The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Ste—Knowing the dauntless vigilance with which you regard every
manoeuvre of the Tory party to establish a despotic system of government
I hope the following may meet your approval. Within the last fort-
night a great outcry has arisen from the Opposition party, relative to
the approaching Coronation of our young and beloved Queen. Con-
scious of the liberal mind of the English people, and supposing that, as
formerly, they can be influenced by mere sound, they have cunningly
affixed the epithet of " shabby" to the present Ministry, because of
their laudable endeavour to curtail useless expense and barbarous dis.
play from the coming festival. Their underhanded design of embar-
rassing Government, and winning to themselves the hearts of the gene-
rous people of England, would meet with the silent contempt it de.
serves (as their real design is so well known), were it not that they had
altogether adopted a new plan of procedure. They, the lofty, unbend-
ing aristocracy of Britain, pretend to be influenced by a regard for the
interests of several trades. In a Morning Journal one of these conde-
scending Noblemen declares, " that lie will hold himself in readiness to
act in his public capacity under the direction that the trades may point
out, for in his opinion they ought to be minded." Yes, my Lord, they
ought to be minded, and they will be; but allow me to tell your Lord-
ship, in the name of the independent tradesmen of England, that they
expect to be considered, but not as idiots, to whom a bauble is thrown,
that the fetters may be made faster. We will not uphold years of des-
potism for the appearance of advantage—in plain words, we will not re-
store the power to Tories, which they have justly lost, though, with all
the pomp of wealth, and all the meanness of ambition, they falsely pre-
tend to consult the interest of the people.
Tradesmen of England!—Expecting the events of a defeated Minis-
try and a dissolved Parliament, the Tories are throwing out every feeler,
and exerting every energy to ensnare and take captive the accustomed
prey. They stigmatize a Government as " shabby and un-English" for
endeavouring to lessen expenditure, to which they contribute a most
disproportionate share, and then, with effrontery which they hope likely
to succeed from its very excess, they assume the garb of patriots, and
declare themselves to be influenced by regard for trade. Brethren, for-
get not the adage—

" When the devil fell sick,
The devil a saint would be;
But when the devil grew well,
The devil a saint was he."
Forget not that there such a thing as clothing a footman in rich livery,
that he may more patiently suffer the cane, an experiment doubtless
tried often in Tory establishments; but let us show these proud aristocrats
that we are no footmen ; as public men we barter not freedom for ficti-
tious splendonr; and as tradesmen we behold their bribe, and declare the
proffered advantage to be wholly partial and fallacious. Tradesmen of
England!—Resist alike the frown of Oppression rampant, and the smile of
Tyranny couchant. Remember we have children, and shall we sell
their birthright for a mess of pottage ? Far better things believe we of
you, fellow-workers in the cause of freedom. Yet suffer a word of ad-
vice. There is no great political topic before the people at present to
compel them to speak out, and the Tories take advantage of supposed
supineness. Be on your guard. I defend not the present Ministry,
far from it ; but at all hazards keep out the Tories—the plunderers of
industry—the murderers of liberty—and the refuse of mankind. We
cannot too watchfully guard against that gentlemanly footpad, Toryism.
London, May 15. JUSTITIA.