The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-19 00:00:00

at'ii

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1837

The debate on the subject of Spain was again ad-
journed last night. As it " progresses," it deepens
in importance, for it is evident that the Tories are
making it a thorough party question—in fact, a mere
trial of strength. But what a humiliating figure do
they cut throughout the discussion ! What their
leaders may say this evening, we cannot venture to an-
ticipate ; but if it be any thing like what has been
already said by their minor speakers; it must indeed be
a deplorable exhibition of factious feeling. Hitherto,
whatever faults the Tories may have had to answer
for, they hare never shown themselves wanting in a
manly zeal for the honour of their countrymen ;
but now we find them willing, and even eager,
to sacrifice them on the altar of their ambition.
They can find nothing to praise in the British
Legion ; its gallantry is either kept wholly in the
back-ground, or just coldly anJ briefly alluded to,
for the sake of keeping.up appearances ; while its in-
subordination, its state of destitution, its mutinous
disposition, are brought forward in an exultYig tone ;
and expatiated upon with an emphasis that w.meld al-
most lead one to suppose that these were the only qua-
lities for which the Legion was distinguished. Is this
generous—is this in accordance with the old spirit of
Toryism Would they have founded their chief
hopes of a triumph on the abuse of their gallant,
much-injured countrymen ? Not so—they would
have spurned a victory achieved by such un-
worthy means ! Deprive our modern Tories of
the arguments which they derive from the disas-
ters of the Legion, and their cause has not a leg
to stand on. And after all, what do these arguments
amount to ? Why, simply to this, that the Legion
has not yet achieved, what it was scarcely pos-
sible, under the untoward circumstances of the case,
that it should have achieved ; that it has been
unlucky, therefore it is guilty ; that on one occa-
sion it did not make a sufficient stand against
an overwhelming force, therefore it is unfit to repre-
sent the heroism of the English character. Are we
exaggerating facts ? Hear Sir 11. HARDINGE'S
own explanation. "Broken down," said he, "as the
Legion was by misfortune, and latterly disorganized
by a mutinous spirit, they no longer constituted a
force capable of representing the gallantry of this
country." So then, misfortune is synonimous with
cowardice ; and only while an army is in the full ca-
reer of victory, is it. qualified to represent the
national heroism ! No allowance is to be made
for circumstances—no pity to be extended to
the unfortunate—no opportunity allowed them
to retrieve their situation ; they must be disgraced
and recalled at once, otherwise the national honour
will be tarnished. And do the Tories imagine
for an instant that the country will go with them in
these opinions ? If they do, they will find themselves
egregiously mistaken, as to-night's result will show.
But why did they not bring forward the subject
before ? Why wait till now ? We will tell
them why. Because they fancied that the Go-
vernment was shaking, and that this question
would give the last blow to its popularity. The
train had been already laid by the Bishops in the
House of Lords ; and the Spanish question was meant
to be the torch that was to fire it, and blow the Minis-
try to atoms. But Government need not dread the hos-
tility of the Tories. It has a formidable sound, but it
is very harmless. It will not bear consideration. Read
but the Tory speeches, and you are at once supplied
with an antidote to the venom of the party. Stripped
of all its verbiage, and all its sophistry, their sole
argument amounts to just this, namely—that the course
of policy which Ministers are pursuing towards Spain