The Sun.
London, England, 1830-11-24 00:00:00

cause it steed still while the world was advaneing,
arid opposed itself to the march of mind; end the
feelings and desires of the eeople. It is on thk
ground that we . rejoice in its overthrow, and .not.
from any hostility to the Duke or Mr. Peel, who, we
are ready to admit,have done the State some aervice
Thant readers .have perused the paragraph which
stands as a motto to this article, they will admit,
that we have personal grounds for feeling some little
exultation. Five short weeks only have elapsed
since that paragraph was penned, in Which we warned
the Prernier that the foundations of his power would
Melt away from under his feet, if he opposed himself
to the cause of the people. We told him that twit)
courses were open to him. He might become the
guide and leader of that spirit of reform, which was
abroad in the world, and could not be repressed or
resisted. a Or," weadded, " you,. may choose the
beaten track, and by binding yourself to bad institu-
tions and old corruptions, earn the hatred of your
country, like Lord Cestlereagh; tarnish the renown
you have gained, and end, like Napoleon,' by falling
a sacrifice to the tide of liberal opinions, which you
haVe striven: to arrest." How literally has this been
necornplished .POuhtless more causes than one
have concurred kreduee the downfall of his
Grace's Ministry ;-butif.wcarteOtt To the tone of
the speeches in Parliament, and the language of the
independent part of 'the press, we will perceive, that
there was &great, probebility of his power surviving
every
.other'source or weakness, if he had not, by
few warda which it would be charity to consider as
oily Foolish suit unadvised, ermed the indignation
of all liberallninds, within anti without Parliament,
against him. He retires from power greatly lessened
in the estimation of discerning men, and shorn. of the
honours which he had gained by his military talents.
Three years ago, he said that it would be an act of
madness in him to aspire to the office of Prime Minister,
and many will now be disposed to takehim at his'word.
Yet in passing this judgment on himself, we believe
he did not see where his short-co Ming lay. We do
not' think that his deficiencies in acquired know-
ledge, political science, dexterity, perhaps also in
temper and address, would have been fatal to his
ministry, if his heart had been in, the right place, if
his moral nature bad been irradiated by a few beams
of that love of justice and love, of mankind, which
burned so brightly in the breast of Washington.
The characteristic and gratifying feature of the pre-
sent change is, thet to a great extent it is not the
result of any accidental conibinatitin of circumstances.
It springs front general causes operating on the
public mind,. and is in Substance a victory achieved
by, public opinion over the enemies of improvement.
The same circumstances, which bring in the neN
Ministry, determine its character, 'and mark out the
course which it must follow. Whether composed
of Whip alone, or Whip and Tories united, it lies
tinder a moral necessity of making some concessions
to popular feeling. All-the leading men capable of
filling high office are already pledged to this; and
though It were otherwise, there is scarcely any other
course, open to •them. Our " great week" in short
income. A breach has been. made in the detonator
of corruption ; and scarcely. any thing..less than a
miracle can now prevent Reform from obtaining at
Witte partial triumph. This is an advantage of in-
finite value, . for Reform is a' rod which embraceS
every other. We attach lees importance than some
do to the went of Reform immediately conceded-.
'lt cannot be Very inconsiderable, for its object must
be to go a tertuin length towards satisfying public
feeling. Rut if it should be smaller than many ex-
pects, they must 'riot. roiect-it trra sAloon of no Value;
and though those who areits authors should declare,
that' thus far.. and:, no' farther Reform shall go, we
must not let. their- idle talk dishearten us. . A great
good is accomplished when breath is made in the
system, and fts Amite; admitted. There is an honest
dread of innovation in many minds,' arid prejudice,
we must remember, can only be conquered by de-
gree. These who will agree to a certain change lit
present, and conscientiously think that they can
never go an inch further, are not aware of the altera-
tion which time will make in their own feelings.

Let the Reform granted be once seen fairly in opera-
tion,- and let its good ,effects be 'witnessed in check-
ing waste and abuse, purifying our laws and civic,
institutions, stimulating public men to do their duty,
promoting improvement, and spreading content and
confidence through the country, and all vague ap-
prehensions, which disturb the minds of some sen-
sitive people, will vanish. It is true that a feeling
of corrupt interest is one great source of the
opposition to Reform, but the course of things
is, likely to lessen the force of this evil also.
The more intelligent part of the aristocracy, when
they look at the burdens and embarrassments
in which they have been involved by the venality
of many of their order, must see what they have
gained with one hand they have lost with the other.
The march of economy, too, which cannot be re-

sisted, will cut down mon; and more the matter

which corruption has fed upon; and the activity of
the Press in exposing venality, jobs, and peculation,
will tend still farther to restrain the evil within

mite. It would be well if the persons who cry ou

against .such abuses would patronise and encourage
those journals which do their duty to the public in
exposing them: 'lt is said that the King has-ex-
pressed himself friendly to Reform ; and such a senti-
ment is so entirely in accordance with the charaCter
of Willi= the Fourth) that the statement may be
received as true, en this ground alone. With a King
truly anxious to reign in the hearta of the people,
and, a ministry coming in on the express groun4 of
Reform, what cheering prospects, are now, opening
on the country ! From one other.great evil, we
have in all probability been saved by the dotage Of
Ministry. The cry for Reform is eertain to spread
all over the country, if riot stopped by Purliament
granting' its object. Had this display of popular
'reeling token place-while men decidedly opposed to
Reform were in poWer, what would hat, ;been the
result ?. As the Ministry end the people clime more
and more into eollisiou,, and provoked each ether
into-4 spirit of greater bitterness and exasperatton,
is it not probable, nay almost certain,. that we should
have had the old Castlereagh system of coercion and
.terrorism revived, and the dungeon and the halter
employed to pot down opinions. The Ministate
might intend tti act Withmoderetion ; but their very
position would have ultimately forced them into
violent measures. Elutih's course can never be very
safe, and after whet so recently happened, on, the
Continent, there is much reason to fear that it would
have plunged the country into the horrors of civil
war. We know little about the, Duke of Welling
tan's personal qualities; but it is ,long since we. in,
lerred.from his public, acts, that there woke close.
'nest, hauteur, or sternness of nature about bimrj-a
defect in his social qualities, which prevented his
colleagiies from having that unreserved Communica-•
ticai with him Which was indispensable to keep up a
perfect sympathy between the different members .of
the Administration. had Sir Robert Peel and Sir
George Murray, been in the practiee of having the
,free interchange of ideas with, the Duke, which their
situation required, they would never have permitted
him to make his ill-timed declaration against Beforrn,
which contributed mon than any single eircuM-
armee to ruin his administration. To Sir .Rebert
'reel the country owes much, and it wild i helm
grateful not to acknowledge it, now whetetht!
utinut to leave the public service. He fists'faidis ;
.but if we judge him with
_reference to the circum-
stances in which he was placed, we shall he com-
pelled to admit that this country has rarely had
'MOM useful irrid meritotioul-Minillar•

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