The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-05 00:00:00

MR. CREEVY.

" Mr. Creevy was a man of strong natural sense, without much cut-
tivation, though extremely well informed upon all political subjects.
His judgment being so much more remarkable than his imagination, he
was apt to hold every thing in contempt which betokened either fancy
or refinement. Preferring the shortest and the plainest road to his point,
either looking down upon the ornamental parts of eloquence with con-
tempt, or seeing them from a distance which he never aspired to pass,
his style of speaking was that of a plain, reasoning, sensible person, who
never left statements of fact and reason, except to deal in somewhat
fluent if not course invective. Even his invective consisted more in
stating plain facts of an unpleasant nature, than i❑ mere vituperative
declamation. His taste, with all this contempt for refinement and de.
licacy, was perfectly correct ; perhaps too severe .and unbending ; cer-
tainly defective in classing the flights of oratory, hOlevever sustained, with
the less chaste productions of the rhetorician. - 'Frequently in public,
always in private society, his distinguishing excellence was a broad, ini-
mitable, most successful humour ; for he had a quick sense of the ridi-
culous in character, and a lively relish of the ludicrous, nor was
he slow to indulge in the gratification of it. Mob oratory was
never in much estimation with him ; yet he was sure to succeed
in it, when he tried, as at the Liverpool election—where his description
of the meaning of the Previous Question was much noted, and conveys an
idea of his manner. " You often bear when any of our irregular par-
tisans having framed a motion against some public defaulter, that it is
said to have been got rid of by the previous question. Now you may,
just as well know what this means. It is, that the whole House says
" All these things are very true, and we have no answer to make, and
therefore the less that's said/about the matter the better." Ile had
some defects of temper which made him an undervalues of all who dif.
fered from bins in opinion, and a somewhat fierce enemy. He took
mere pleasure in censure than in praise, and was not very patient of the
candour towards adversaries.in others, 'which he so much wanted him.
self. Put if he was a prejudiced antagonist and a strong hater, he was
also a warm supporter and a steady friend, nor grudged any trouble,
nor shrunk from any hazard in defence of those to whom lie was at-
tached. lie is said to have left a minute Journal of political as well as
personal occurrences, which he kept for above thirty years of his life ;
and although it will require to be read with large allowances for the
force of his personal prejudices, it is likely to contain more interesting
materials for secret, and indeed for general history, than any collection
of the kind which has ever appeared in this country."
THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER.

The Emperor Alexander was, after the fall of Napoleon, by far the
most distinguished Prince in Europe, whether we regard the magnitude
of the anirs in which he had been engaged, the extraordinary fortune
that had attended his arts rather his arms, or the vast empire over
which he despotically ruled. But although by no means an ordinary
man, and still less an ordinary monarch, he owed his influmce and his
name very much more to the accidental circumstances of Lis position,
arid to the errors committed by Napoleon, first in Spain, then in the
North, than either to any very admirable personal qualities received
from nature, or to any considerable accomplishments derived from
education. His preceptor, Colonel La Harpe, though a very worthy
and intelligent man, was distinguished neither by profound genius, nor
great scientific acquirements; and from his instructions the Imperial
pupil could not be said to have profited greatly. His knowledge was
exceedingly superficial ; and never relying on his own resources, he
adopted the Royal plan of previously ascertaining what were the
pursuits of those he would :converie with, And picking up at

guests, who,
oi ui -1
with
withitiec:yhditcoteTdegafrioemisanything
expecting
a nl
little tal efefrwo en°amninl.°:nm- pP arcoers,
like
discussion by the etiquette of a Coort, were sire to leave the presence
dVeply iniPresSed with his information and his powers. If he was su-
perficial in general knowledge, he could not be said to have any great
capacity either for civil or military affairs. Placed In circumstances of
unprecedented peril, no passage of his life can be referred to in proof of
any resources being displayed by him, which the most ordinary of
Princes would not have shown himself possessed of. Stimulated by
the exigencies of so many great emergencies, lie never rose with the oc.
casion, and unlike any, one with pretensions to emlnente, wtts gonCrdily
fonnd Most, wanting When tl;e crisis witS the ruck trying. At his Sc'
bes/ilon, he found the armed neutrality of the North discomfited by the
battle of Copenhagen ; and he at once yielded all the points for which
his father, a far superior thought an eccentric man, had contended, tin.
awed by any difficulties, and unsubdued by any reverses. Joining the
third coalition against France, but possessing no General who like Su_
warrow could lead his armies to victory, he sustained one of the most
memorable overthrows recorded in history, and was compelled to pur.
chase peace, and escape invasion, by abandoning the alliance into which
he had voluntarily entered. Stricken to the heart V.-ith the fear of France,
and hardly knowing artiethei ttt seek for safety in resistance or in sub_
Mission to her dictation, he again had recourse to war, for which he had
no kind of genius. Again defeated in one of the greatest and most
decisive battles of modern times; lie formed the closest alliance with his
victorious enemy; Who scion found it easy to mould which way soever he
pleased a person quite as vain and as shallow as he was nirriblk and
plausible. At length came the great crisis both of Alexander's fate
and of the world's. Napoleon, obstinately bent on subduing the Penh].
sula, while he continued to make war in the North, was worsted IT.
peatedly by the English arms; pushed his forces in unexampled num-
bers through Germany, to attack the Russian empire; and penetrated to
its ancient capital, after many bloody engagements, and on immense
loss sustained on either side. Thai savage determination of Rostopsehin
prevented, by burning the city, a renewal on the Moskwa of the scenes
five years before enacted on the Niemen. Alekander was prevented
Proin Making epee and t6ldiiring itibritiSsion; by the enterprising
Spirit of that barbarous Chief; and thitt prompt decision and reso-
lute determination of Sir Robert Wilson. The inclemency of an
unusually early and severe northern winter did all the rest,
and Europe was saved by the physical powers brought happily
to bear upon and to destroy the greatest army ever sent,
into the field. No trait of military genius—no passage of civil capa
city—no instance of shining pubic virtue—can be cited as displayed by
him during a struggle so singularly calculated to Oa* fotth itien;A
powers; to fire thttm With generous ardOur, to nerve their arms with
new vigour, to kindle the sparks of latent genius ttntil it blaied out to
enlighten and to save a world.

When the struggle was Over and fits empire restored .to peace, he
shoWed no inatnAnimons gratitude to the brave people who had gene.
rdtisly Made stieh unparalleled sacrifices, and had cheerfully suffered
such cruel miseries for the defence of his Crown. He joined his Royal
associates in breaking all the promises that had been made during the
perils of the tear; and in imitating the very worst part of his conduct
wh:nn, with the words of justice, peace, and tight on their lips, they
had, with the aid of their gallant subjects, overthrown. His shallow
vanity was displayed during the visit of the Princes to England. When,
among other party leaders, Lord Grenville was presented to him; he
thought it was hitting on an excellent improvement ifi the Coodutt
of
party conCerns, to rcommend that, instead of tirgiiiig objecilons in
Parliatrient to the Ministerial measures, the Opposition should seek
private audiences of their adversaries from time to time, and confiden.

tially offer their objections, or propose their amendments. Nor was
this vain and superficial Prince made at all sensible of the folly he bad
committed, by the somewhat peremptory negative which a few charac-
teristic words and gestures of the veteran party-man suddenly put upon
his shallow and ignorant scheme. Although the Emperor repeattdly
testified a somewhat marked disrespect for our Regent, he yet suffered
himself to be overpowered by the Carlton Hotise emissaries, and avoided
the ordinary civility of visiting the Princess of Wales, then, as alwayt,
the object of her Royal husband's unceasing persecution. The English
people drew from thetice a cericitision highly tinfaVottrable to the inde-
petidettee of his Character, as Well as to the kindliness of his nature! and
he nude quite as littie impression upon them a his more unpretending,

though certainly not much less distinguished brother of Prussia.
His reputation for honesty stood extremtly low, even among persons
of his pre-eminent station. Napoleon, who knew his imperial brother
thoroughly, applied to him the uncourtl3, and indeed rather unce-
remonious description of "faux, fin, et fourlie, .comme on Grec do
lids empire." It would be highly unjust tb taft hini with any par.
ticipation in his f'ather's murder; nor would the Certainty, if it
existed, of his privity to it, be any stain upon his character, unless
we were also assured, contrary to all probability, that he liati any
power whatever to pret•ent it. But he was certainly boUnd in conimoit
decency to distonnlenance, if he dared not punish, the men whose dag-
gers had opened for him the way to a throne; and more unthinking
folly, greater indecorum, worse judgment in every way, can hardly be
imagined, than his referring to the blood shed in palaces; When h'e
with his confederates., the Manifesto againit