The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-04 00:00:00

sPIRIT 01It THE PUBLIC Jotnefas.

An apparent inconsistency had for yeatoo,o re-
marked upon, as exhibited.by his Majesty't Cioveru-
ment in its administration -of Irish .affairs, During
the Ministry of Lord Liverpool, when; the profess
sions of men in office were those of strict neutrality'
between the Orange and Catholic bodice, the ques
tion occurred, and that with great frequeney, how
it happened that Orange commemorations, insolence,
and outrages on the public peace, should be often
overlooked or mildly reprimanded, while every me-
nace or ebullition of the opposite party was visited
with prompt and unsparing retribution ? The
answer to such questions could only be, that the
114 entou‘lr,arili tsyenstviansi
emntosreo
1,9c0
the eihues thanad of
f real,dl and
e Govetrhlat the
i n
biassed the whole detail of Irish patronage arid ad-
ministration. When under Mr. Canning and Lord
Goderich, who were both, substantially as well as
ostensibly, favourable to religious freedom, the
Orange faction still seemed bold in prescriptive ims
punity ; and the question was asked, with ati eager..
ness much increased by circumstances, how collie
Ministers reconcile their acknowledged love of justice
with a toleration of party tyranny which could not
be dissembled, since Orange culprits were too leni-
ently, or those of the Catholics were too severely
dealt with, Orange Magistrates, being men of unfit
character and station, were also multiplied and in-
dulged, and Catholics, who stood high in both,
were refused the honours of the Magistracy ? People
wondered ; but, in truth, the Orange party was too
strong for the Minister. Even under the Duke of
Wellington's Administration, the balance between
the parties was not for a long time fairly or satis-
factorily trimmed. Could the Duke of 'Wellington
or of Northumberland, then, it was asked, be really
afraid of the Orange agitators ? That question was
soon put at rest—the Catholic Relief Bill was cars
tied; yet even in the face of it, the Orange ftag
was still seen to wave defiance to authority, and
Orange men and Magistrates to transgress the law,S
The Duke of Northumberland, arnied with an uns
daunted Secretary, resolved that the spirit of the
Government should no longer be, even in eppcstr-,
ance, less decided than that of the Legislature ; and
on a recent occasion—a great occasion—he struck
a mortal blow at the licentiousness of Orangemen,'
by dismissing Lord O'Neil from office. This Peer
had made himself for many years conspicuous es
the head of the Orangemen of Ireland. Ile seems
to have made a determination, against yielding to the
more enlightened and conciliatory policy of the King
and Parliament; and while the Lord-Lieutenant was
anxiously inculcating upon all factions, and enforcing.
against the Catholics, the obligations of peace and
forbearance towards their brethren, the symbols of
Orangeism were represented to be still displayed by
the functionaries of that furious and infatuated insti-
tution, the Orange colours, the signal of war, being
planted, on a day of high festival, over the battles
merits of Lord O'Neit's castle. For this outrage
against the peace and well-being of the realm, Lord
O'Neil has been dismissed from his office of Post-
masters General. We rejoice at this act of just (May
we not say tardy ?) vigour. We are sure it will
disinfect tens of thousands of hearts deeply tainted
with suspicion of the British Government, and
afford to the friends of both countries a new and
powerful class of motives against schemes which
might disturb their harmony. The Orange mere
(for such nuisances yet exist) are in a phreuxy of
mortification at this contemptuous treatment of their
ill-advised chief; but let the Minister never mind
them : he is *ell indemnified by the applauseS of
the Irish nation.--'Times.
The Flanders Papers of Friday, which we re-
ceived yesterday, contain accounts of the spread of
the insurrection in the south of Belgium, and record
the acts of the Provisional Government of Brussels.
It seems evident, from the proclamation of the Re-
gency of Ghent, that that city is to be added to
the number of those which have joined the Belgic
union. Mons, one of the first line of fortresses on
the road to Valenciennes, is certainly in possession of
the insurgents. Our quotations from the Courrier
des Pays Bas will show that Ath, a strong fortress
on the road to Lille, has not only surrendered to
the Government of BrUssels,• but that a part efts
artillery has arrived at that city, Tournassi Which
has long. been distinguished for the. strengtfr. Oslo!
fortifications, and which is important its beings the
first strong place on the road from Lille, haslike-
wise been given up, or is promised-to Ale surren-
dered, to the Provisional Government. Thus we
see either a surrender of the fortresses along' the
whole frontier of Belgium, from Ostend to Liege,
or hear of their intention to surrender. At 'any
rate, the line is broken, and the Orange flag no
longer waves over the chief defences raised, for the
protection of the united kingdom of the Netherlands.
Antwerp, however, is still secure, and we have
heard of no defection at Maestricht and some of the
other fortresses on the south-east of Belgium. At
Brussels, the Provisional Government seems to
have been very busy, if we may judge from the mul-
tiplicity of its acts and proclamations. 14. De-Pot-
ter arrived on Tuesday, was dragged to the Hotel
de Ville by immense crowds of his partisans,
made a speech to the assembled multitude, and
was installed immediately as a member of the
Provisional Government. In the Courrier des
Pays Bea of Wednesday, of which lie was an
editor and proprietor, he published an address
to his fellow-citizens, in which he tells them that
they must for ever separate themselves from the
Dutch assassins who had introduced fire end sword,
rape and carnage, into their firesides. It is evident
from the words of this address, as well as from
other proceedings of De Potter and his party, that
a union of the two divisions of the kingdom, under
the same Sovereign, though with different adininis
trations, will not now satisfy the ProVisional Go-
vernment. Thus even the slender federation se-
cured by the " contact of the Crown," as proposed
by the Commission which mat the Prince of Orange
at the Palace on the 3d of September, his been
abandoned. It is reported in the Connie,. des Pays
Bas, that on Wednesday the main force of Prince
Frederick, consisting of 10,000 meN maintained
their position at Dieghem, keeping their communi-
cations open with Antwerp by strong detachments
stationed at Vilvorde and Malines. It seems evi-
dent that a considerable number of the Belgic oirt.
cars have resigned their commissions in the Royal
army, and accepted of higher appointments from
the Provisional Government. ,
till Government
has published a decree, releasing such officers from
their allegiance, on the ground that the Reyal;6o-
- had violated its oath by ordering,
an ettaek
on the people. Among these officers we find tssa
Lieutenant-Colonels; several Captain., lieutenant*,
and subaltern*. That the military authorities of
Brussels are still apprehensive of an attack 'from -the
King's troops—however unfounded such an ap-
prehension may be—is evident from 'the fact, that
they have ordered the barricades to be pre-
served or restored, and the citizens to remain
under arms prepared for action. Such is the
state of facts and the course of events as recorded
in the last Brussels and Oheat lalatlplefeurlseitatuwarsiedtchohef
have reached us. The feeling of resistance to the
Dutch seems spreading so fast and powerfully, that
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cause of the insurrection. That it exists among
tvhaer dlower
theclasses,o t he tarp' da
parts roofutghhe itilelelgini hats
population,aett d
ull;
are
then
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observed
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coun-
tenance, and which could only have found its way
into his columns by what the French wu
swursist)errisfn upon his candour. We defy the- call
:leltic't!
question, or any other person, to traduce- a
single passage in any leading ankh of. trikt, :gaga