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 their own 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 condemn particular measures just as suits
the views of the section of politicians with which it
has identified itself, is one of the greatest moral,
social, 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
for 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 beeii
in opposition, or the Opposition, for a period of
seventeen or eighteen months. Well, then, let us
bespeak the attention of the public to the manner
in which the Llerall has recently spoken of
its own party, which is now the Opposition. We
might have quoted, in confirmation of our remark's
from the leading article in yesterday's impression ;
but we prefer taking one of its articles on Friday,
as affording illuszations of what at least looks very
like the adoption of an independent course of policy
on the part of our contemporary.
The second paragraph of the first and most im-
portaut leading article iu the Morning Herald of
Friday last:is as follows :—" If the Coalition was
degraded by the un-English speech of the Premii 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 pp-
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.

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Our contemporary, immediately after the passage
we have 'quoted, proceeds to do what it regards as
disapprovest h
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him. gpl i entirely
an act of justice to Mr. Disraeli. We are assured
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
Eie 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 hind.
We cannot but regret that powers so great, and a
devotion to his party so rare as his, are not better
appre3iated than they are. Had Mr. Disraeli
liven to the people what he has given to party, be
would have be en before now in the highest position
which a subject can fill.
But the passage we have quoted is not. the only
one in which the _Herald gives the Conserv.ative
party those hard blows which that party so well
deserve. After remarking 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
peace of Europe and the honour of England. We
have a Puseyite House of Lords, and a 'batch of
bishops several of whom lean to Popery." •
This is as true a description of the real ttsa e of
matters among the Opposition, in the To verninent,
in the House of Lords, and
C
on the Bench of Bi.hopF,
as it would be possible for
pen to give. And it win
be well for those whose organ the _Herald still is, to
ponder attentively the f• 't' f lal a u representations of
that journal.

But perhaps the hardest hit of all is that with
which our contemporary concludes. After giving
a remarkably graphic description of the alarming
state of affairs which now exists, the Herald bays :
—"For all this we are indebted to a false Coalition,
and an Opposition, a great portion of which dares
not carry out its own principles, or act on its own
responsibility."
To the Conservative party we beg to say :—" Be-
hold ti'e picture ! is it like ?" No one can deny the
striking resemblance. The picture is from a pen-
cil of the highest artistic skill. It required no small
measure of moral courage to present the public
with so unflattering a portraiture of the party
with whom the writer has always acted, to whom
he has rendered services of inestimable value, and
to whose principles he is devotedly attached. If
the Conservative party will but turn the writer's
truthful representations to a right account, they
will ever afterwards have cause to rejoice that one
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 mule discount (according to the last taciff),
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 24.97/, it
follows that gold is about 0.38 per cent, dearer hi Paris
than in London. By advices from Hamburg the price
of gold is 4201 per mark, which at the English Mint
price of 3/. 17s. 104 d. per oz, for standard gold, gives an
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
60 days' sight is 1091 per cent., and, the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23-40 per
cent., it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.17 per
cmt. 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 Status