The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-02 00:00:00

FRASER'S MAGAZINE.

Sir Robert Peel is no longer the idol of the Tories. His
moderation is culpable indifference in the eyes of his late
worshippers, who openly kick him from the pedestal, to
which they so recently raised him, to make room for Lord
Lyndhurst. In an article in the June Number of Fraser
on the present position of the self-styled " Conservatives,"
we are told that the Right Hon. Baronet is now considered
by the Tory faction " merely in the light of an excellent
advocate, who may be of some use to them, if he can be in-
duced take a brief, and make a speech or two, but who is
not to be expected to act as if he were in earnest in the
matter—as if he were disposed to run some risk in defence
of his principles !" And this then is Tory gratitude! This
the reward of services which, during the Peel Administra-
tion were extolled, by the same Tory organ, as entitling the
Right Hon. Member for Tamworth to be ranked among
the most distinguished of British statesmen. The Radicals
never said anything of Sir Robert Peel worse than what is
here put forth by the Tory scribe in Fraser. And do the
Conservatives indeed regard the late Premier as a mere
" advocate "—a pleader for pelf, who supports the church
with as much earnestness as Mr. Phillips defends a culprit
at the Central Criminal Court? Will he, indeed, in their
belief, risk nothing for his principles ? What does the
affirmation amount to but that the Tories regard Sir Robert
as a man destitute of principles? And in this they are perfectly
right. The Right Hon. Baronet has no fixed political princi-
ples—he never had any. His sympathies are Tory, because
he is rich. Were he poor and untitled, he would be found in
the foremost rank of the Reformers. But sympathies are
a poor substitute for principles, and, in the case of Peel,
will always be counteracted by his natural shrewdness, which
will not allow him to connect himself by_ ariy strong ties
with a sinking cause. However, the Tories have found
a. leader after their own heart in Lord Lyndhurst. The
course adopted by the House of Lords with respect to the
Irish Municipal Bill is gloried in, because likely to provoke

a collision with the Commons 1 The fact is thus avowed
in the article to which we referred above :—" In thus op-
posing themselves directly in front of the onset of the De-
structives, the Peers have acted with a courage which is
natural to them. We do not mean that they have there-
by incurred any very imminent danger, but a certain un-
known degree of risk is clearly connected with so straight-
forward a line of conduct. In openly declaring war with
the Radical faction, they naturally precipitate a similar de-
claration of war against themselves. That party, never
friendly to the Upper House, is now naturally incited to
declare open and unappeasable hostility. If Radicalism is
candidly warned, on the one hand, that her designs are un-
derstood, and shall be constantly frustrated, the Peers are
told with equal distinctness, that if it is in the power of the
Destructives to exterminate their very name, that extermi-
nation shall soon take place. The two parties are thus fairly
committed, and our most fervent hope is, that the breach
may daily become wider, and the animosity still more deep
rooted !"

None but a Tory, steeped to the very lips in ignorance
of the events passing around him, could sit down and de-
liberately commit to paper such evidences of a crazed ima-
gination. The passage is self-contradictory throughout, for
in the first sentence the Peers are the assailed ; in the fourth
and fifth they are represented as the assailants ; and with
such injustice on their side as naturally to provoke the
vengeance of the Radicals. But what is here extolled as
the natural courage of the Peers is sheer fool-hardiness.
As well might a peasant seek to keep out the tide with a
pitchfork, as the House of Lords attempt to oppose the
will of the British people. The collision so fervently
prayed for will come ; but its consequences will be de-
struction of all the hereditary privileges now enjoyed by the
Peerage branch of the legislature.
The " Gallery of Literary Portraits for June " is graced
by a likeness of Mrs. S. C. Hall, the well known authoress.
The lady, though resting one fair hand on a piano-forte, is
evidently thinking of something graver than " Jenny, put
the kettle on." Prefixed is a notice of the authoress, in
which justice is done to her literary abilities, and, what is
of still more consequence to society, the goodness of her
heart, and the excellence of her moral character.

The most laughable article in the June Number of Fraser
—and he is no trifling benefactor of the world who makes it
laugh—is the " Art of Plucking." It is worthy of Dr.
Maginn, and we can think of no person else who could write
it. " Bachanalia Memorabilia" is full of thought, and that
of a high order. We tried to read the paper "On Lord
Brougham's Theology," but we could not manage to get
further than the bottom of the first page. There are seve-
ral other articles of considerable merit in their way, though,
on the whole the Number is heavy—much too heavy for
the season.

TAIT'S MAGAZINE.
Simphin and Marshall.
Tait opens this month with a right stirring, well-timed
article on the mischievous pranks in which the Lords are
now indulging with respect to Ireland. " Already," says
this writer, " is the cry of Repeal! resounding throughout
Ireland ; and for the first time it is echoed back from
Great Britain. If the British Government, supported by
the people and the House of Commons, are powerless to
deal justice to Ireland, from the determined hostility of a
handful of privileged imbeciles, in Heaven's name, let the
Irish people Repeal the Union and right themselves. If it
shall ever come to this, we are bound, in honesty and man-
liness, to speed them in the attempt. But is the Govern-
ment in so helpless a condition ? The Whig Ministry is no
longer spell-bound by those blustering and domineering
Lords. They have roused themselves at last, and taken
strong defensive ground. The House of Commons and the
three kingdoms arc again at their back. The Peers must
feel alarmed. Many of them must deprecate the rash
policy which has urged their really defenceless body to try
conclusions against such tremendous odds. They seem sur-
prised and enraged to meet resistance where they too long
found suppleness, yielding, and vacillation—and delicate and
reverential consideration for all that affected their privileges,
interests, and humours. But a stand has been made at last—
a good position is taken. 'Tis naturally strong—it must be
further fortified; for the battle is only beginning, and it is
not enough to carry a single post. The power of the
enemy to work mischief must be crushed at once, if we
would not see the contest renewed and protracted without
end. The ()fly way in which Sinbad could get rid of the
old Monster who fastened himself upon his shoulders, was
by watchfulness, and exposing himself to some peril. We
must get rid of the burden of our old gentleman peace-
fully, if he will consent to dismount ; but at all events we
must get rid of him." Let the Peers and their supporters
in wrong-doing ponder upon this declaration, which embo-
dies the opinions of nine-tenths of the people of England,
Ireland, and Scotland.

The " Autobiography of an English Opium-eater," for
this month, contains an admirable exposition of the Kan-
tian system of philosophy. The subject mould not have
fallen into abler or more appropriate hands, and the result
is an essay fraught with intelligence. The " Autobiography
of Archibald Plack, Esq., late Lord Mayor of London," is
in mite a different style ; fall of quiet humour, which will
be all but lost to those who do not understand the Scotch
dialect. It is from the pen of Galt, and displays all the
power and keenness of observation which characterizes his
best novels. There are dome good stanzas in this Number,
and some very fair reviews of' popular works. Altogether
we have seen few numbers of
,Tait with which we arc
better pleased. The articles are all readable, and most of
them are of a stamp superior to the run of Magazine
literature.