The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

and ignominiously expelled from the ranks of the would produce a similar result. In either cas
Government—he has now, in the December of the working people would enjoy but a short-lived
1853, with exemplary meekness, eaten humble triumph. They could not go on without the use
of that capital which they are making such
pie, by his fluctuating and timorous proceedings in
strenuous exertions and submitting to so many
regard to the Coalition, by throwing up office in a privations to divert into other channels. Let them
pet and by resuming it with an utterly incon- ponder over these things without passion or pre-
sisteut promptitude. judice, and we venture to assert that they will
The remarkable incident which has just been soon perceive the absurdity of their conduct, and
completed by the return of Lord PALMERSTON toendeavour while there is yet time to effect a re-
conciliation with those who have been, and if per-
the Coalition, or rather by his continuance in it (for mitted will still be, their best friends. They may
the proffered resignation of the Home Secretary become a little sadder, but they will be very much
was never accepted by his Sovereign), has at any wiser men, and will speedily be enabled to repair
rate been so far useful that it has revealed yetmore the grievous error into which they have fallen.
clearly the utter absence of principle in this
strange jumble of a Government. Elsewhere will
be found, placed side by side in parallel columns,
the estimate of the Home Seeretary, exactly as it
has been given to the. public, first on the.l6th of
December, and then on the 26th of December, in
the official organ of the Administration. And a
worthy organ has the Times proved itself to be of
this notable ABERDEEN Coalition worthy in
chivalrous and high principled consistency ! A
glance at those two comments on the character
of the Noble Lord the Member for Tiverton will
sufficiently indicates the union prevailing in the
Councils of the Administration—thus blowing
almost in the same breath hot and cold through
the mouthpiece of the olla podrida Government.
Speaking of Lord PALMERSTON'S proffered resigna-
tion, the official organ of to-day remarks that it
has been found " that no imperious dictates of
conscience or of duty, by which alone such a step
could be justified, did, in this instance, require so
great a sacrifice." In that case, so much the
more heinous, therefore, the culpability of the
Noble Viscount in carrying disorder into the
Councils of his Sovereign by so ill-advised and un-
necessary a step at a period of such critical and
momentous emergency. But the truth of all this
is, as was observed by one of our weekly con-
temporaries on Saturday, that " the present
Ministry resolves itself into a clique of
doctrinaires attempting to govern a great
country by COURT favour." It is the truth
—a truth most bitter and undeniable. And
among these men must now be numbered in
seemingly indissoluble combination, " for better,
for worse," one who has thrown away political
self-respect, and an enviable popularity for the
satisfaction of entering once more into the bosom
of a timorous, hesitating, unpatriotic, and—there
is but one word for it—Germanised Government.

We greatly fear that the present will not prove
to be by any means a merry Christmas to the
thousands and tens of thousands of persons who,
at Preston and other manufacturing districts, are
eating the bread of idleness, in place of earning
their owp subsistence by their own honest indus-
try. Nor are the auguries as to the happiness of
the approaching new year by any means more
propitious. Those who have been "playing"
without cessation for three or four months, who have
spent their entire time in listless idleness, cannot
enjoy their holiday with so keen a zest as their
more energetic brethren who are actively engaged
during the working days, and have therefore
merited the enjoyment and repose incidental to
the great festival. The roast beef and plum-
pudding which have been paid for from the fairly-
acquired wages have a flavour not appertaining to
the produce of mendicancy, and the supply whereof
had abridged the comforts that might otherwise
have appeared on the tables of other working
men. 808 ORA TCHIT's Goose—that inimitable
bird on which TINY TIM and his brethren exulted
with such exceeding joy—would not have excited
such extraordinary demonstrations of delight but
for the knowledge that it had been fairly and
laboriously acquired, and that no reproach of con-
science, no secret whisper from " the still small
yoke," could mar the enjoyment of those assem-
bled round the family board to partake of the
universal feast.

MINISTERIAL MOVEMENTS.

(From the Observer.)

Lord Aberdeen left town yesterday afternoon for
Windsor Castle, to have an audience of the Queen. His
lordship returned to London last night.
The Duke of Newcastle, it has been stated, left Lon-
don on Thursday for his country seat. This is incorrect ;
his Grace did not leave, but has remained in daily at-
tendance at the Colonial-office.

Lord Granville arrived in town on Friday, the day
after the Cabinet had their long sitting of 5 hours and a
half. The noble earl remains in London.

Sir Wm. Molesworth is detained from joining a circle
of friends in the country, and remains in town.
The Earl of Clarendon returned to London yesterday
from Windsor Castle.

The Right Hon. William Gladstone, and Sir James
Graham also continue in the metropolis.

Lord Palmerston has attended at the Home-office
within the last day or two. His Lordship's Under-Se-
cretary of State, the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, came to town
in the middle of the week.

Sir George Grey, who arrived in town in the early
part of the week from his country residence, Fallodon,
Northumberland, took his departure last night for
Fallodon.

Sir James Emerson Tennent, Secretary to the Board
of Trade, was expected in town last night from Italy.

It would be fortunate fcr those engaged in the
internecine contest between masters and opera-
tives if they would devote a small portion of their
abundant leisure to considering the nature and
probable consequences of the present dispute. If
they would think for themselves, calmly and dis-
passionately, in place of accepting all the absur-
dities uttered by Messrs. COWELL and Co., they
would clearly perceive the suicidal folly of the
course adopted, and the ruinous results that must
follow a continuance in the same path. Hitherto
they have viewed the matter through a distorted
medium—they have suffered themselves to be de-
luded by interested delegates, who acknowledge
that they are receiving 2/. per week each for doing
nothing, except occasionally spouting at meetings,
or eating and sdrinking at "ferry shops," being
about double the amount that they could obtain
by their labour, even if paid according to the
scale of prices for which they are contending.
Let them henceforth think and act for themselves,
without thinking themselves bound to render a
servile and unreasoning obedience to the despotic
mandates of any man or body of men, more espe-
cially of persons respecting whose motives so
many grave suspicions may be entertained.
Let those, then, who are invited to join in the
onslaught against " capital " seriously inquire
what that "capital" is which they seek to destroy,
and also how or by what means it is that they
themselves and their fathers have received better
wages, and consequently enjoyed a greater com-
mand over the " comforts" of life than persons
of a similar status in other old countries. We
say " old" countries, because it is manifest that
no fair comparison can be instituted with "new"
territories where the population, in place of being
in excess, is palpably deficient. Accurate answers
to these interrogatories will enable them to arrive
at a sound conclusion on the general points at
issue between themselves and their quondam, mas-
ters. " Capital" then is neither more nor less
than " hoarded labour "—the accumulations and
savings of persons
who by the exertion of skill and
intelligence,
and economy, have been
enabledtoindustry,
improve their positions in life, and
achieve a higher point in the social scale. Every
energetic and well-disposed man—every one who
feels that he possesses superior qualities to the
majority of those by whom h© is surrounded,
would deeply regret the downfall of "capital." If
it were possible that such should be the case,
there would be no motive to stimulate exertions,
or to induce parties to engage in laudable enter-
prises. The people would spend their lives in a
state of apathetic indifference, and their condition
would speedily become truly deplorable. Full and
perfect "equality" is absolutely impossible. Even
if everything were thrown into a general fund,
and that " Communism" were practicable, we
should speedily find some persons elevating
ral
them-
selves above, and others sinking below, general
level. level. A single day would dispel the visions that
had been indulged in. No well-disposed
person,
no man conscious of possessing qualities beyond
those of the myriads by whom he was surrounded,
would consent to do away with the legitimate re-
wards for superiority in any department, or, in
other words, to the overthrow of "capital."
But it is the use of this very "capital" that
has improved the position of the working men in
in this country beyond those of their fel-
lows in other lands. It is because the
use or interest of money is cheaper in Eng-
land than abroad—because our master manu-
facturers possess greater monetary facilities than
their competitors, that the produce of our looms
are to be found in every country. It is that
which creates the demand for labour, and enables
the English operative to enjoy comforts utterly
unknown to, or far beyond, the hopes of his less
fortunate brethren. But that cheapness of money
arises from its security, and if that " security" be
taken away, the " cheapness " and facilities will
follow, and England will be outstripped in the
race by nations where the many have less freedom
the scale Which the masters could afford to pay and cannot enter into the injurious combinations
here tolerated. The increase of wages beyond

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY VENING, DECEMBER 26, 1853.