The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-16 00:00:00

THE

chiefs of 'DrPoo as well as with the most renowned

among the marshals of NAPOLEON—and that his name
has become somehow associated with a series of rather
remarkable victories extending back from the f eld of
Waterloo to the walls of Seringapatam. That these
deeds have been, hitherto, vulgarly attributed to the
Duke of WELLINGTON, appears to be indisputable, if
we are to attach any credit whatever to the luminous
records of NAPIER, or to the picturesque and elo-
quent descriptions of ALIsoN. Unquestionable,
however, though these facts may have been consi-
dered, heretofore, they must at length be altogether
abandoned as worthy of not an instant's consideration :
for the Duke of WELLINGTON was on Tuesday last
quietly and deliberately pooh-poohed by Mr. COBDEN !
Really, his Grace might have anticipated a little more
respect both for his age and his career, from a man
who had formally grasped his hand with the grasp
almost of friendship only a few months since, in the
presence of many thousands of people, in the Palace
of the Great Exhibition. So entirely and rapidly,
however, has this incident been forgotten by the
Member for the West Riding, that he takes occasion
to sneer at the Captain in so many memorable battles
(behind his back) from the platform of a concert-
room in Marylebone. Considering all that the
Duke of WELLINGTON has done, considering the
years which have passed over his head in the ser-
vice of the country, both civil and military, we must
acknowledge our incapacity to recognise the delicacy
of Mr. COBDEN'S observations.

CICERO in his very noble and exquisitely beautiful
dissertation, De Senectute, has placed in the mouth
of the venerable CATO words such as, might not
inaptly have fallen from the lips of the Duke of
WELLINGTON. We are induced to call this
circumstance (we might almost designate it
this coincidence) to the recollection of the
lettered reader, because of the coarseness of the re-
mark made by Mr. COBDEN on the occasion referred
to, when he spoke of the brave old warrior still at.the
head of the authorities at the Horse Guards, as one
who bad originated " outcries about danger which
ought only to have proceeded from women or chil-
dren." Abuse, by the way, is not argument—neither
can logic be regarded as answered by contumely.
But what are those Ciceronian sentences which
might, according to our thinking;be not inappro-
priately uttered by the Duke of WELLINGTON ? ".1
am now," says CATO, "in my eighty-fourth year,
and I wish I had reason to boast with CYRUS, that I
feel no sensible decay of strength. But although I
do not possess it in the same degree as when I made
my first campaign in the Carthagenian war, in the
course of which I was advanced to the rank of Ques-
tor, or when during my consulship,l commanded the
army in Spain, or when four years afterwards I was
military tribune at the battle of Thermopylx—yet I
can with truth, you see, affirm that old age has
not totally relaxed my nerves and subdued
my native vigour. My strength has not yet been
found to fail me, either in the senate or the assemblies
of the people, when my country or my friends, my
clients or my hosts, have had occasion to require
my service." Place those declarations in the mouth
of the Duke of WELLINGTON, and they will be found
not less accurately descriptive than they were when
attributed to CATO by the greatest of all Roman
orators. Yet this is the very man whose name has
been selected by Mr. COBDEN as a target for his not
very graceful or rhetorical shafts of derision !
" Li, he whose fame outshines the fabulous!
Sublime with eagle front, and that grey crown
Which Age, the arch priest seta on laurell'd brows;
Lo, Geraint, bending with a world's renown!
Yet those grey hairs one ribbald scoffer found;—
The moon sways ocean, and provokes the hound."
King Arthur, Book v., stanza 14.
Let those majestic verses of the bard of Carduel,
those verses in which Sir BULWER LYTTON (in the
true prophetic spirit of pccsie) offers that noble meed
of praise to the Conqueror of the Peninsula, be the
fitting response to the right trusty, and valiant knight
of the shire of York—the Quixotic Leader of the
Peace Association.
" Yet those grey hairs one ribbald scoffer found;—
The moon sways ocean and provokes the hound."
That couplet ought to be emblazoned forthwith
across the shield of the knight of the West Riding—
heraldically, along a bar sinister—with "a dagger of
lath" as the device!
Apart though we are, in the vast proportion of our
political sympathies, from his Grace the COM-
MANDER-IN.CHIEF—alien though many of his
ideas in regard to the right principles
of administration are to those entertained by
ourselves—we have none the less earnestly, on those
accounts, protested against the indecorous sneers with
which Mr. COBDEN has thought proper to speak of the
Duke of WELLINGTON. We leave it to the people of
England to decide whether the remarks we have here
referred to are worthy of one who aspires to the dig-
nity of a statesman, or whether they are exactly be-
fitting a man pointed out as a probable Cabinet
Minister by the very enthusiastic gentleman who
seconded the first resolution on the occasion of
this very redoubtable meeting at illarylebone. Let
the Militia Bill introduced to the House of Commons
by the HOME SECRETARY be reprobated as loudly as
its most ardent antagonist could desire—let it be pro-
nounced unconstitutional in its tendencies, tyrannical
in its probable operation, and preposterous in its en-
tire character—but do not, in Heaven's name, pre-
sume to trifle with a danger so glaringly manifest as
that of the insufficiency of our national defences, and,
least of all, todirect such very coarse and vulgar perso-
nalities against a venerable warrior like the Duke of
WELLINGTON.

If any proof were required of the advantages of
triennial Parliaments, and of compelling Honourable
Gentlemen to solicit renewals of confidence from their
respective constituents more frequently than under
the present system they are required to do, it would
be afforded by the numerous addresses with which
the public journals are now filled to overflowing.
Every member of the popular branch of the Legisla-
ture
who has not, for no doubt adequate reasons, de-
termined on retiring into private life is on his " good
behaviour ;" obnoxious opinion; are quali-
fied or retracted, ample explanations are
given on every subject that could by a
possibility occasion ;complaint or annoyance. It
would be impossible to find a more amiable, high-
minded, or public-spirited set of gentlemen than the
several aspirants for senatorial honours. It is really
gratifying to find such striking exhibitions of
74ti°tiAa, and must add considerably to the feeling
\topics of the day, and ready national pride to behold our public men making
themselves so thoroughly acquainted with all the
to stand the most search'
ing cross-examination
iheornyeia shortening n. If there were no
other object to be achieved b
of Parliament, the additional orting the duration
en
rdiligence and activity
excited among the chosen
people would furnish a conclusive
representatives of the
argument in its
favour.

themselves The constituencies should now avsil of
the golden opportunity, and elicit clear and un-
equivocal expressions of opinion from the several
candidates. They should recollect that seven
years
a
may possibly elapse before they could revenge
flagrant act of tergiversation. Persons who have any
seven years' lease of office may be creep
willing to
g of the deceived voters,
through any loophole—to take advantage of any
vagueness
generalityn in , their own addresses,
caring i
nation
whose suffrages they have obtained under what were
little
for r id
the
but little better than fictitious representations. If
the term were reduced to less than one-half of that
at present allowed, we should see fewer betrayals of
confidence and better feelings between the electors
and elected. As it is, the persons about to exercise
their high privilege, should thoroughly understand
the sentiments of the claimants for their favour be-
fore they arrive at a final decision on the important

subject.
The first, the most important question of all, is that
respecting our commercial legislation. No man,
however estimable his character or high his
qualifications, should be tolerated for a mo.
nient who even contemplates the possibility
of the re•enactrnent of a bread-tax. An express
pledge on that point is indispensable. We must not
imperil the glorious victory we have already achieved
by any apathy or carelessness. But, if practicable,
We should not be con-
we should go still further.
tented
ofe t
tedtho take
eerely with cbvia',ing a retrograde policy, but
\
Should use our utmost exertions to render it progres-
hkiligehefustritmherporstt:npcseinthethreo
efrrigeht direction, It
to select persons
holding sound
views on fiscal subject" Our trade and