The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-31 00:00:00

f,PIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Some worthy personages of the ancient leaven at
Bristol have got up a petition on the subject of
Reform; but of which the anxious and somewhat
amusing prafer is, that the House of Commons
will be pleased rot to go too far in redressing thOse
public grievances arising out of the decay and cor-
rept-hot of its or body. We take for granted that
see!) petitioners will meet the most respectful 'atten-
tion. Althotes, there has been foemed by some of
tire dishandc Ministers a factions opposition to his
Msjesty's Government, the fit occasisn 0101 pre-
fence for which is looked for in the question of Re-
form, we do not mean to say that fro other party
will resist the introduction of the forthcoming mete:
Elise. Already there are symptoms in the tactics o,r,
the ultra-Tory press of a " Church-and-King
and " wisdom-of-our-ancestors" opposition on the
pert of its special patrons. We verily believe in
the existenca of certain political optimists amongst
ourselves, less numerous indeed with every passing
Leer, but not, perceptibly at least, more wise, who
.9!7'e11: to think that the old body politic of England
must neither be touched nor scarcely breathed upon,
best, as someiimes happens to bodies of another kind
fest exposed to the air after long inhumation, is
should sink at once to ashes. The Bristol peti-
tiner3 belong to that class, and the Ultra-Tory
press is civil enough to back them, not from love of
the hoe-Ministry-opposition—no such thin's; but,
to en it justice, from hatred of change, and above
al!, of change which will not strengthen the prin-
ciple of despotism, nor of its suecedaneum con up-
ti •n. We do not apprehend that the Ultra-Tory
resistance to the Ministerial plan (if, as we trust,
there is to be a wide and liberal plait) of Reform
will he a factious or vexatious one : it will be no
worst awl inveterately conscientious and fanatical.
That party xvill oppose the Ministers only because
thelaiier are reformers,: tit;? other party, which we
noticed or Sourday's Times, oppose Reform in a
mere worhmanhke spirit, as being the measure of
those who superseded them in oflice. Now, as to
the conduce of the people generally, we reiterate the
advice to iliem,—Petition for Reform, do not stand
upon ttifees; demand whatever appears essential to
the public secwity, but accept less than you de-
mand, for their is no ground gained, however
apparently minute, on which a lever may not
be fixed for acquiring more, if more can be
wisely or honestly sought for hereafter. We
hope and believe that Ministers will endeavour,
wili strenuously endeavour—to carry through Pat-
ron-relit an extensive plan of Reform. If their pro-
position, or that of the committee moved for by
them, be not sufficiently bloat', let the people speak
ttieir epeilorts temperately; but we would earnestly
esajore them, and above all those who have hitherto
e !reused he notion, as false in civil politics as in
war it is unquestionable; " that nothing is gained if
nil ev::Ty thing"—we would entreat them, as they
wish to avoid revolution, and revolution arrived at
through tire desolating medium of convulsion, to
smooth ;he way for Ministers, and to reinforce their
hands while straggling in the public cause for even
Jess than the public may deem to be ultimately de-
sireble, inste ef attempting to depreciate or em-
barrass them, which may lead, by short steps, to
disans-al from power. Far let it be well un-
der ood that tl.e: e is no alternative ; either we have
the present Ministry, who must reform to a certain
point, and prepare the road to further ameiiorations,
or a Mivistry composed in a great part of men who
went out or) e pledge against all redress of grievances
the Constituth n of Parliament, and whose prin-
ciple of governs ent would therefore be one which
in all !Howe' likelihood must provoke a Reform by
violent (as the only practicable) methods.—Times.
There is a strange article from the pen of Dr.
Southey in the number of the Quarterly Review
just published. The various opinions broached
err! recommended in this article are like the animals
in Noah's Ask. In-one breath the Learned Doctor
is all for piety, ti e next for prostitution; one MG-
went he laments over the approaching destruction of
cetruptiori, the next moment he dwells with so:ls-
t...a:6(w on the superior purity of public men in our
time compared with the public men a hundred years
aeo. lii one arid ;he same breath he predicts the
doe% tfall of every Government said' listens to
opinion, awl aitlibuteis to public opinion the
purity of Staiesrnen and the absence of jobbing. In
this atticle Dr. Southey is' outdone himself, which
is saying a great den!. " Men (he says) must be
sided by intim:ice or by force, so long as they are
west they as e ; that is, until the will of our Heavenly
Fether shall b..) done on earth as it is in Heaven. By
c,:e c,f tireqe a Government must rule, or it must
its-lt be ruled by public opinion; but any Ministry,
it: ices pribl c opinion for its guide, steers by
t weathercock tts•e.td of the compass, and then
the course must ever be, as in such cases it
ever lies been, through anarchy to military
aT, through storms and tempest to the
. of a dead Fee, in whose noisome and
peseletitisl exlsdations other storms are generated."
This is very intelligible. So snuch must be wrung
front the people as bhall serve ao establishment suf-
tieientey powerful to set them at defiance, and front
motives of interest sufficiently disposed to do so.—
ie adds, " This 'ration, by the blessing of Provi-
&awe on tie piety of our forefathers, their virtue,
their wisdom, their exertions, and their sufferings,
bad attained a degree of general prosperity, and a
lice and well-balanced form of Government, which
were both the envy and admiration of all Europe."
Then comes a reflection on the decay of States, riot
very reconcileable with the doctrine of influence:
" Ir they perish (he says) by decay or corruption,
as ally other causes from within, want of wisdom
and virtue is the primary cause, and the destruction
which comes upon them is at once the natural con-
sequence and the rightful punishment." Men must
Iw governed by influence— that is, Government, in-
stead of being accountable to the people, must be
enabled to controul them ; we possess, by the bless-
MS of Providence an the piety of our forefathers, a
Government independent of public opinion, and
therefore a model in respect of political freedom.—
Let us see, thee, the working of this system of Go-
vernment, which we owe to the blessing of Provi-
dence tn the piety of our forefathers:—
" The Government in tLe:ie kingdoms (says the Learned
Doctor), from the Restoration till dritost the present age,
was much more corrupt than the people. Every new pal)-
I:estion of documents relating to the intermediate time,
brings to light tre,h proofs of the general want of pm in-
4i:,!e among puldio wen, awl of their undissemld d
Ti err woe the most barefaced jobs and shame-
. Isa• s if, etery ti,par!ment. Ti.ings which could not
itve ettriit,d on in dsrkness were in those times done in
o-wn day-light :Wen of high rank had then no more
o:,nsei,ttee conceriiim; preaLtion and direct corruption,
than men of most r..nks have now about smagghnn-, or in
(otor wlys dein:tiding- the Revenue. It was the sam,,
wit's :411 icrti,-s, Trojan or rian. William 111. was
trotted with the stunt greedy ingratitude—tile same sordid
iv:justice, by Whigs as by Tories, and by Tories as by
VhiAs ; and when, in amtlier generation, Shippen said
of himself and his old antagonist, Sir Robert Walpole,
that Le was for one Kit-Ig, and Robin for another, and that
all the rest were only for themselves, there is little to be
dttracted from the severe truth of this remark."

t:fs-ions

eal:r

,Sucttewperieetytltoef fruits
forefathers! t-sof the blessing of Providence
,n From the death of
Lt7rd L"1"1""deHT, who "always resolutely opposed
...very attempt at d;minishi that influence of the
Government, wit bout which, he well knew, a
Go'vernmunt like otos cannot .lusgaisubsist," the Go
after another, most
yernment has thou n away, oneon
of the blessings of Providence of our
ancestors. Every Minister . was more piety
impious
ands
more economical, consequently more
Isis predecessor. Under the Duke of Wellit g4'a"
" nediretions,rct;-enchments, liberaty,'concilLtir'
and. concesion were the order
_of the duty; and then;
%vlto remained true to the old Clnstitutional and
Ent!lish principles began to think that all which
could be done was to drag the wheels of the State
- rarriage on its downward road; all that could 1),
hoped for was, to avert it, if possible, from the preju-
dice, and ;et it descend, as smoothly and gently a,
•-nti;..,ltt• me, to the dead level of democracy." To
'Livid to onr other evils, the Holy Alliance at Ilti.