The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-24 00:00:00

THE SUN,

disregarding the clear and unquestionable title of
TRIALBUIC.T2E RAJA, the adopted son of PERTAUB and
heir male of both the deceased Rajas, have openly
and unblushingly seized upon the territory into its
own hands.

Under such circumstances it is that RUNG° I
BAPOGEE, the indefatigable and faithful Vakeel of the
late PERTAUR SINGH, who was deputed by him to
bring his wrongs before the British public, and who
maintains his allegiance to the now 11%ja, de jure,
has addressed a letter to the several Princes and
Chiefs of India, complaining of the grossly illegal
and unjustifiable conduct of the East India Company
to his deceased SOVEREIGN, and more especially of
their refusal to recognize the " right of adoption," a
custom that has been sanctioned from time immemo-
rial in India, and the abrogation of which would be
regarded with the greatest horror by the Hindoos.
This address has not been circulated surreptitiously
or secretly. The writer has forwarded a literal
translation to the Court of ,Directors; in it he de-
scribes his own despair. "A foreigner in a strange
land," "in the midst of difficulties," and his
desire to forewarn his compatriots of the
dangers to which they are exposed from
the aggressive disposition of the Company—such
an appeal cannot be slighted or despised. The
home truths it contains cannot be got rid of by sneers
or ridicule, nor can it be suppressed by the tactics
usually displayed by the Court of Directors. An
article has appeared in a morning Contemporary
attempting to slight and despise its contents, and to
remove the impression it must have made on every
unbiassed reader, which so strongly smacks of
Leadenhall-street that it may be regarded as the
official answer of the Directors. The pen of the
assailant of " NAPIER," the opponent of the Hero of
Meeanee and Hyderabad, is perceptible in every line ;
and yet, despite of such attempts, that gallant soldier
was invested with the high office of Commander-
in-Chief in India by the voice of public
opinion, a power which the Directors did not
dare to disobey ; and the same power will we doubt
not eventually lead to the vindication of the much-
wronged PERTAINS SINGH, and the recognition and
establishment of his lawful heir on the throne of
Sattara. RurGo BeroGEE, although now overwhelmed
with despair, will receive the reward of his unceasing
exertions when he beholds his master firmly esta-
blished in his dominions. He will be regarded as a
model of true fidelity and unflinching courage—
qualities that will ever command the respect and
admiration of Englishmen, and not be considered
proper subjects for ridicule, whatever SirtTAMES Hoc G
or his brother Directors may think to the contrary.

Yielding to the generous importunities of friend-
ship, CHARLES PHILLIPS, the distinguished barrister,
has at length dissipated the cloud of slanderous im-
putations which has been thickening round him for
nine years, ever since his memorable defence of the
murderer Cc:mayors'Ea. Now that we have perused
his eloquent and dignified explanations, we can fully
understand the reluctance with which he has hitherto
shrunk from the vindication of his character. His
unspeakable disgust at the course, the flagrant and
impudent course, pursued by his calumniator cannot
fail to receive the sympathy of every man not entirely
divested of right principles. Outraged in his
noblest and dearest feelings, stabbed in his reputa-
tion, with his good name branded by the
invisible hand of a detractor, no marvel he recoiled
with a sentiment of absolute loathing before the in-
sinuations of his assailant 1 No wonder he scorned
any attempt at extenuating conduct which he knew
well in his heart required no extenuation whatever
Exquisitely sensitive, as every gentleman must be in
regard to matters relating to the most delicate recesses
of his conscience, it is no subject of astonishment to
us that Mr. PHILLIPS has not condescended to repel
charges of such peculiar atrocity until actually com-
pelled to do so by the solicitations, or, as we have al-
ready expressed it, through the generous
importunities of friendship. Circumstances re-
ferring to the crime perpetrated by the
IiANNINGS in Bermondsey having in some measure
revived the slanders directed against Mr. Pnreurs,
as the counsel intrusted with the defence of COUR.
VOISIER, he is at last adjured by one of his most
intimate acquaintance to break a silence which, if
longer preserved, would necessarily seem to confirm
in the public mind the veracity of the traducer. To
Mr. WARREN, the celebrated novelist, is due the
merit of having, by his earnest appeals, elicited
from his unwilling friend, for once and for ever, a
brilliant and conclusive refutation. In spite of
reiterated refusals, Mr. WARREN renewed his
entreaties, and it mast be peculiarly gratifying
to him to find that ultimately those en-
treaties have proved successful. "You know
well," says Mr. PHILLIPS, in the letter transferred
the other evening to our own columns from those 0'
morning Contemporary—" you know well how
strenuously and how repeatedly you pressed me to
my vindication, especially after Lord DENMAN'S im-
portant conversation with you, and you know the
stern disdain with which I dissented." Notwithstand-
ing that resolute repulse, the voice of friendship again
demanded the vindication, which in obedience to its
noble solicitude has at last been granted.

Reflecting that almost every one has already perused
the document in which Mr. CHARLES Femurs has
finally exposed the falsehood of the various
statements made in reference to his line
of proceeding in defence of the infamous
COURVOISIRR, it would be superfluous on
our part to transcribe again, one by one, his in-
controvertible because strictly sequential arguments.
Apart from all deliberate explanation, he could
scarcely but have stood acquitted in the eyes of even
the most suspicious observer from the inferential tes-
timony afforded as to his integrity; such testimony,
fur example, as !he favourable opinion of Lord DEN-
MAN, and the judicial appointments granted to Mr.
Ph iutrs by two ex-Chancellors subsequently to the
occurrence said to have reflected so much odium upon
his character. Not, however, with such indirect
evidences of the truthfulness of his conduct is he con-
tented in a matter to him of such supreme importance.
He brings forward as the witnesses of
his perfect innocence in those deplorable transactions
—Mr. CLAuxsorr, who was his colleague in defence
of the murderer ; Mr. Baron Perms, who was present
throughout the trial; Chief Justice TINDAL, who
acted upon the occasion in his judicial capacity; and
the contemporary reports of the four principal
morning newspapers, the Times, Herald, Post, and
Chronicle. From the broad and unanswerable facts
asseverated by Mr. PHILLIPS, it is conspicuous that
so far from endeavouring to throw the crime upon
the female servants whom he knew to be innocent,
in order to screen the detestable wretch whom he
knew to be guilty—Mr. PHILLIPS solemnly exclaimed
in the course of his address to the jury, " GOD forbid
that any breath of mine should send persons depend-
ing on the public for subsistence into the world with
a tainted character !" Disproving the declaration
that he had acted thus cruelly, he has vindicated
himself likewise from the horrible criminality of
having appealed to Heaven as to his belief in the
innocence of COURVOISIER. In a previous portion of
his letter he has already given the following account
of the time, the place, and the manner of the confes-
sion made by that detestable monster :
" It was on the secobd morning of the trial, just be-
fore the Judges entered, that Courvoisier, standing
publicly in front of the dock, solicited an interview with
his counsel. My excellent friend and colleague, Mr.
Clarkson, and myself immediately approached him. I
beg of you to mark the presence of Mr. Clarkson, as it
will become very material presently. Up to this morning
I believed most firmly in his innocence, and so did many
others as well as myself. I have rent for you, genii( -
men,' said he, to tell you I committed the murder l'
When I could speak, which was not immediately. I said,
Of course, then, you are going to plead guilty ?" No,
sir,' was the reply, I expect you to defend me to the
utraos'.' We returned to our seats. My position at this
moment was, I believe, without parallel in the annals of
the profession." _ _

Dissuaded from his original intention of throwing
up the case, both by the sagacious advice of his col-
league, Mr. CLARKSON, and by the peremptory
opinion of Mr. Baron PARKE, the horror-stricken
counsel pleaded for the murderer's life in that unfor-

tunate speech which has been made the subject of
such grievous and wilful misrepresentations. Re-
pelling the odious accusation above alluded to with
the most profound scorn, and the most impassioned
indignation, the orator closes his rebuttal of the
charge with these touching and thrilling ejacula-
tions :

" What! appeal to Heaven for its testimony to lie,
and act expect to be answered by its lightning? what!