The Sun.
London, England, 1830-11-15 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The National Congress of Belgium commenced its sit.

tinge at Brussels on the 10th instant, as will be seen by
she Flandeis papers inserted in another column. The
meeting
_bad been postponed by the Provisional Govern-
ment, feirm the Si to the Bth, and front the Bth to (1w
10th, lan aecoent pt unkeseen delays in completing the
'elections. In acting with the promptitude which they
bave evinced, end in convoking so speedily :a national cons
s.nemtion, to settle the future government of the country.
M. de Potter and his associates have not only shown geed
cents and good intentions, but have made considerable per,
sonal 'sacrifices to their patriotism. Though they most
have foreseen that their reign was likely to terminate with
the convocation of an assembly.which would otherwise
dispose of the provisional power which they had been exer-
cising, they did not Imitate to perform their duty in pre-
paring an organ for declaring the national will, with res
spect to the internal condition and external relations of
their country. Taking all the chances of thereby, they
might have prolonged their interregnum nn various pre-
tences front six weeks to six months. In resisting the
calls of ambition, therefore, and preparing for their abdi-
cation within the shortest period consistent with the order
end regularity of the elections, they merit the gratitude of
Belgium, anti, to a certain extent, the respect of Europt.
The nature and composition of the assembly which has
just met present, at first tight, an lisped as tranquillizina
as the conduct of the Provisional GoVernment. Though
out of the 200 members who complete the national res.
presentation only 152 have yet taken their pittte3 on
the benches of Congress, it does not appear -that the
rest have declined their mission, or absented
themselves from an unwillingness to brave the
difficulties of their position. Those who have met
belong to all classes,—to the priesthood and the nobility,
...to the commercial body, and to the landed gentry. We
fled among them some Abets, curies, vicars, and canons,
but not so many as, from the prevalence of Catholic bigotry
in the Netherlands, we should have expecte‘i. It ie gremti-
tying to observe in the new Congress such a sprinkling of
the Deputies to the old States. General as Rom their ex-
perience, must give a useful direction to its proceedings,
and, from their Pertiamentary planation, confer an addi-
tional dignity on its character. Among these we may
mention M. Barthelemy, M. de Stamsart, and M. de
Brouckere. The general physiognomy of the Congress
leaves us in no apprehensiou of the reign of terror or the
establishment of jacobinicid principles. N. de, Potter,
whose name was invoked on the first morning of the revolt,
sir the watch-Word of minder tumult, and. whose reputa-
Con has since placed him, in a moment of difficulty and
danger, at the head of the Provisional Government, has so
completely lost his iefluerice by his recent advocacy of re-
publican principles, that he bus not been returned a mem-
ber of the present Cowes', though he could have added
the weight of his official character to the influence of his
previous popularity. The opening speech was delivered, not
front the throne, by this gentleman in his capacity of
Provisional Sovereign. That part which relates to the
tyranny of the late Orange dynasty hi just such a
tirade as might have been expected from the lips of a
man who had been imprisoned eighteen months for libel-
ing- it, and then banished eight years for attempting to
overthrow it. He calculated, of course, upon finding a
Willing audience in a body of representatives who bud
been convoked to exercise that supreme authority which
it bad been compelled to relinquish, anti it would now
answer no purpose in foreigners to contradict his aeaer-
tions. But if it did, he could bring an authority against
N. De Potter, which, Sovereign •as he now is, he could
not well resist--we mean the authority of M. du Potter
himself. In 1825, when the Xing acting precisely
as he has since done up to the time of the late cab-
trawls events, his Majesty had a zealous support
from M. De Potter, who was then the most bitter
enemy of the Jesuits and the High Catholic party,
with whom he afterwards formed that " onion," cone
elating of infidels and fanatics, which has led to the dis-
inemberment of the Monarchy. The system of primary
education enforced by the. Netherlands Goverment, was
viewed with approbation by all those who were favourable
to the progress of knowledge and to freedom of thought.
Nobody has, so far as we know, complained lately of the
tion.eareution of the concordat, elm and except Mt.
O'Connell, who happens, in this instance, as probably in
many others, to he more Catholie than the Pops' blench:
So far was his holiness from proclaiming that conseience
was violated in the Nethetlands, that In held out. William
I. As a model of toleration anti good faith. If the right:of
petition was disregarded in Mignon, what 'shall we say of
the raeapect shown to It by the Englialt Government in
resisting Parliamentary reform, the abolition of West-Ine
than slavery, amid the repeal of 'Corn-laws? With re-
siva to the use of the national 'language, was not the
decree of uniformity withdrawn long before the late revolt,
and did not M. de Potter ere all the proceeding' against
hint conducted in French ?If jury-trial was not in use,
it had been abolished 15 years ago, and therefint could
not be a recent grievance. In feet, ft had not existed but
for a very short time under the French regitne,',and had never
been applied to trialsfor libels, in which M. de Potter chiefly
has invoked its aid. Forbearing its portion of thedebtof 1101-
lend, (the interest of which did not exceed u million and
at half a year), Belgium was let into all the advanteges of
the Dwell colonial and other trade, of which it will now
feel the want more than it felt the pressure of the burden
which it has ahosen off. So far was the administration of
the Netherlands from being composed exclusively of Dutch-
men, that latterly inure than half the eabioet was com-
posed of Belgians. But it is needless to argue against un-
remaining antipathy, or to make any stand upon 'a petition
which is already decide d by uncontrollable circumstances.
The complete separation of Belgium from Holland, what-
ever was its cause or the menus of. its titmeomnplithment, is
now a settled fart;. end it Worth, no alight grounds fur
. believing that the union, while it existed, was not so pro.
Ruble to Holland as N. tie Potter describes, to find the
Dutch rejoicing at the divorce more than the Bei4iana.
Had Belgium been treated as a colony, would the
Hollanders, who are so fond 'of colonial establish-
ments, have been so cordially delighted to renounce
the advantages of its colonial subjection ? The an-
nouncement by N. de Potter of the consent of the
Allies to this act of separation, is, to foreigners, the
most interesting part of his speech. It dissipates at
once the mist which appeared to surround stone ex-
presidium in the late addrem from time English throne.—
We no longer see, in the interference of the great
Powers, the prospect of hostilities, the march of ar-
mies, or the waste of subsidiel. "As for relations," says
the Provisional Government, " with foreign countries,
we have not thought it advisable to enter into any audit
under the circumstances in which the nation anti we our-
selves were placed. Besides, we knew for certain, and
we can give you the positive assurance, that the principle
of non-intervention would be strictly observed towards us.
We therefore thought that free Belgium ought to found its
independence by its own force, always ready to oppose who-
ever should attempt to impede this sacred right. Since
we took this resolution, we have received front the five
great Powers recent and official communication'', which we
are happy to be able to lay before you on this solemn day.
These communications fully confirm the assurances previ-
away given, anti make us hope, with the speedy cessation
of Immunities, the evacuation, without any condition, of the
whole territory of Belgium." As the Provisionel Go-
'eminent must give an account of all their proceedings to
their fellow-cititens, we shall probably by time next arrival
be Able te lay before our rondos official copies of the pro-
pools to which M. De Potter alludes, and to announee
an armistice between the contending parties. No tipper-
tunity could have been better selected theta the opening of
Congress for the trial of an amicable offer of theilittiou
and if. the Prince of Orange hams (as we trust and believe
he has) still friends among the national representatives, his
claim to the new crown could not have a better chance of
being admitted than at present, when his election would
become an additional pleeige of the reconciliation of Bel-
glum to time community of European states.— Times.
- The stupid affair of the abandonment of the Civic En.;
botainment has, an we anticipated, produced n great ken-
salon on time Continent. • The people of -the Continent

will not easily be persuaded that anything less was in con-
tetnplation on Lord Mayor's Day than the massacre of the
wlutle of his Majesty's Ministers with a view to it Revolu-
tion. la vain should we attempt to persuade them that
nu Revolutionary design was entertained by any portion of
the population of LittilitM; they will not believe that an
old soldier like the Duke of Wellington would be fright-
ened without cause, The Coastitutiortnel commences art
article "On the Events of England," in the following
alarming manner t.--" The events which have jiist taken
place at London, though not decisive, are of the gravest
naturr. They ought( to have been long foreseen ; when
a Government, instead of satisfying the wishes of
the nation, seems to take a pleasure in opposing
them ; when wants are keenly felt, and it refuse* to
gratify them, what most bit the consequences of tan
deplorable a struggle? Is it Astonishing that an irritated
people should notoifnt itovdisconteut by revolts Against
the *ohm ity which wildly* to set opinion at defiance, and
arrest the march of the age ?" his supposed, r,o doubt,
by our neighbours, that the pkos of our revolutionists
have been defeated for the moment solely by the abandon..
went of the entertainment, but that the revolution be Only
delayed. After detailing UMW of the causes of discontent,
our Parisian einiteinporary abeam, " The Duke of Wel-