last year by the hands of the assassin ; and inasmuch
as his course has progressed to any farther end:or
higher purpose, all these past months have swelled
tne eternal records of earthly events with crimes
at which men might blush and angels weep to
witness. If anything could add to the repulsive
style of the transaction, it would be the terms in
which the felicitations were offered, and the manner
in which they were replied to. First of all, we
are told that Divine power "averted the aim" of
the assassin, and next that this auspicious event is
to be celebrated by the collection of a fund from the
presenter of the address which will afford aid to
wounded comrades under the title of " Count DE
BERG'S Pensioners." Surely we are come to a
pretty pass when we find men assembling to con-
gratulate their fellowmen on the successful results
of deeds of cruelty and oppression, and invoke
Heaven to prolong a life passed in so inestimable a
manner. The General, not to be outdone, attributes
his efforts, so successfully accomplished, to the
special favour of Heaven, and is confident that
Russia will devote all her sons to the very last, if
necessary, to preserve the empire of their Czar.
This is a solemn and impressive ceremony, no doubt,
but it would be more in character if celebrated in
any other city of the world than one in which
the inhabitants are not allowed to put on
mourning for their dead. We should be less struck
if the edicts of Russian authoritiea were not so hard
and their judgments so cruel and terrible; but as it
is, words almost fail one in endeavouring to give
expression to the feelings that arise at the mention
of such atrocious mockery and unworthy exhibi-
tions. If the Russians think that by such conduct
they can control public opinion and defy criticism
they are very much mistaken; and they will find
from the expressions that are everywhere heard
that they are falling into contempt, and are incur-
ring the scorn of all nations not utterly lost to senti-
ments of honour and feelings of propriety. The
paltry expedient of trying to make it appear that
this affair of the anniversary was an outburst of
the national feeling, and an expression of the
sentiments of the populace, is a subter-
fuge that will not avail; it was, no doubt,
devised by skilful and dexterous parties, and
is regarded as a triumph of Russian tactics, but it
will not do beyond the confines of its own dominions.
It was enough to conquer the country, cr to well
nigh exterminate the inhabitants without inflicting
upon the shattered remnants the extreme of misery,
in having their feelings falsified and their opinions
misrepresented. The day passed over with seeming
success, but the principles of the wicked are short
dyed, and no people who aspire to rank among the
foremost nations of the world can rightly consider
they have achieved much to boast of, when they
are celebrating a mockery before the eyes of their
fellow men, and calling on Heaven to witness their
delight at the success of actions for which they
should Ensh to think, and the realising of which
they may well dread to think of.

English tradesmen usually pride themselves on
the straightforwardness and integrity of their
dealings, and a suspicion of fraud or imposition is
resented by them as an insult. They are sharp
enough, no doubt, in looking after their own in-
terests, and are not very likely to give the public
the benefit of the doubt where the balances are
evenly weighed ; bat, on the whole, they claim a
high reputation for honesty and fair play. It is,
therefore, rather surprising to find a system of
fraud habitually carried on which is the worst of
fraud in trade, which not only robs customers of
their money but of their health, perhaps even in
the case of children or sickly persons of
ife itself. Nothwithstanding the stringency
'tf the act and
.the activity of the In-
spectors, the quantity of bad and diseased
meat weekly sent to the London markets is some-
riling surprising. We can_ hardly excuse the
senders on the plea of ignorance, for every one in
the habit of slaughtering beasts must know for
what purpose he is slaughtering them, and must
be perfectly well aware whether they are dying of
disease or no. Yet, according to Dr. LETHEBY s
report on the sanatory state of the City, in the
course of last week alone nearly 6,000 lbs. of meat
wore condemned by the inspectors as unfit for
human food. Of these 2,089 lbs. were diseased,
2,106 lbs. were putridi and 951 lbs. were from
animals that had died of accident or disease.
Twenty sheep, two calves, 12 pigs, 38 qrs. beef,
and 867 joints formed this aggregate, which, for
this time of the year, is sufficiently large.
When we contemplate the serious results on
the public health should any part of this
poisonous food escape detection we shall not be in-
clined to accept any plea on behalf of those who
deliberately send it to the metropolis, reckoning, of
course, on the vast demand for bu'cher's meat and
on the eagerness of the poor to buy it cheap. As
meat is likely to be high in price throughout the
winter, owing to the scarcity of fodder, we are
likely to have plenty of such impositiors practised;
and it is to be hoped the authorities will keep a
strict account of all wbo thus wilfully attempt to
injure their fellow creatures for the sake of greed.