The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-18 00:00:00

repeatedly disclaimed leadership of every description. Now.
what can be more apparent than the wilful perversion of
truth, which repeatedly identifies Mr. Oastler in particular
with our proceedings : he has often publicly avowed himself
as an" ultra-Tory,"and to our knowledge has never attended
one meeting in favour of our Charter. And Mr. Stephens i-
more known for his opposition to the New Poor-law than
for his advocacy of Radicalism : he has ridiculed our
principles, and publicly declared his want of confidence
in us. But still, as far as either of these gentlemen has
sympathized with the infant factory children, and for the
poor and oppressed in their respective districts, they are
entitled to our honest praise ; but as far as their violent
language and mischievous advice to violence have been ex-
pressed, we deprecate their conduct; and as far as Mr.
O'Connor and others have deviated from a just course and
followed their example, we equally disapprove of theirs,
because we think with that honest patriot Mr. Sharmar,
Crawford, that " when the application of physical force is
held forth as the moving power for attaining the reform of
our institutions, the aggregation of the moral power, which
can alone render physical force either justifiable or effec-
tive, is destroyed." But in thus disapproving of the lan-
guage Mr. Feargus O'Connor has frequently indulged in,
we are no ways inclined to gratify the vindictive spirit of
Daniel O'Connell, by injuring the usefulness of that gen-
tleman, still less to gratify the enemy by dividing the Ra-
dicals of north and south. We verily believe Mr. O'Con-
nor to be sincere in his desire to promote the cause of Re-
form, and it is because we think such language highly mis-
chievous to it, that we thus honestly express our opinions.
We are told by the Precursors, " that no popular pare!,
can possibly be without leaders, that those who do the busi-
ness are necessarily leaders." Now !et us not be misunder-
stood—we understand by leadership, the implicit reliance
and obedience of any body of men to one man's will—the
foolish belief that he of necessity knows more, and can do
better, under ail circumstances, for the whole body, than
could be done, if they deliberated and acted according to
the knowledge and judgment of the whole. Now the refe-
rence of the past has taught us, that whenever a person is
thus elevated as a leader, he becomes the principal, and
generally the vulnerable object for attack. If he can be
influenced through his vanity or his avarice, the blind re-
liance of his followers renders them the secure victims of the
enemy. Do you for amoment suppose, that if the vast num-
ber of intelligent minds, which do honour to your country,
had been free from the domination of leadership, and for the
last four years were united to devise the best means of poli-
tically and socially benefiting your country, that you would
have been led into the quagmire of Whiggery for fear of
the bugaboo of Toryism ?—that you would be loyally
shouting your gratitude, because Mr. O'Connell has sonic
insecure portion of patronage, and is consequently enabled
to drag along with him a train of expectants, who hail him
as the idol of to-day, but would as readily bow before other
idols to-morrow
We are accused of " wanting candour" for condemning
equally the two factions of Whig and Tory, and that " our
injustice to the Whigs demonstrates our want of sympath:.
to Ireland." We must, however, again confess that the
long catalogue of Whig perfections which the Precursors
doubtlessly prepared to move our s3mpathy, has not
effected its purpose. We think, however, their superior
" candour" should have caused them to have added Catho.
lie emancipation to the list, which the Tories are said to
have given to Ireland ; but, as we think of the Whigs on
the questions of the Reform Bill and negro slavery, they
yielded to public opinion what in safety and is justice they
could no longer withhold. But the Whigs in yielding
completely marred the benefits of the one, and made
us pay a very considerable price for the other. Amorg
all the heinous sins of Toryism, there is not one but its
IVhig parallel might easily be found, and we conscientiously
believe that there are no acts of atrocities which the Tories
have inflicted on England or Ireland, that can match those
deeds which the perfidious Whigs have inflicted on our
Canadian brethren ; and shame to Mr. O'Connell, after is
professions of sympathy, after his public promises and de-
clarations that he would use his power and influence to
prevent the sacrifice of their constitutional rights—he ac
quiesced by his absence in the most despotic act that et er
disgraced an English House of Commons in the blackest
days of Toryism ; and which act, and all the horrible con-
sequences that have followed, might have been prevented if
lie and his other Whig admirers had been true to justice.
Talk of what the Tories did in America! match
their deeds if you can with what the Whigs have
inflicted on Guiana. They have not scrupled to de-
stroy every vestige of their constitutional rights—
their selfish and arrogant myrmidons were the first to
provoke Canadian resistance to their unparalleled des-
potism ; they then imprisoned their legislators, and pro-
scribed and hunted down the hest men of the country ;
they have brutally encouraged ignorant savages to glut their
thirst for blood ; they have destroyed the freedom of the
Press, suspended the Habeas Corpus Act, proclaimed mar
tial law, burned their churches, sacked their villages, la'

the country in ashes at the fiat of one man, and confiscation
and plunder have been the war-whoop of their brutal sol-
diers. Gracious Creator of human beings! talk of the
crimes of. Toryism ! Match Whiggery with Nicholas in-
stead.

~Yv
As to the Coercion Act, which Mr. O'Connell denounces
as the standing memento of the Grey and Brougham (and
he should have added Melbourne) administration—we think
that next to that despotic measure he ought not to forget
the barbarous and arbitrary powers of the one that was sub-
tituted for it, by his own approval, in 1835, and which,
when Sharman Crawford moved for its repeal, Mr. O'Con-
nell pronounced to be a " very neeessai y law." We hope
that the Irish people will make an analysis of these two
Acts for Mr. O'Connell's especial perusal.
We must here, however, make an observation on the
absurd notion of gratitude inculcated by Mr. O'Connell
and his disciples. It is assumed that because a set of men,

called 'Whigs or Tories, some fifty years or a century ago,
performed a good action or a dishonourable deed, that we,

forsooth, and our children, must always be very grateful to
the party of the one, and ch. Trish eternal enmity against the
party of the other—though not even a relative of the per-
sons who did either of the acts compose the present faction.
This kind of " gratitude" may afford Mr. O'Connell an
excuse for leis present policy, but it is not of that descrip-
tion our " common sense" inculcates.

We think that no course or policy that could have
been adopted could have done more mischief to the
cause of Radicalism, than has the absurd folly of pull-
ing down and the setting up of parties and factions.
We have long since given up this game—and it shall be
our policy for the future, to prevent any faction from
possessing political ascendency in this country, aye, even
a Radical faction itself, for the principle of Radicalism is
opposed to all faction. And in thus expressing our re-
solve, we think (however contemptible we may appear) we
have the power to prevent the supremacy of either Whig
or Tory faction. Nor do we want any " leader," or party
individual to assist us to effect this object. We believe
that there good men among Whigs, Tories, and Radicals,
who are honestly disposed to render justice to the millions,
and whoever of these good men will assist us to obtain that

-Full measure of justice, the " People's Charter," shall have
our honestsupport, without reference to the party they may
belong.
Sincerely hoping, that you will give up your devoted at-
tachment to party men and measures of every description—
that the good and the wise of all claqses among you will be
united equally against Whig or Tory domination—and
that you will urge your representatives to break through
the trammels of political expediency, and advocate those
broad principles of justice, which can alone redeem our
common country,

We remain with truth and sincerity,
Your fellow-countrymen, the Members of the
Working Men's Association,
Signed by the Committee on their behalf;
HENRY MITCHELL, COWPER LACEY,
JOHN ROGERS, WILLIAM ISAACS,
HENRY VINCENT, ARTHUR DYSON,
THOS. ENGALL, HENRY LACEY,
JOHN JAFFRAY, JOHN THORN,
E. It. MITCHELL, ARTHUR MILNER.
HENRY HETHERINGTON Treasurer.
WILLIAM LOVETT, See;etary.
P. S. We recommend to the especial attention of the
Irish people, the admirable Address of Colonel Thompson
to the Working Men's. Association of Hull, inserted in
the .Morning Chronicle of December 11, and the Hull
Saturday Journal of the Bth. It is a well-timed docu-
ment, the sentiments of which we hope will not be lost
upon the people of both countries.

Some particulars of a murderous outrage,
Coombe, Es commit-
ted upon two keepers of Harvey at
Cobham Park, on Wednesday week, have already ap-
peared. We regret to state that one of the unfortunate
men, Thomas Chipps, died on Friday night. Mr. Harvey
Coombe has been unremitting in his exertions, in co-opera-
tion with the local police, in his endeavours to cause the
apprehension of the villains concerned in the outrage. One
of the men suspected, it is stated, has left the country ;
the men in custody, Hill and White, are under remand,
and it is said that one of them has made some important
disclosures. They were examined on Wednesday at Rip-
ley, but the examination was strictly private. Information
of the occurrence was forwarded to Mr. Carttar, the Coro-
ner,and the inquest was held yesterday. Nothing of any
particular interest was elicited on this occasion, and the
inquiry was adjourned for the production of very material
evidence. The other gamekeeper, who was severely in-
jured, stated that he and his companion had been attacked
by four men, before a word had been spoken, and beaten
with the butt-end of the guns which their assailants carried.
He could not identify any of them. The deceased has left
a wife and five children. Parker, the other wounded man,
is recovering.