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

SPIRIT OF THE PUitLIC JOURNAL!.

In another column will be found an extract roan.
• it official document, dated Warsaw, May the 10th,
dative to the seizure, disarming, and detention of
General Dwernicki and his corps on the Austrian
territory. This document confirms the view which
we have taken of this subject from the beginning
subject involving a most important principle of
eternational law, the violation of which by Austria
so far a practical repeal of the law of nations, es
I .id down and applied to such ca,ts by the most
eulightened Jurists. If the other States of Europe
Wow of this, the'r conduct will n appear in a
very honourable light when histoty comes to take
ognizance of the more than Grecian resistance
eade by a small portion of the ancient kingdom of
Poland to the barbarous hordes of the Northern
Keixes. It is of consequ,atce to all civilized people
,!fat the law of nations should not be unsettled to
-erve the particular policy of any one or more States,
t tat, when relieved from all salutary fear by the
feeble and timid policy of other Governments, would
sacrifice every great principle of justice and hit-
.nanity to promote the objects of their own rapa-
!ious ambition. The document in question con-
firms the account which General Dwernicki givis
of this affair in the first instance, and which
some of our " liberal" Journals affected to
loubt. It is now placed beyond ail di-pate that
this gallant Commander and his handful of brave
men had no intention of even seeking an asylum in
the Austrian territoty until that territory was vie-
hated by the Russians, for the purpose of ensuring
their destruction. It should also be borne in mind
that this letter was written before the decision of
the Austrian Government upon the whole case was
ascertained by the Government at Warsaw. Tint
Government then believed, or hoped, that the Em-
peror of Austria would not solemnly sanction the
unworthy violation of the law of nations which the
local authorities of Gallia' committed by depriving
of their arms, and detaining as prisoners, the brave
men whom an outrageous infringement of the prin-
ciple of neutrality by their enemies threw upon their
hospitable protection. To us it appears exceed-
ingly probable that there was a very good under-
standing between the Russian General and the Aus-
trian authorities when the former hal recourse to
the apparently audaci,tua step of disarming the Aus-
trian sentinels, and commencing military operations
upon the Austrian soil for the purpose of turtling
the position of the Poles, who, although opposed
to an enemy having eight times their own nume-
rical strength, sought no protection within a neutral
territory until its neutrality was invaded by that
enemy, who forced them to become involuntary tres-
passers by his wilful outrage. The Russians acted
either with a ferocious disregard of principles—
which it is natural for a barbarous Power to dis-
play, but which it is equally the duty of civilized
nations to denounce and repress—or else they were
secretly invited by the Austrian authorities to make
a show of forcing the frontiers, where the trap for
the Polish troops had been already prepared. If
the former were the case, why did the innocent
party receive all the punishment, and the guilty all
the advantage, of the wrong ? If the latter be
nearer the truth, in what a light does it place the
conduct of Austria, affecting, as she does, to be
perfectly neutral, and yet dishonestly spreading a net
to assist the Russian Nimrod to ensnare his play ?
The harrassing and vexatious conduct which Prussia
practises towards the Poles on every occasion on
which she can maliciously exercise her power to in-
jure them and their cause, without actually taking
up arms, is less hypocritical than this. Though
Prussia is so far neutral as not yet to have taken
the field against the Poles, she does not dissemble
her bitter hared and malevolence to that oppressed
and noble people. But Austria pretended that it
was as much her inclination, as it certainly is her
interest, not to give either secret or open assistance
to the Russian Government. She has proved our
words, that, " if she hates Russia much, she hates
freedom more." We believe, indeed, that the three
Governments, by w hose infamous conspiracy Po-
land was originally partitioned, perfectly understand
each other, and seek a common object in the pre-
sent struggle--the destruction of Poland ; and we
are inclined to believe what has been stated, that
Russian agents exercise as fatal an influence over
some other Cabinets as over those of Vienna and
Berlin:— Morning Herald.

Mr. O'Connell has fairly outwitted the sagacious
Administration of Earl Grey. Pretending to be a
supporter of the Ministerial measure of Reform, he
has cajoled the Admini-tration into such procrastina-
tion of their legal proceediags against him, that
should they now attempt to prosecute those pro-
ceedings, their conduct would be universally and
justly ascribed to folly or vindictiveness. He has,
by means of the same pretence, procured the ut-
most aid his Majesty's Ministers could bestow
during the late election, in the creation of an O'con-
nell party in the House of Commons. Having
accompli,hed these two important objects, and
having therefore no longer a motive for hypocrisy or
reserve, he now deems it expedient to come forward
with a frank avowal of his sentiments upon the
Reform Bill, and his estimate of the character and
purposes of its authors. We regret that we cannot
find room for the whole of Mr. O'Connell's address
to the people of Ireland upon the subject of Re-
form. It is a very amusing and edifying produc-
tion, as we shall immediately convince our readers,
by culling from it a few of the complimentary
phrases applied to his Majesty's Ministers and their
Irish measure of Reform, by their late eiectioneering
ally—the man to obtain whose political support
they have thought it worth their while to suspend,
and virtually to defeat, the execution of the law.—
The Ministers have been actuated, according to Mr.
O'Connell, by " a latent, if not avowed disposition
to treat the people of Ireland with indignity"—by
"a determined disregard to Irish interests, and a vile
jealousy of giving constitutional rights to the Irish
people"—by a foolish imagination " that they can
with impunity treat Ireland with supercilious con-
tempt and ignominy"—by the presumption which
leads them " to think that the Irish people would
submit to be treated in this manner"--by " personal
influence in four eases out of five," in which addi-
tional representatives are given to Ireland—by the
opinion that " the Irish are like the eels, accustomed
to be skinned alive"—by " contemptuous injustice"
towards the towtts and the counties of Ireland—by
" disgusting unfairness"—by " gross partiality."
This is the summary of the principles and feelings
by which his Majesty's Ministers have been influ-
enced in framing the boasted measure of Reform,
as presented to the public by a person to the in-
crease of whose Parliamentary authority they have
contributed by every means in their power, and foe
the sake of whose political assistaeee they have de-
based the dignity and impaired the vigour of the
law. A Bill prepared under the guidanctr of such
principles artd feelings must of course have many
faults and we accordingly find Mr. O'Connell, who
on the hustings, it will be recollected, was a de-
claimer as loud as the lo4dest of his English con-
federates, for " the ssill, the whole Bill, and nothing
but the Bill"now that the elections are over, and
he is na longer in immediate danger of being s:nt
-to gaol, describing the Irish Reform Bill, as ' a
monstrous step," as " a plain injustice," as full of
" the most gross partiality, and indeed injustice.,"
as an act cr of inequality and injustice," as involving?
" injustice, and even absurdity," as adopting "
totally deficient principle;" and making "veverS-
effort to exclude the people, and create an Oli-
garchy in a new form,' as " diminishing consi-
derably the number of voters in the Irish counties,"
as " a mixture of insult and injury towards Ire-
land," as ‘c such a measure of justice as has at all
times been meted out by the managers..oflrefaild_
to the Irish people," as the of of " indignation)
.1g three
positivewidc h eacnadn
distincts arcel
Irjrpont
as
ss arnrblotrrnegi
ban.
on
Irishmen" to equivalent tcr• ninothing 'but " the
existence of a jealous, parttaal?
agrietences," " idi
bypocrittc p
as presenting unjust) domination,"
Sootchmati,'3 affording rode_