The Sun.
London, England, 1814-07-15 00:00:00

THE SUN REVIEW.

(No. X.)

ALETTEB to the Et.ccrons of WESTMINSTLIt on the Case
of Lord Cocuumgr, as dictinguished front
,that of his

Associates.

SnERWOOD, NEELY, and JoNEs, Paternoster row, p.p.30.
This brief but sensible letter is well worth the
attention of every Elector of Westminster. It is
plainly and temperately written, and, we think,
can scarcely leave the shadow of a doubt on the
mind of any rational man, that Lord COCHRANE
was privy to the conspiracy, and is therefore most
justly degraded from his place in society, by the
verdict which has been pronounced against him.
• We live in strange times, when not only the
internal regulations of the Country, but its 'ex-
ternal relation, not only the public acts of the
Sovereign, but his most private domestic affairs,
not only matters of general opinion, but the most.
sacred institutions of the Realm are brought into
popular discussion; and either in ignorat'ice, or on
the slightest information, decided according to the
impulse given to the multitude. We are not con-
tent with settling by clamour our Catholick Ques-
tions, and others which only concern ourselves,

bit we must dictate to foreign and independent
natiOns what ' they are to do with their Press,
their Constitutions, their Colonies, and their

Slaves.—We 4renot content with canvassing the

Government of our. REGENT, but we must see that
he builds no cottages wrongfully; misapplies him-
self in no matter of private taste, nor treats his
Wife or Child in any way not agreeable to our
ideas of propriety. We are not content with West-
minster. election pOlitics ; -but we% must impeach
Trial by Jury, re-try causes, after they are most
solenmly_decided;revise e sentences of the law,
and, as it suits our fancies, approve or disapprove
of the forms of Courts,, and the achninistration of
instice.—Such it state of things is much to he de-;
precate

" It cannot, afid it will not, come to good."

But to revert to the publication under notice,
it sets out by enlarging upon the importance and
sacredness of the duty the Electors of iVestminster
are now called upon to perform. The writer then
says—

" I have learnt, with surprise, that there are
some persons, who cherish the extravagant idea,.
that you will re-place Lord COCHRANE in his seat.
They of course 'assume his Lord Ship's entire inno-
cence of the crime of which he has been con-
victed. They ought, I think, to go much far-
ther. 'They ought to be prepared to show, that
his conduct throughout the transaction, has
borne that stamp of dignity and honour, which
befits a Legislator of such a Nation as Britain,
o'Representative of such.a City as .Westminster."
To chew that Lord COCHRANE is:not a person
Of the purity here described, the Writer proceeds
to an investigation of the evidence produced at
the Trial, and a comparison of the various de-
fences set up: by his Lordship, in his Affidavits;
and in his Speeches And Declarations, from all of
which be comes to the conclusion, that his Lord-
ship is guilty "to the full extent of the indict-
ment," an extent to which we are scarcely pre-
pared to accede, though we think there is guilt
enough to warrant the conviction and punish-
ment. •

" His Lordship (says the Author) represents
himself, and is represented by his friends, as a
man of a high sense of honour,,of the most open,.
-straight-forward conduct, a plain, blunt sailor,
regardless of his own interests, and zealous for
honesty and uprightness in others. lam sorry'
can see no traces of this. lofty character in the
present transaction. How does his Lordship. first
introduce himself to our notice ? As a gambling
stockjobber, as a person who thinks the pursuits,
svhich are the disgrace of the Stock Exchange,
neither illegal, nor improper, nor dishonoitrable.
What ! was be a Legislator, and so ignorant of
the Laws ?* Was he a Knight of the Bath, and
so destitute of all sense of dignity ? Vas he a
Captain in his Majesty's Navy, and so totally un-
professional and unsailorlike in his thoughts and
feelings He says, he embarked in his pursuit,
conceiving that he might be'a gainer, without
prejudice to any body. It is that sort of flatter-
ing unction,' which usually serves as a first bait
to cupidity. The eager youth is thus led to game,
and gaming degenerates to gambling, and the
gambler becomes a sharper, and the sharper turns
to a conceited knave, who laughs at the simpli-
city of those whom he has gulled, and glosses
over a gross and infamouS • fraud, with the plea-
sant and facetious appellation of _a Hoar." •
Again,—

" How Lord COCHRANE was first led, into this
• state of temptation, doet-not very clearly appear,
and the contradictory stal.ements that have been
mule on this point, are something more than Os-
piCions. In his 'own affidavit of the I lth of
_
Mareh, he says, connection in any way
with the funds, arose from an impression, that in
the present favourable aspect of affairs, it was
• only necessary to hold stock -in• order to become
• a gainer, without prejudice to any body: • I did
• so ()licitly, considering it in no degree improper,
' far less dishonourable. I had no secret informa-
' tion of any kind ; and had my expectations in
' the success of affairs been disappointed, I should
• have been the Duly
sufferer.' Here his Lord-
ship most plainly speaks of his connection with
the Funds, as resulting from his own impressions,
his own. expectations, his own mode of considering
the subject. He does not admit that he was ad-
vised by any body. He, does not pretend that the.
transactions were unknown•to him, or beyond his

* See the Statute of the 9th of George 11. entitled, Ast
11. ct to prereat the 17,4/knit/lir practicc..of Stuekjobbiug.•