The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, I.OTDOt

disregarding the clear and unquestionable title of
TRIMBLIEJEE RAJA, the adopted son of PEaTAUB and
heir male of both the deceased Rajas, have openly
and unblushingly seizid upon the territory into its
own hands,
Under such circumstances it is that RUNGO
BAPOGEE, the indefatigable and faithful Vakeel of the
late PERTAUB SINGE, who was deputed by him to
bring his wrongs before the British public, and who
maintains his allegiance to the now Raja, de jure,
has addressed a letter to the several Princes and
Chiefs of India, complaining of the grossly illegal
and unjustifiable conduct of the East India Company
to his deceased SOVEREIGN, and more especially of
their refusal to recognize the "right of adoption," a
custom that has been sanctioned from time immemo-
rial in India, and the abrogation of which would be
regarded with the greatest horror by the Hindoos.
This address has not been circulated surreptitiously
or secretly. The writer has forwarded a literal
translation to the Court of ,Directors ; in it he de-
scribes his own despair. "A foreigner in a strange
land," "in the midst of difficulties," and his
desire to forewarn his compatriots of the
dangers to which they are exposed from
the aggressive disposition of the Company—such
an appeal cannot be slighted or despised. The
home truths it contains cannot be got rid of by sneers
or ridicule, nor can it be suppressed by the tactics
usually displayed by the Court of Directors. An
article has appeared in a morning Contemporary
attempting to slight and despise its contents, and to
remove the impression it must have made on every
unbiassed reader, which so strongly smacks of
Leadenhall-street that it may be regarded as the
official answer of the Directors. The pen of the
assailant of " NAPIER," the opponent of the Hero of
Meeanee and Hyderabad, is perceptible in every line ;
and yet, despite of such attempts, that gallant soldier
was invested with the high office of Commander-
in-Chief in India by the voice of public
opinion, a power which the Directors did not
dare to disobey ; and the same power will we doubt
not eventually lead to the vindication of the much-
wronged PEETAUE SINGH, and the recognition and
establishment of his lawful heir on the throne of
Sattara• RUNGO BAPOGEE, although now overwhelmed
with despair, will receive the reward of his unceasing
exertions when he beholds his master firmly esta-
blished in his dominions. He will be regarded as a
model of true fidelity and unflinching courage—
qualities that will ever command the respect and
admiration of Englishmen, and not be considered
proper subjects for ridicule, whatever SirJamEs HOGG
or his brother Directors may think to the contrary.

Yielding to the generous importunities of friend-
ship, CHARLES PHILLIPS, the distinguished barrister,
has at length dissipated the cloud of slanderous im-
putations which has been thickening round him for
nine years, ever since his memorable defence of the
murderer COURVOISIER. Now that we have perused
his eloquent and dignified explanations, we can fully
understand the reluctance with which he has hitherto
shrunk from the vindication of his character. His
unspeakable disgust at the course, the flagrant and
impudent course, pursued by his calumniator cannot
fail to receive the sympathy of every man not entirely
divested of right principles. Outraged in his
noblest and dearest feelings, stabbed i❑ his reputa-
tion, with his good name branded by the
invisible hand of a detractor, no marvel he recoiled
with a sentiment of absolute loathing before the in-
sinuations of his assailant I No wonder he scorned
any attempt at extenuating conduct which he knew
well in his heart required no extenuation whatever I

Exquisitely sensitive, as every gentleman must be in
regard to matters relating to the most delicate recesses
of his conscience, it is no subject of astonishment to
us that Mr. PHILLIPS has not condescended to repel

charges of such peculiar atrocity until actually com-
pelled to do so by the solicitations, or, as we have al-
ready expressed it, through the generous
importunities of friendship. Circumstances re-
ferring to the crime perpetrated by the
MANNING!! in Bermondsey having in some measure
revived the slanders directed against ➢lr. l'unaar s,
as the counsel intrusted with the defence of COUR..
TOMER, he is at last adjured by one of his most
intimate acquaintance to break a silence which, if
longer preserved, would necessarily seem to confirm
in the public mind the veracity of the traducer. To
Mr. WARREN, the celebrated novelist, is due the
merit of having, by his earnest appeals, elicited
from his unwilling friend, for once and for ever, a
brilliant and conclusive refutation. In spite of
reiterated refusals, Mr. \YAERHN renewed his
entreaties, and it must be peculiarly gratifying

to bim to find that ultimately those en-
treaties have proved successful. " You know
wall," says Mr. PHILLIPS, in the letter transferred
the other evening to our own columns from those of
morning Contemporary—" you know well bow
strenuously and how repeatedly you pressed me to
my vindication, especially after Lord MINMAN'S im-
portant conversation with you, and you know the
'tarn disdain with which .1 dissented." Notwithstand-
ing that resolute repulse, the voice of friendship again
demanded the vindication, which in obedience to its
noble solicitude has at last been granted.
Reflecting that almost every one has already perused

the document in which Mr. CHARLES PHILLIPS has
finally exposed the falsehood of the various
statements made in reference to his line
of proceeding in defence of the infamous
COURVOISIER, it would be superfluous on
our part to transcribe again, one by one, his in-

controvertible because strictly sequential arguments.
Apart from all deliberate explanation, he could
scarcely but have stood acquitted in the eyes of even
the most suspicious observer from the inferential tes-
timony ziforded as to his integrity; such testimony,
for example, as the favourable opinion of Lord DEN-
MAN, and the judicial appointments granted to Mr.
PKlLurs by two ex-Chancellors subsequently to the
occurrence said to have reflected so much odium upon

his character. Not, however, with such indirect
evidences of the truthfulness of his conduct is he con-
tented in a matter to him of such supreme importance.
He brings forward as the witnesses of
his perfect innocence in those deplorable transactions
—Mr. CLARKSON, who was his colleague in defence
of the murderer ; Mr. Baron PARKS, who was present
throughout the trial; Chief Justice TINDAL, who
acted upon the occasion in his judicial capacity ; and
the contemporary reports of the four principal
1 morning newspapers, the Times, Herald, Poet, and
Chronicle. From the broad and unanswerable facts
asseverated by Mr. PHILLIPS, it is conspicuous that
so far from endeavouring to throw the crime upon
the female servants whom he knew to be innocent,
in order to screen the detestable wretch whom he
knew to be guilty—Mr. Pnuaars solemnly exclaimed I
in the course of his address to the jury, " GOD forbid
that any breath of mine should send persons depend-
ing on the public for subsistence into the world with
a tainted character !" Disproving the declaration
that he had acted thus cruelly, he has vindicated
himself likewise from the horrible criminality of
having appealed to Heaven as to his belief in the
innocence of COURTOISIER. In a previous portion of
his letter he has already given the following account
of the time, the place, and the manner of the confes-
sion made by that detestable monster :
" It was on the second morning of the trial, just be-
fore the Judges entered, that Courvoisier, standing
publicly in front of the dock, solicited an interview with
his counsel. My excellent friend and colleague, Mr.
Clarkson, and myself immediately approached him. I
beg of you to mark the presence of Mr. Clarkson, es it
will become very material presently. Up to this morning
I believed most firmly in his innocence, and so did many
others as well as myself. ' I have sent for you, gentle-
men,' said he, ' to tell you I committed the murder 1'
When I could speak, which was not immediately, I said,
' Of course, then, you are going to plead guilty ?" No,
sir,' was the reply, ' I expect you to defend me to the
utmost.' We returned to our seats. My position at this
moment was, I believe, without parallel in the annals of
the profession."
Dissuaded from his original intention of throwing
up the case, both by the sagacious advice of his col-
league, Mr. CLAusori, and by the peremptory
opinion of Mr. Baron PARKE, the horror-stricken
counsel pleaded for the murderer's life in that unfor-
tunate
grievous speech which has been made the subject of
such
and wilful misrepresentations. Re-
pelling the odious accusation above alluded to with
the most profound scorn, and the most impassioned
indignation, the orator closes his rebuttal of the
charge with these touching and thrilling
ejacula-
tions :--
" What! appeal to Heaven for its testimony to aHo
and not expect to be answered by its lightning? wh,ti
and

make such an appeal, conscious that an honourable col-
league sat beside me whose valued friendship I must
have for ever forfeited? But, above all and beyond all,
and too monstrous for belief, would I have dared to
utter that falsehood in the very presence of the Judge to
whom, but the day before, I had co❑fided the reality ?
There, upon the bench above me, sat that time-honoured
man—that upright magistrate, pure as his ermine, nar•
rowly retching' every word I said. Had I dared to
make an appeal so horrible and so impious—had I dared
so to outrage his nature and my own conscience, he
would have started from his seat and withered me with
a glance. No, Warren, I never made such an appeal;
it is a malignant untruth, and sure I am, had the person
who coined it but known what had previously occurred,
he never would have uttered from his libel mint so very
clumsy and self-proclaiming a counterfeit."
The vindication, we repeat, is conclusively trium-
phant. To impute the smallest particular of blame to
Mr. PutuAra henceforth in reference to his conduct
on the trial of COURYOISIER, would be as idle and
preposterous as to reiterate those absurd and frivolous
charges which were levelled at Mr. Sergeant
Warms upon the occasion of his admirable defence
of the wretched miscreant AIANNING. In both cases
we cannot but think that the aspersions cast against
these distinguished pleaders has originated from a
misapprehension of the enormous responsibilities
devolving upon counsel. Such at least is the most
charitable conclusion to be drawn in regard to
persons whom we would prefer to regard as foolish
assailants rather than as intentional and ingenious
calumniators.