The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Dublin election has terminated in the resig-
nation of the Reform candidates. Though we can-
not say that we foresaw this result, we are not sur-
prised at it. The character of the Dublin Corpo-
ration was not unknown to us; and as for the Castle
underlings, who have been allowed to acquire a scut
of vested right to their places and emoluments, we
are aware that their sympathies were all for, and
not against, the system under which !hey have been
enabled to live upon the public whom they abuse.
One would think, from the triumph of the Anti-
Reform press, that the fate of the measure was
already decided by the good citizens of Dublin, or,
rather, by that portion of them who have out-
generalled the rest. But, besides that there is to be
a petition against the return of Lord Ingestrie and
the Recorder, the general impression which, accord-
ing to our correspondent, has been made upon the
citizens by the course which the election has taken
would seem to indicate any thing rather than a
change of sentiment even in Dublin itself. But
supposing the worst to happen—that is, the choice
of the Anti•Reforrners to be confirmed, it is
not improbable that their representatives will arrive
just in time to be in at the death of corruption.
What a sight for men of their constitutional pro-
pensities, to see the old lady at her last gasp, with-
out being able to add one moment to her life, if it
was only that she might bequeath a blessing to the
Corporation who sent them to look at her ! If we
should have another case of bribery established it
th's new election, what a charming comment it will
afford upon the state of the representation, which in
is the great object of the Anti-Reformers to perpe-
tuate by all sorts of practices and manoeuvres.—
Morning Herald.

If the Courtier Francais describe truly the sort
of intercession which Casimir Perier and his
colleagues made with the Empeior of Russia on be-
half of the Poles, no one can be surprised at its
failure. Its very servility would ensure its being
treated with contempt. The Courrier says they ap-
plied to the Emperor Nicholas almost as supplicants,
as if they were requiring something new in calling
fur the nationality of Poland. The same Journal
tells us that the French Ministers have showedthem-
selves particularly ignorant of diplomatic precedents.
They must be so, indeed, if they were unacquainted
with the fact that the national independence of Po-
land was guaranteed by the Great Powers of Europe
sixteen years ago. But the Courtier Francais, in
exposing the diplomatic ignorance of the French
Ministers, falls itself into historical error. It attri-
butes to the Emperor Alexander, at the Congress of
Vienna, the great and liberal design of restoring the
whole of the kingdom of Poland, as partitioned by
the three Powers, to its national rights and political
independence. The reverse is nearer the truth—
namely, that Alexander's ambition was the
great obstacle to any arrangement which would
have for its object the re-union of the scattered
portions of Poland in one political system,
and animated once more with the spirit of
national vitality. The Courrier Francais states,
uron the authority of a work just published, called
Histoire de la Restauration, that Alexander's exclu-
sive notion at the Congress was that of the inde-
pendent Constitution of a great kingdom of Poland.
It goes on to say that the Czar advocated the pre-
tensions of his Cabinet with a warmth and vivacity
which rendeied the position of the other Cabinets
very difficult. lie wrote with his own hands a me-
morial, in which he argued the necessity of esta-
blishing a powerful and independent kingdom of
Poland, formed of all the old Polish provinces. But
Austria and Prussia declared against it, because they
foresaw that Russian Poland, once constituted, the
Grand Duchy of Posen and Gall cia would sooner or
later be united to it. We should like to see an
authentic copy of such a memorial—but we must
cenfess we doubt its existence ; or if Alexander did
express, either in writing or otherwise, a wish to re-
unite the Polish provinces under one Government,
it was, we are sure, upon the condition that he
should be placed at the head of it ; so that under
pretence of justice to oppressed and plundered
Poland, he might extend over a large por-
tion of Europe the barbarous influence of Rus-
sian dominion. If that be not the case the late
Lord Castlereagh (we call him by the name
by which his Ministry is beg remembered)
has got credit very undeservedly for having
contended for the real independence of Poland,
in opposition to the views of the Emperor Alex-
ander. It has been put upon historical record that
Lord Castlereagh declined it to be " the wish of
England to see some independent power established
in Poland, as a separation between the three great
empires of Europe;' that Prince Talleyrand ob.
served, " of all the questions to be discussed at the
Congress, lie considered the affairs of Poland as in-
comparably the most important to the interests of
Europe, if there be any chance that a nation so
worthy of regard for its antiquity, its valour, its
misfortunes, and the services which it had formerly
rendered to Europe, might be restored to complete
independence." Even the Minister of Prussia ar_
fected similar sentiments, and Prince l%letternich de-
clared (whether in good faith or not was not put to
the test) that Austria was ready to sacHice some of
h r own territory, if by so doing the freedom of
Poland could be insured—her own territory, of
course, meant her share of dismembered Poland, to
which she had just the same right that one of a
gang of robbers has to the booty of a way-laid tra-
veller, who lies plundered and half dead by the
road-side, whom many commiserate, but none re-
lieve—passing by like the Levite in Scripture,
on the other side—dreading the consequences of
the charity that would pour " oil and wine" into
the wounds of the bleeding victim. To return.
The Emperor Alexander, however, opposed himself
to all arguments for the restoration of the complete
independence of Poland, and insisted on the
Duchy of Warsaw, which forms the present
kingdom of Poland, being annexed to his em-
pire. Lord Castlereagh, notwithstanding the high
ground which he originally took, was weak enough