The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-06 00:00:00

THE SUN,

ignolum pro magnifica" is an adage well understood i
by the leaders. The very mystery and studied
vagueness will, they believe, attract the unreasoning
multitude. Another advantage will also be derived.
The hollowness and inadequacy of the measure
cannot be exposed, as would undoubtedly be
the case if any definitive propositions were
brought forward, and internal disputes and dissen-
sions will be avoided. The utter disunion and
want of coherence of the so-called party has been too
clearly exhibited by recent events—and it is only by
preserving a strict and unbroken silence as to its
ulterior objects that the heterogeneous and dis.
cordant elements can be held together. But will
any rational men, with the power of thinking and
judging for themselves, submit to be thus hood-
winked, and to follow in darkness the dictates of any
men or body of men ?
Mr. DISRAELI brings forward his propositions boldly
and manfully. They can be fully examined and the
probable results anticipated. He can be " pinned
down," thereto, if he should exhibit any appearance
of vacillation or retrogression. But the would-be
aspirants to the leadership do no such thing; they
know that it is easier to pull down than to construct,
to criticise than to compose. They feel incompetent
to frame a statesmanlike project that can stand the
test of investigation. Hence the vague and empty
declamation that means nothing, and can lead to no
future amelioration of the condition of the agricul-
tural or of the labouring classes.

The world
.has at length been favoured with the
results of the Orange deliberations. The secrets of
the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland have been
revealed to the uninitiated. The long-talked of
" report" has been let off through the columns of a
weekly Contemporary, and such a tissue of dull and
unmitigated absurdity it has seldom been our mis-
fortune to wade through.
Our memory does not supply us with any instance
of a set of men wasting so much time and labour in
writing themselves down asses, and "a little more,"
as the worshipful members of the Grand Orange
Lodge of Ireland have done on this occasion.
"Dunn vitant stulti vitia, in coutraria currunt."
They sought to inculpate Lord CLARENDON—they
have eminently succeeded in acquitting him, and
convicting themselves. If ever a doubt rested on the
mind of any sane person unbitten by the mania of
Orangeism in reference to the flagrant and unblushing
charges made by the Irish Orangemen and their organs
against the Irish Viceroy, he need but read this stupid
report to see every one of those charges disproved
and utterly refuted by the evidence brought forward
to sustain them.
If a copy of this precious document should be for-
warded to his Excellency, we think Mr. CONNELLAN
would be, in gratitude, bound in his own most cour-
teous style to thank the " right worshipfuls" for
making the amende honorable. We think he
should acknowledge his obligations to the
" Select Committee" for having removed every
shadow of doubt that in unthinking minds might
have been thrown on the fair fame of Lord CLaans-
DoN by the over-zealous organs of Orangeism. Never
was triumph more complete than the Viceroy's,
never was defeat more humiliating and degrading
than that of the Orangemen; failure we expected and
anticipated, but such damning proofs of the utter
falsehood of every count in the long bill of impeach-
ment we were not prepared for.
This wise emanation from the Irish Orange
" Council of Clarendon" commences with a sort of
apology for troubling the public with the secrets of
the lodge-room, by informing us that there are occa-
sions on which the " Orange Society" departs from
its usual reserve, and enlightens the world with state-
ments usually communicated only to the happy
brethren of the " mystic tie." And that
" Such an occasion (they say) now demands the spe-
oial attention of the Grand Lodge. The proceedings of
our scciety have been misrepresented; its purposes and
principles have been defamed; its actions have been par-
tially and untruly described; and the very activities by
which it was made an instrument under God to avert from
our country the calamities of civil dissension, have metwith
that recompense of calumny and invective with which ,
loyal (?) exertions have been at various times ungrate-
fully rewarded." . . . • •
" These considerations, rendered more grave by cir-
cumstances of recent occurrence, vitally affecting the
character of the institution, made it imperative upon the
Grand Lodge at its present sitting, to appoint a COMltlittee
of investigation fur the purpose of examining into and re-
porting upon certain transactions which took place be-
tween the Government and members of the institution
in 1848, and into circumstances connected with the
events of the present year, which still engage public
attention." _ .

The most paltry pettifogger that ever attempted to
mystify a bad cause at the " Old Bailey," never put
forward a more unmanly, uncandid, and sneaking
statement. All Orange-land was made to
ring with the foulest slander against the
Irish Government. The Lord-Lieutenant was
charged with secretly encouraging insulting
processions, which kept alive angry feelings, and fre-
quently led to conflict and bloodshed ; he was
charged with secretly organizing and arming an
exclusive faction, which has been the curse of Ire-
land ; he was charged with supplying the arms to
those miscreants who did the deeds of murder at
Dolly's Brae. These charges were grumbled forth by
titled ninnies and insignificant squireens ; they were
preached by "surpliced fanatics ;" they were brawled
out by the rabble. And now, when put to the proof,
these vile slanders are fined down by the " Select
Committee" into " certain transactions" between the
Government and the Orangemen!
How mean, how dastardly, is this shrinking from
the real question. Their timidity, and mysticism,
and evasion would almost lead us to conclude that

they were affected by a consciousness that they were
about to commit an act of suicide in publishing their
own condemnation. A more full, clear, and satisfactory
refutation of every Orange slander against Lord
CLARENDON could not have been supplied than has
been so industriously furnished by this tiresome
"report." We should be almost disposed to doubt its
authenticity were it not for the medium through

which it reached the light, and some little internal
evidence of a willingness without the power to
wound, which is evidently current through its tedious
length; yet this little angry feeling may but be
assumed, it may be but the cunning trick of some
secret enemy, who just put in this little grain of spice
while he was leading the dolts on to their own
destruction. We are not quite sure that some waggish
friend of his Excellency did not escape the vigilance
of the " tiler." We cannot well otherwise reconcile
it with the acts of men of ordinary understanding to
put in proof evidence which not only fails to prove
their case, but proves the direct contrary.
They hava not only failed to show that Lord
CLARENDON, either by word or deed, recognized or
encouraged, organized or armed the Irish Orange-
men as a body, but we will show by their highest
authority, the Grand Master of the Orangemen, Lord
ENNISKILLEN, that Lord CLAIRENDON flatly refused to
do any such thing. The report states that—
" On the 21st (April, '4) Colonel Phaire called on
the Earl of Enniskillen and Mr. Samuel Yates John-
stone (Grand Master and Deputy Grand Secretary for
Ireland), and informed them that the Government officers
were in communication with him relative to the organi-
zation of Dublin in case of an insurrection; that certain
houses were to have depots of arms, and that an officer
of the army would command each post; that the arrange-
ment of all these matters had been confided to Captain
J. T. Kennedy. Colonel Phaire also informed Lord
Enniskillen that the Orangemen had agreed to an ad-
dress, modified from the original one; but that they were
insisting on being recognized as Orangemen by name."
Early on the 22d, it appears Major TURNER met
Mr. DAVID STUART, the Grand Master of Dublin,
and endeavoured to induce him to prevent the adop-
tion and presentation of the address by the Dublin
Grand Lodge, as his Excellency's reply v, ould " not
be satisfactory to the Orange holy." The report
goes on to state that—
" About the same hour that Major Turner was en-
gaged in conversation with Mr. Stuart, Culunel I'haire
had an interview with Lord Enniskillen and the Deputy
Grand Secretary of Ireland. LORD ENNISKILLEN