The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-18 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

The following hints for a parallel between
two distinguished characters of the present day
are taken from the (Dublin) Correspondent of
March 13, a paper justly eminent for loyalty,
spirit, and the ability with which it is con-
ducted : •
" A parallel between GENERAL ROCK and MR. HUME
will be, to use the common term, very interesting. Each an
eminent Reformer in his way—each hating the military ;
one seeking to turn them adrift to starve—the other endea-
vouring to cut their throats ;—each a sworn foe to Tithes and
Taxes—the Member blowing his lungs with whimsical perti-
nacity, night and day, in the Parliament, and at public Meet-
ings, to cry down Taxation as a monster, and Tithe as if it
were but a Malt Tax—the General, less eloquently, but not
less strenuously, aiming at the very same end, by conflagra-
tions, assassinations, and all the vigorous stratagems that
great souls love, who are not half-measure fellows. These
similitudes in the ends, diversified with such a vast variety in
the means, could not but afford some speculative member of
the Press, as has been already intimated, a very interesting,
and a most popular subject. The characteristic silliness of the
Member—his blundering essays in finance—his useless versa-
tility—his distempered activity—his unconquerable assurance,
and his toughness—his impenetrability to the powers of ridi-
cule—entitle him to a niche in that Temple of Commemora-
tion, where the names of WARDLE, PAUL, and others, have
been denied the clemency of oblivion, and where his tremend-
ous contemporary, Rocx, aspires to have his name eternized.
Future times will be taught to learn, that Roux and HumE
flourished in the beginning of the glorious and gracious reign
of GEORGE IV., a few years after the year of WATERLOO—
that one—if we may credit " the rude but simple annals" of
Rathkeale—was a Skinner in that town—the other a Sur-
geon in Bengal--that both abandoned their early profes-
sions, to adopt the more modish avocation of Reformers and
RedreSsers--that both detested the armed establishments of the
State—that one raised his voice, and another his arm, against
the Taxes--that one headed a party against the property of the
Church, and the other a ferocious and sanguinary banditti—
that
one was a curious declaimer—the other an especial rob-
ber—that one made speeches and blundered, and blundered on
in undismayed obstinacy—that the other robbed and plunder-
ed, and proceeded plundering onwards in unabashed wicked-
ness—that one raised disgust, and provoked ridicule—that the
other raised horror, and provoked detestation—that one was as
eloquent and as learned in his Proclamations against Rents,
Tithes, and Taxes, as the other in his Parliamentary phillip-
pies against the same obnoxious things, but infinitely more for-
cible and affecting;—that while HumE was bewildered in the
mazes of arithmetical error, ROCK was bewildered in the bogs
and mountains of Cork—that while-one was invulnerable to ar-
gument, fact, .or ridicule, the other was invisible to justice—
that while CROKER was chastising the one in the Parliament,
the other was pursuing in the field, by the Insurrection Act,
anti other laws, and strong measures, which were endeavouring
to throttle him. And here, before we conclude giving Hints
for Essays,' we cannot help observing one advantage, which,
if we may take the word of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, (and
where can we have a better ?) the GENERAL enjoys over all
those public characters who venture to undertake our civil re-
foimation. A witness, during the Special Commission at Cork,
having observed,. that he suspected always that GENERAL
ROCK was a fictitious person, Mr. PLUNKETT remarked,—
' Then, Sir, he is the only member of his army who is likely to
escape hanging.' We are very impartial, as it is proper that
we should ; and we cannot help hoping, that this happy privi-
lege, exclusively imputed to GENERAL ROCK, may not be de-
nied to his political coadjutors, by whatever appellation they
may be known."