The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-27 00:00:00

,imoc
' Y_kelt

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1849.

Scarcely has one company of comic players departed
from the boards of Drury-lane Theatre than another
makes its appearance—the humorous company of
Protectionists. Talk as e may about the decline
of the British drama, it is impossible to deny that
yesterday's performance was a thoroughly national
one, inasmuch as the like of it could not by any
chance be seen beyond the boundaries of England.
Every one appears to have learnt his part to admira-
tion ; and certainly, as far as the antique and obsolete
nature of their sentiments was concerned, may, with
some chow of truth, be described as dead-letter per-
fect. Besides, without wishing in any manner to de-
preciate the odd drollery of Mr. BUCKSTONE, or the
unctious stupidity of Air. KEELEY, or the
volatile fun of Mr. CHARLES MATHEWS, we
cannot but give the palm to the political
actors who were yesterday morning crowded to-
gether before the footlights. Tragic in their allusions
to our impending ruin—pastoral in their reference
to our native agriculture—historic in the perversion
of the great truths contained in our annals—comic,
indescribably and superlatively comic, in their anti-
cipation of the restoration of the laws which have
been abrogated in regard to food and naviga-
tion—they seem to us to be more than Any
other per:ormers entitled to the panegyric
of POLONIUS :—" The best actors. in the
world, either for tragedy, comedy, hiatory, pas-
toral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-
historical, tragical comical-historical-pastoral, scene
individable, or poem unlimited : SENECA cannot be
too heavy, nor PLAUTUS too light : for the law of
writ, and the liberty, these are the only men." Cer-
tainly they are, and the only men, too, for the salva-
tion of the country from destruction, if we might take
them at their own valuation. Such orators, too ! with
the lungs of STENTOR ! and the fury of EAGLE ! and
long-winded and facete garrulity of FADDLEDEEN I
In one of their organs, an abbreviated report of their
proceedings extending over upwards of fourteen closely
printed columns of b;evier !
In spite of the pomp of the whole exhibition, in spite
of the grandiose eloquence of the speakers, and of the up-
roarious cheering of the two thousand " Britishers"
assembled in the theatre, it was quite imposssible nut to
recognise from one very significant circumstance—the
absence of the Leaders !—that the whole was an ex-
travagant sham, that it was not Miching Malecho,
that it did not signify :Mischief, but that it was a so-
lemn force, got up for the assuagement of the
Waunded vanity of a minority, and delivered in
those of BounAsTEs Fuetoso, or
terms as inflated as
of CIIRONON HOTONTHOLOGOS ! The Duke of
KICH-
MOIth, it is true, was chairman ; and the Earl of
Maimssnuer was the mover of the first resolution;
and there: were Peers and Farmers, and :Miners (see
Boolica) and Majors (see BEEESFORD), and there were
Members of the House of Lords and Members of the
House cf Commons—but there was no Lord
STANLEY, and 0-ere was no Mr. DISRAELI. It was
the play of Hant!et not cnly without the character of
'ULU) but even without that of HORATIO, S ',ICh as