The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-02 00:00:00

INDEPENDENCE OF THE PRESS.

There is nothing which would afford us greater
pleasure than to see a thoroughly independent press
in this country. Were our leading journals to
emancipate themselves from the trammels of party,
and speak of men and measures on theiriown ma-
nifest merits, the tone of public morality would
soon undergo a marked change for the better and
the character of our public men would exhibit a
great and gratifying contrast to what it now does.
A press which is the slave of party, and must com-
mend or condemm particular measures just as suits
the views of the section of politicians with which it
has identified itself, is one 'of the greatest moral,
sodil, and political evils which can befal any
country. Unhappily, this is the condition of nearly
all our leading journals. A. thoroughly and ha-
bitually independent paper is a thing very rarely
to be met with. We trust, however, for the sake
of the country, that this state of things is not des-
tined to have a lengthened duration. Even now
we see, in one journal at least, symptoms of that
returning self-respect which is the best guarantee
tor the adoption of an independent course of policy.
The journal to which we allude is the Morning
Herald. In several recent numbers of our con-

temporary, we have seen a boldness, an indepen-
dence, and manliness of tone which we never be-
fore discerned, and which certainly has proved to
us the source of a very agreeable surprise. Every
one knows that the Morning Herald has hitherto
been the recognised organ of the Conservative
party ; and ably and well has it acquitted itself in
that capacity. The Conservative party, or, in other
words, the party of our contemporary, have been
in opposition, or the Opposition, for a period of
t,eventeen or eighteen months. Well, then, let us
bespeak the attention of the public to the manner
in which the Herall has recently spoken of

its own party, which is now the Opposition. We
might have quoted, in confirmation of our remarks
from the leading article in yesterday's impression ;
but we prefer taking one of its articles on Friday,
affordingas illustrations of what at least locks very
like the adoptionof an independent course of policy
on the part of our contemporary.
The second paragraph of the first and most im-
portant leading article in the Morning Herald of
Friday last:is as follows :—" If the Coalition was
degraded by the un-English speech of the Premit-r
and the unworthy conduct of Lord John Russell in
putting forward a clap-trap statement, which he
afterwards unblushingly denied having made, what,
we ask, are we to think of the worthlessness of
those soi-disant members of the Conservative Op-
position, who not only feared to make any resist-
ance on their own part to entrusting to Ministers
the powers of a practical despotism for six mouths
'to come, but also shrunk from giving a manly sup-
port to Lord Dudley Stuart, on the poor plea of
his being a Radical ?"
This is manly language. A few such articles as
that from which we quote would exercise a very
salutary influence on the party whose organ the
Herald hitherto has been.
Our contemporary, immediately after the passage
we have quoted, proceeds to do what it regards as
an act of justice to Mr. Disraeli. We are assured
that the member for Buckinghamshire entirely
disapproves of the pusillanimous course which the
Opposition on this occasion pursued, but that
they would not listen to him. , We can easily
believe this. Mr. Disraeli is not the son of a
duke. He is not connected, by
.birth or by
marriage, with half the nobility of the land.
Se has nothing but his brilliant talents to re-
commend him to the favour of the party to whom
he has consecrated the energies and eloquence with
which Providence has so lavishly endowed him.
We cannot but regret that powers so great, and a
devotion to his party so rare as his, are not better
to lie
what he has given part y,
• h
would have been before now in the high highest position
agpivperne-,tioatteldie
peoplethan they are. Had Mr. Disraeli
which a subject can fill.
oneß nitntwhehipcahs
party those hard blows which that party so well
gqiuvoetse quoted
hi
es ncoot
ntshe
rev
aotni
vl ye
s tag ee wllee haver
a/d
deserve. After remat king that we have a Govern-
ment which, from the incongruous character of the
materials of? which it is composed, "is powerless
for any purpose but carrying out a mischievous and
almost traitorous foreign policy, our contemporary
goes on to say—" We have an Opposition purpose-
less, objectless, • and, in consequence, powerless.
We have the Administration and the country
utterly at variance upon a matter involving the
several
peace of Europe and the honour of England. We
iv
ofleaLnortdosp,
oiarlryda.,,b.inch of
bi
sheop asPus ey i e
of whom
House
This is as true a description of the real state of
matters among the Opposition, in the Government
in the House of Lords, and ou the Bench ofßiib.ol,F;
as it would be possible for pen to give. And it wili
be well for those whose organ the Herald still is, to
ponder attentively the faitafid representations of
that journal.
o
But perhaps
tethmepohraarrdyesetoliliictluodesfa!
After
ttehratiwviioth
which,
a remarkably graphic description 'of the alarming
''
state of affairs which now exists, the Herald says
—"
carry
rryalol
uthtiistswoewan reiniieb
and an Opposition, a great
portion
rttioona falseof
Coalition,whiohdares
not
r e s i
the bci iotnys. principles, or act on its own
e"
Top Conservative party we beg to say :—"
hold t e picture ! is it like ?"
striking resemblance. The pictureNooniescafrnomdenayth pen-
cil of the highest artistic skill. It required no small
measure of moral courage to present the public
portraiture of the party
withwt whom
u unflattering t ewrri tittg a
e r
has always acted, to whom
he is inestimable value, and
he has rendered services of
will butturn the writer's
ttohewchooisieserp=pelpesartydevotedly attached. If
will truthful
ever
afterwards representations
have toca
cause
e right
to retoi.ce that one
.account, they
of their number so unsparingly, but in the best
spirit and with the best intentions, administered a
rebuke which was so urgently needed. Faithful
are the wounds of a friend.—Morning Advertiser.

PRICE OF GOLD. —The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 4 per mille discount (according to the last tariff],
which at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 104 d. per oz!
for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.07 ; and, the
exchange at Paris on London at short being 24.974, it
follows that gold is about 0.38 per cent, dearer in Paris
than in London. By advices from Hamburg the price
of gold is 4201 per mark, which at the lEnglish Mint
price of 3/. 17e. 104 d. per oz. for standard gold, gives as
exchange of 13.24 ; and, the exchange at Hamburg on
London at short being 13.41, it follows that gold is 0.82
per cent. dearer in London, than in Hamburg. The
course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
6) days' sight is 1091 per cent., and, the par of exchange
between England and America being 1.09 23.40 per
cent., it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.17 per
e-nt. in favour of England; and, after making allowance
for charges of transport .and difference of interest, the
present rate leaves a trifling profit on the importation
of gold from the United States.