The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-23 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1853.

Lord BYRON'S prediction is being wonderfully
fulfilled nowadays when Freedom's banner, torn,
but flying—

" Streams like a thunder-cloud against the wind"—
that political tornado in which, here and there,
something better than a Ministerial straw indi-
cates the point of the compass from which the
hurricane has emanated. Every one feels more
or less sensitively, like JOHN JARNDYCE, that just
now the wind is decidedly in the Fast. Let us
hope before long our rulers will prove that, if
they cannot with HAMLET, when the wind is in
the east, " Know a hawk from a hand-saw," they
can recognise at least the difference between an
honourable war and a disgraceful pacification.
Occurrences are intimating more and more
dearly every day the real tendency of these pro-
tracted negotiations. Occurrences not in one
quarter alone, but in all directions indiscrimi-
nately. Everything assures the impartial spec-
tator of these events-of-the-hour, that confusion
has alone resulted from the miserable attempt at
compromise adventured upon by the Vienna Con-
ference. It is obvious that the warlike passions
of Turkey have been only the more effectually
aroused by the recent effort of the Four Powers
to bring about her immediate degradation. Mean-
while it becomes apparent that doubts and differ-
ences are springing up in the bosom of the Con-
ference itself—so that we are simultaneously re-
ceiving rumours of the withdrawal of Austria
from the thankless labours of mediation, and of
the SULTAN being called upon by his subjects,
either to declare war against Russia or to abdi-
cate his throne—the Feast of Bairam being allowed
him as the limit of his choice in the alternative.
Nearer home we have heard the Leader of the
Commons animating the enthusiasm of the burghers
of Greenock by the utterance of fervently patriotic
sentiments, while we have seen the Prime Minis-
ter still holding long private interviews in Lon-
don with his Excellency the Russian Ambassador.
The opinions entertained upon the important
question at issue by the Emperor NAPOLEON 111.,
are well known by this time to the majority :
besides which, it is remembered that the
foreign administration in the councils of that
able and energetic Prince is a statesman no less
eminent, no less energetic, no less experienced
than M. DROUYN DE L'Fluvs. With regard to
the Sultan, ABD-lIL-MEDJID, it cannot be over-
looked that his Royal arduor is sympathised with
by the manly policy of REDSCHID PACHA, the
most enlightened statesman in Turkish dominions.
While, in reference to her Britannic MAJESTY, it
must continue matter for earnest gratulation
among Englishmen that the Court at Balmoral is
opportunely attended at this juncture by Vis-
count PALMERSTON. Grievous blunders there have
been hitherto in the conduct of this great Eas-
tern Question, but those blunders may still,
by adroitness and promptitude, in some measure
be rectified. The ignominy resulting from them
may never be altogether effaced. The pusillanimity
of our conduct towards the Sublime Porte, cannot
very speedily be forgotten. The baseness of our
subserviency to the AUTOCRAT must long remain
a blot upon the national escutcheon. But the
odium accruing to us from all this may still, even
now, at the eleventh hour, be diminished. For,
happily, the post of
Premier, unlike that of Earl
Marshal, is not hereditary. And has not Turkey
still vigour in her institutions, and enthusiasm in
her population ? And is not France still ruled by
a may not the destinies ofy
a NAPOLEON ?
England be still influenced by the genius, and the
energy, and the patriotism of a PALMERSTON?

Within a week of each other two ex-Ministers,
a Chancellor of the Exchequer, and a Solicitor_General at this time last year, have been adorn-
ing agricultural dinners with their eloquence. Both
of them orators of high mark, and both county
Members. One a Knight of the Shire for Fat Suf-
folk, and the other for Buckinghamshire, the meet-
ings of whose respective Agricultural Associations
they honoured, and deemed themselves honoured,
by attending. At this dull season, when all domestic
news of interest seems to have fled to the grouse
and the partridges, some " coming out " was
almost hoped for from two such practised speakers,
and two such Farmers' Friends. The occasion
seemed opportune. Borough Members had just
been rehearsing their public deeds to their con-
stituents and glorying in them ; and here were
two prominent Agricultural Members comfortably
ensconced, at the upper end of the chief table of an
Agricultural dinner, yet not a whisper of allu-
sion to the past Parliamentary conflicts was
heard from the lips of either chief. These
were meetings not to rehearse the merits
of Members of Parliament, but to reward the
merits of farmers and of the rustic swains and
damsels. Polities are by rule forbidden. And
though there have been times (there must, we
o
know, be exceptions establish
political fervour wouldwouldeff any rule) when
iveesce, yet when "least
or
said, soonest mended," then the the rule becomes
very convenient. So the uncharitable
the more genial assure us that
discourse;
if
ten month.'" o political
had been
bored with some nine or
squabbles and battles, we too should gladly obey
a rule which debarred us from the wearisome andey
threadbare topics.
In East Suffolk a Noble speaker, the Earl of
STRADBROOKE, did not, according to the Times,
deserve a prize for historical exactness in his state-