The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-29 00:00:00

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 29, 1831.

We have no further news of importance
from Poland, but the arrival of the Dutch
steam-boat, which is hourly expected, may
bring accounts from the theatre of war. This
is the more likely, as the distance between the.
respective main armies was very short. Our
own opinion continues to be that the Polish
Commander-in-Chief will make, a prompt and
spirited dash at the enemy, before they- are
really aware of his movements ; and should he
succeed, of which we entertain little doubt, the
character of the war in that quarter will •take a
turn, which must ultimately prove 'very dis-
astrous to the Russian army in Poland.

A more detailed account of the losses sus-
tained by both armies at the sanguinary battle of
Ostrolenka has now been published. That of the
Generalissimo states the loss of the Poles on that
memorable day with great candour :—Killed,
2 Generals, 9 superior officers, 39 subaltern offi-
cers, and 1,768 soldiers. Wounded, 15 su-
perior officers, 87 subaltern officers, and about
2,000 soldiers, besides a few hundred who, on
the taking of Ostrolenka, were made prisoners.
The loss of the Russians is not stated by
the brave SKRYZNECKI ; but the Field-
Marshal was not so modest with respect
to his estimate of the Polish loss.
The detailed report sent by the Field-Marshal
states the Russian loss at 37 officers killed, and
112 wounded, subalterns and privates killed
915, wounded 2,919. The enemy's loss is
stated at above 8,000, of whom 2,000 were
ilken prisoners ! If this were really so, how
comes it that the Russians were not, in a con-
dition to pursue the Poles after the battle ?
But the thing is altogether a mendacious
mockery—worthy of Russian glory !

Mr. HUME made some sensible remarks last
night on the subject of the liberty of the Press.
He proved beyond the power of refutation, that
prosecutions for seditious or blasphemous publi-
cations in nine out of ten eases benefited the
individual prosecuted, while they gave notoriety
to opinions which otherwise would have soon
fallen into merited contempt and oblivion. In
'Migration of this assertion, the Hon. Mem-
ii• ,
:stancethe notorious pamphlet-monger
ber u
bad fallen into the greatest dis'-
_waho
cAnz.ILE,
.1 ,--
a asonabla prosecution set him up
tress, tint,. -
procured him an annuity,
once again iii trade,
and almost made a tni:',YtYr of him. This is only
stances that might
n
one out of a hundred :..
be brought forward to show that pt.,zsecutions for
heterodox opinions, whether in religion of po-
litics, invariably defeat their aim. Instead of
punishing they canonize their victim, and
from a pontemptible criminal, elevate him
into a distinguisW martyr. CARLILE, left
to pursue his base Fedlar trade of blas-
phemy and sedition unnoticed, i.nrxiolested,
is harinles, and sure to find his level,
I bui. CARLILE, singled out for the especial no-
tice of hig Majesty's Arp4NEY-GENERAL,
honoured by the reprobation of his Majesty's
Government, nd brought fully before the public
as a sort of bugbear or monster, or mani cholera,
against whom the world is tp be on its guard,
becomes instantly quite a different individual ;
his prosecution forms a theme for comer,
Isation g.nd controversy ; important questions
arise out of, ful4 get entangled with, it ; partisans
tpro-;,,nd con are created; diczepssion follows dis-
cussion ; the liberty of the Press is dragf4e4 .p.to
the dispute ; while in t,bP absorbing fervour Of:
controversy the moral guilt of ths 4elinvent
is overlooked. WC firmly believe that there if;
a correct, health--:
y feeling •in the public mind,
which of itself is °
quite k
744eient to counteract
the arts of the free.-thi .1 L n er an, t... 9 inwindiary.
Left to therPs47es., these creatures 6'.
at once
find their level ; raised move it 'by
Prosecution
they become dangerous and •Neglectinfluential.