The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. FRADAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1839.

be more dangerous to the peace and safety of the
country than to allow the officers in the army to sanc-
tion, by their presence and approval, such gross and
infamous attacks upon the Royal authority and charac-
ter as were made by Messrs. Roby, Gregg, Bradshaw,
and other clerical and lay dispensers of treason. Such

language, in the first instance, evinced disaffection in
those from whom allegiance was more especially clue,

and thereby encouraged those inclined to resort to
violence with the hope that the army would not act

against them. If our memory does not deceive
us, Messrs. Oastler, Stephens, and other Tories who
have for the nonce appeared to make common cause
with the people, openly encouraged an appeal to physical
force, on the grounds that the army would not act in the
suppression of rebellion. In the next place, when it
would have become known that the hostility of the mi-

litary authorities to the Government arose, not from sym-
pathy with the people, but from a hatred towards
Government for endeavouring to comply with their

claims, the feelings of the discontented would natu-
rally become more aggravated against the army, whose
presence, in such case, so far from being calculated
to suppress riot, would serve as the signal and pro-
vocative of revolt. This, and not exultation over a
discomfited faction, is our motive in approving the
reprimand given by Lord Hill to Colonel Thomas,
Major Maclean, and Captain Ainslie, and other

officers of the Royal Dragoons. The allusions made,
in the letter conveying the reprimand, to the correspon-
dence between these officers and the Commander of the
Forces, imply a prevarication on the part of the former
as unbecoming the character of men of honour, as was
the language they sanctioned by their presence disgrace.
ful to their loyalty. Colonel Thomas and Captain
Ainslie plead ignorance of what the expressions really
were. Major Maclean and the other officers " cannot
vouch for particular expressions used by Mr. Roby
upon that occasion." Such replies are sheer subter-
fuges—a dastard's screen of conscience against lying.
In approving the propriety of the reprimand we by
no means pledge ourselves to the sanction of such
interference of authority under ordinary circumstances.
Nothing but the urgency of the case would have in-
duced us to applaud the proceeding. It appears by the
letter that " Lord Hill thinks it scarcely necessary to
add that the prohibition to attend party meetings, in
their military capacity (except when on duty and in aid
of the civil authorities of the country) applies to the

officers of the army at large." In prohibiting the at-
tendance of officers at party meetings in a military
capacity," unless in the excepted cases, we perfectly
concur ; but while objecting to their presence in a 6/i-
Cary capacity, we by no means infer that the soldier
should forfeit the rights of citizenship, or be debarred
from giving as free utterance to his thoughts as other
men, provided he transgress not the bounds of loyal
and free discussion. To the Tories, however, this re-
primand from Lord Hill must come with withering effect:
but as we wish not to aggravate the humiliation of those

specifically censured we shall leave them to bite the dust
of their degradation.

(From the Chronicle.)

which are not tolerated at the Horse-Guards. We
should not have adverted so much to these disgrace-
ful doings and omissions, had they not been very
different things from the simple and honest utterance
of political opinion, however erroneous. To his
opinions the Absolutist or the Republican has
an unquestionable right, and to their peaceful expres-
sion. And if he bears with dignity the injurious con-
sequences to himself of what society deems his erro-
neous opinions, he is entitled to respect. But not so
those who basely vituperate and indecently vilify ; who
employ the means of falsehood for the ends of faction ;
who put on the mask of hypocrisy and kindle the hell-
fire of bigotry ; who have crawled the most servilely as
they now bully the most ferociously ; and who, when
they ought like honest men to bear the burden of their
blunders, in whatever privations it may impose, wri:: gle,
and quibble, and equivocate, while affecting to look big,
and exhibit a Janus head of knave and martyr. For
such we have no respect ; and who has ? They
march with o3e another, in the drill of faction ; they
lie for one another ; but they do not respect one another ;
they do not respect themselves.