The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-25 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1863.

The well-merited tribute bestowed upon the
veteran King of the BELGIANS by the Count DE
MONTALEMBERT in his recent discourse at Mechlin,
will meet with universal and cordial sympathy in
this country. The effect upon the vast multitude
of the Counts assembled was electric. The Hour
and the Man lent additional force to the eulogium.
The Count of MONTALEMBERT, whose eloquent
lips have been sealed for twelve long years, was na-
turally listened to with a very peculiar interest.
There was a mournful pathos in the regretful tone
in which he, a liberal and patr:otic Frenchman,
spoke of his native land as of one who, " condes•
tended to be the least free of the Nations of the
Western World." Denied in his own country the
power of giving utterance to his powerful and impas-
sioned elcquence—because that eloquence is always
inspired by the freest spirit of Liberty—because
it is always devoted to the upholding of popular
rights and popular independence—the most elo-
quent because he is also the most liberal of modern
Frenchmen—is dumb in his own lasd. On the,
more faloured soil of Belgium he, after a twelve
years' silence, spoke on Thursday last, and the most
effective portion of his speech, one that thrilled
the hearts of those who listened to him, was his
very earnest and heartfelt tribute to tho Constitu-
tional Sovereign of the country in which he
spoke. As an evidence of the emotions excited
in the audience by the C:,unt's harangue, the vene-
rable President, DE GEULACIIE, now more than
seventy years of age, hastily rose from his seat at
the conclusion of the address to embrace the orator
before the latter could descend from the Tribune !
That illustrious Orator, who, foreigner and
stranger though ha was, had so fully and so
truthfully expressed the general sentiments of the
Belgians for their KING! The incident, no doubt,
acquired additional interest from the recent
illness of the KING, an illness which at one
time threatened to be serious. Happily the
danger has passed by, and LEOPOLD is
spared in his old age to reap the reward so well
earned by his conscientious career—the beet reward
a ruler can obtain—the love and gratitude of his
people. MONTALEMBERT spoke of him, the King,
as a really " honest man" (thus awarding him, in
the spirit of BURNS, the highest possible amount of
approbation), and as one who had dared to keep
faith with his people and to be true to his oath !

It was about the same period of time that two so-
called Constitutional sovereigns were placed at the
head of two neighbouring nations The year 1830
131 W LOUIS PHILIPPE of Orleans chosen the Constitu-
tional King (not of France) but of the French—the
Citizen Xing. The same year saw LEOPOLD of
Coburg in like manner elected King (not of Bel-
gium) but of the Belgians. Both chosen by their
respective people, the depositories of a sacred trust
—sworn to uphold the Constitution. History
can relate the rest. Flow did they fulfil their trust ?
What is the result of those tWO sovereignties ? False
to his promises and his principles (or his avowed
principles), the Citizen King found even his astute-
ness, even lus Machiavellian craft was insufficient
to preserve his throne, insufficient to uphold his
dynasty when unsupported by truth and faith. In
his second and utterly hopeless exile he no doubt
learned, too late, the bitter lesson. He could say
with a peculiar truth, like the ingenuous hero of
the story, " Honesty is the Best Policy, for I've
tried both !" LOUIS PHILIPPE, the faithless Save-
%ll, is dead in exile, and his family (beloved and
reve_
Leg for their individual virtues) are set aside
from their
promised inheritance. Far otherwise is
it in Belgiu
true to his ra. There the constitutional Sovereign,
honoured b y _ pledges.
mindful. of his oath, still reigns,
beloved by zghbouring nations, and respected and
whichown t people. In testimony of the
truth oi
he beautiful words of the liberal
and enlightened
11°IiTALEMBERT and the emotion
of the venerable tit GERLACIIE
may testify.

This is the month for hou
sure excusions of every daY-roaking and plea-
- -ind • from the least to the
greatest all who can throw off for
tomed harness betake themselves, while their accus-
tomed
*de or high-
pretext
or another, to moor or continent, seasEuntle
land. Our Gracious SOVEREIGN Bets her
the example, and finds a melancholy n 1 suojects
egteure re.
TiEiting those scenes so especially
associated with
the 11101/1017 of her lamented CONSORT. It
is true
that mere cheerful thoughts will greet her in the
company of her fair young daughter and the royal
infant, who is honoured by bearing her grand-
mother's name; and she has also been invited by
the Crown Prince and Princess of PRUSSIA to ex-
tend her journey in their direction. There are
clouds in that quarter, however, which will prevent
Queen VICTORIA from deriving unmixed satisfac-
tion from a visit- to Prussian territories, although
she must be glad that her son-in-law has profited
too well by the example of her constitutional rule
in England to share the mistakes of his father.
Meanwhile the young bride and bridegroom, on
whom nll eyes are fixed, and who have filled the
foremost place in public attention during the last
busy half-year, are enjoying; unwonted retirement
in the fresh breezes of the north. The snorts of
the Highlands appear to delight the youthful pair,
whose sunny season of life gives zest to 101 eDieY•

ments. What the Danish Princess has seen of the
loyalty of her northern subjects is not likely to
weaken the impression made an her by the enthu-
siastic reception given her by the denizens of the
busy metropolis. The cordial greetings of Highland
and Lowland, of Abergeldie and Edinburgh, will go
far to sustain the truth of the Laureate's assertion—
" Saxon and Norman and Dane are we—
Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be,
We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee I"
But whether in the far recesses of their own domi-
nions or among the varied scenes of continental life,
the membns of our Royal Family carry with them
the hearty goodwill and sympathy of their people,
in their pleasures, as in their joys. They may look
with no envious eyes an the pomp of Continental
State or on the authority of Continental despotism,
feeling that they have left behind them a mightier
people held in lighter chains, yet more securely
bound. The dark memories of Holyrood can only
awaken a feeling of thankfulness for the altered
days which rulers and people now enjoy,
and the
present
'
troubled state of the Vaterland at this
juncture is not like'y to excite unfavourable
comparisons' with our sturdy English
and content. Nor, when our SOVEREIGN'S
thoughts turn homewards, can she fail to
thankful for the happiness and prosperity
people. True, that the dark cloud of sorrow and
distress is still overshadowing Lancashire. But the
rin a national blessing
ine s
wt ohfi
ethh ee
vcountry
Lancashire is rejoicing
n in a measure partici-
pate. The prospects of the harvest are every day
increasing in bountiful promise. The harvest ope-
rations have already commenced, and one of the
most abundant wheat-harvests on record is confi-
dently anticipated, if the present weather continues.
In Scotland, after the sunshiny days, they have
had frosty nights, which have tended to preserve and
develop the gifts of Mother Earth. The absence of
the potato disease, in addition to the plentiful supply
of grain, increases the hopeful prospects of the poor.
And in spite of the American war and Lancashire
distress the million need not shrink from the coming
winter with the feeling of mournful anticipation
that too often attends the "fall of the year." The
hop plantations have also improved within the last
few days, owing to the opportune and beneficial
rain. The plants are said to have grown sur-
prisingly in that brief interval, and the busy
gardens of Kent and Sussex will, we may hope,
share in the general jubilee. The showers which
have done so much good in one quarter do not appear
to have inflicted injury in another, for, far from
retarding the ingathering of the harvest, they have
stimulated the farmers to increased exertions in
order to secure their precious crops from further
changes as soon as possible. To make hay while
the sun shines, is a wise old saw, which may be
followed with advantage in life as well as in agri-
culture, and the farmers are probably applying its
advice to a little later season. The success of the
harvest is a matter which concerns us all very
nearly, and for which no other good fortune can
compensate. Trade and commerce are important,
no doubt, to vast sections of the community; but
their fluctuations or reverses, however depressing,
can be, in a measure, atoned for in other quarters.
But when the "staff of life" falls short, the extremity
of the distress cannot be mitigated, because it falls
heaviest on the weakest shoulders. Let us then
look iu all thankfulness on
"The golden acres bending
In the light of harvest rays ;"

rejoicing that, in addition to our national im-
munity from the horrors of foreign war and internal
dissensions, we are likewise spared the calamity of
scarce, and therefore dear bread.

When the curtain falls upon a public career, and
another is added to the list of those who are re-
posing in the shade of the venerable abbey, it is in-
teresting to take a glance at their career, and i❑
some measure to sum up an epitome of their lives.
The celebrated man, who on Saturday last was con-
signed to his honoured resting-place, certainly well
won that glorious guerdon, for his career was a most
arduous one. Lord CLYDE found no royal road to
fame, but fought for the place that he gained; and
thus, in looking back on his past life, we may re-
cognise in him one of those earnest workers on life's
highway, who achieve mach themselves and lead
others on to greatness also. His career is most in-
teresting to trace, for he began humbly, and
worked his way up solely by his own exertions,
He rendered services to his country for more than
half a century, through the wide-apread confines of
that empire on which the sun never sets. It carries
the mind back to a remote period, as it were, to
think that ha served under Sir JOHN T',IooRE at
Correana. At the storming of St. Sebastian he
particularly distinguished himself, and obtained
great praise. From the scenes of strife in Spain he
was sent to America, and in the New World re-
newed the struggles of the Old. After being pre-
sent at the capture of Washington he was sent to
the West Indies. It is curious to think how this
gallant soldier's life was spared until the Continent
of the Western Hemisphere was again rife with
discord, and its inhabitants distracted with turmoil.
Lord CLYDE then remained for some time near the
Equator. In 1842 he went to China, and remained
in the Celestial Empire during the first war.
Thence he proceeded to India. For a considerable
period he remained in the east, and took part in
many great battles.

h
e
The Crimean War Was the next stage
soldier
on which this long-tried
At the Alma, he was distinguished for
the placeappeared.
took among those chosen ones of England who
went up its heights to glory. He was to have com-
manded a second attack on the Redan, and it is
only a pity that he did not superintend the first.
He was ready to undertake the duty; but he made
the following wise remark upon the work in gees_
tion :—" In such cases you must not only order the
column to advance to the assault, but you must lead
them in person, and they will surely follow !" The
greatest mismanagement was exhibited by the home
authorities in not giving Lord CLYDE the chief
command on the death of Lord RAGLAN. But, some-
times, those wise and learned individuals seem to
lose their judgment, and purposely substitute in
different and inexperienced men for those who
have been trained by the lessons of experience, and
proved their mettle on many a hard-fought plain.
The next phase in the career of the hero was the
most glorious of them all. At one day's notice he
started for India at the time of the mutiny. He
might well have taken for his motto that of the NA-
PIERS, " Ready, aye ready I" The result of his
ma"genlent inis that most arduous undertaking
recorded or th
couttr ' ' e page where history tells of his
Y 8 triumph. When many,
doubtless, thought
that the mission of the intrepid
r warrior was com-
o'er," fete had great thi is
to rest, "his warfare
best and highest of his gs n store for him, The
works was to come when
others deemed that his • public mission was over. It
is a proud satisfaction to any man to
be the means
of rescuing back from destruction an important pos•
session of his country; and to have succeeded, as
Lord CLYDE did, was an achievement
only to be
Won by the foremost in the ranks of raili:ary re-
nown. It is said that during his last illness he wa,
haunted by the memory of the horrors of the siege
of Luoknow, and that he exclaimed, See that the