The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-17 00:00:00

DUBLIN. -THURSDAY.

" Cui scribarum ministerium custodim que, et tabularum
Cure, cui formulas censendi subjiciretur."—Livv.
Your leading article of Tuesday last exemplifies the con-
struction that may be given the above sentence in the nine-
teenth century, as to the Roman Censorship. It is pecu-
liarly the province of honest public writers to illustrate the
characters of public men ; and, accordingly, your strictures
on Sir Robert Peel and Lord Lyndhurst have been re-
peated this morning, in the nests-rooms of this city, as the
proper index of public.feeling—more particularly as regards
his Learned Lordship. You ask, " How comes it that
none of the squad invite him to dinner?"—" Because," says
they are ashamed to be seen in his company !" You
',ld a new topic for evening conversation, which
Pat;
ihsavveersyuapcpc,e...pta b.
tirt: ..qt this cold season, when news is becom-
ing scarce. In fact, 1.;.41°
have come to light since my tag co.mmunication.
sh
ii,
will
matters only of-public interest
The first is, that Mr. Power, trk: ste.P:s6°of lot
be the Member for Dungarvan, in tn.
arron, who
O'Loghlen. I have just heard that V. the electors
had made considerable progress in canvassing fur.
place of
per.on
of that borough for himself, has not only (minUk.
tiler exertion, but signified his willingness to co-op
eratd
with the more liberal party in sending to Parliament the
alumnus of one of Ireland's most distinguished patriots.
There can then be no doubt of Mr. Power's return ; un,
less the good people of Dungarvan should fail to appreciate
the independent spirit of this young gentleman, who de-
clares that he will not pledge himself to the support of any
Government or measure, or follow the dictates of any leader
which do not appear to himself to be for the permanent
welfare and prosperity of Ireland. Such a representative
of the people, enjoying at the same time the largest fortune
of any commoner on this side of the Channel, must bring
a considerable accession of strength to the party with
which he connects himself.
The next fact is, that our Irish Tories have been ex-
ceedingly sanguine for some time past in their hopes of
again getting the distribution of the loaves and fishes. If
I mistake not some indications in their coteries of late,
great exertion is being made, and money collected to for-
ward their views. Their hopes are founded on the perfect
union of purpose and design existing in their body, while
the Reformers of England have been betraying symptoms
of a different nature and policy. In this country, however,
the Conservatives reckon without their host ; for there
never existed such an anti-Tory feeling on the one hand,
and such an implicit confidence in Government on the
other. To such an extent has this grown, that some Re-
formers having influence among the Irish constituency, are
actually wishing for a change of ministry, or dissolution of
Phrliament, that they might have an opportunity of ex-
hibiting their political strength. In the former case, they
reckon upon upsetting any Government, not composed
of the leading Members of the present Ministry both in Eng-
land and in Ireland ; and in the latter they would convince
the public and their own personal influence, in putting down
Toryism. In this state of things it becomes the duty of all
untainted journalists, who are to a certain extent what
Philip called the Athenian orators of his day—the watch-
dogs of the fold, and guardians of the State—to exercise
the powers confided to them by the laws and customs of
this realm, and prepare the public mina against the effort
that may possibly be soon made to practise an illusion upon
the country. It is no less their duty to remind our present
rulers of that course of proceeding which they should adopt
and adhere to, in order to retain the confidence of the
aia-
Lion. This brings me back to the recollection of the sen-
tence prefixed to this epistle.
There were in ancient Rome two public functionaries,
whose business it was, among other important duties, to
superintend all.the officers and magistrates of the State, and
to inflict moral punishment or degradation upon such delin-
quencies as were not amenable to the ordinary tribunals of
justice. These functionaries were called censors—a term
well calculated to convey a correct notion of their inspec-
tional and corrective labours. They are at all times indis-
pensably necessary in a well-regulated community, to guard
against and prevent those kinds of abuses which daily spring
out of the natural infirmity or selfishness of human nature,
and which the most vigilant Legislature cannot be always
prepared to obviate. But in modern times the art of print-
ing has quite superseded these public officers ; and amongst
the refinements and mental luxuries of the present day,
none is more regarded than that " quarto of four pages,"
which is daily spread before . us. What an admirable
substitute for a State inspector, or a policeman, is the inde•
pendent press. Instead of dreading the approach of
some public inquisitor, we hail with delight the postman
who brings the London Suit, or some such lucid harbinger
of passing events. And whilst our curiosity is entertained
with the detailed accounts of incidents, sometimes joyful
and sometimes otherwise, we are admonished against those
faults of commission or omission which may place us in the
latter predicament. In fact, the public press performs two
parts of the economy
.of human affairs. It affords amuse-
ment and instruction on the one hand, while it dissuades
from or punishes crime by its well-directed censure on the
other. It is therefore a component part, though indepen-
dent, of the Government of a free State—having this ad-
vantage over the " censors" of ancient times, that the fame
and fortune of its conductors depend upon its fidelity to the
interests of the people.
There never was a period when an Irish Government
stood more in need of the suggestions and friendly surveil-
lance of a bold and independent press. Earl Mulgravo