The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-01 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

The first article in the present number, on
" America," is from the pen of Mr. Cooper, the
novelist, and is intended as an answer to the late
publication of Captain Basil Hall on the same sub-
ject. It is written with great care, arid more tem-
perately than might have been anticipated, for Jona-
than is proverbially sensitive on the subject of his
country, and a devout believer in the refinement
and classic habits of the Yankees. " The Slave
Ship" is a spirited snatch of blank verse, from the
pen of Barry Cornwall. " The Fire at Pera, by an
Eye-witness," is an insipid account of the late de-
structive conflagration in the Christian quarters of
Constantinople. It has very much the appearance
of a penny-a-line affair. The " Ministerial Dinner
to Lords Althorp and J. Russell," deserves an ex-
tract ; we give one accordingly:—
" He proposed Lord Althorp's health : to him and to
Lord John Russell the dinner was given. The toast was
hailed as it ought to have been ; and the feeling of personal
regard in which Lord Althorp is held, mingled itself in
the testimonies which were given in universal acclamation
to his public conduct. When Sir Francis Burdett pro
❑ounced an encomium on his incomparable temper, there
was a loud and unanimous response to the praise, which
every one felt to be founded upon unquestionable truth.
Lord Althorp rose. I have often seen him, but never be-
held him so excited as he was at this moment. His coun-
tenance preserved its expression of predominant bonhommie,
but lost that aspect of quiescence which it ordinarily wears,
and became animated by emotions of lofty and triumphant
goodness. He underwent a singular change. The low,
obscure, uncertain, and hesitating tones in which he speaks
in the House of Commons were put by. He even laid
aside the huskiness of thought as well as of voice in which
he too frequently delivers himself, and showed that he has
within him a far better oratorical materiel than be gene-
rally conveys to his hearer the idea that he possesses.
Clear, distinct, and even impassioned; conscious at once
of the purity of his purpose, and of its glorious success,
he spoke with a fervid integrity, and a forcible impressive-
ness, which, if transferred to his Parliamentary enuncia-
tion, would be of signal service, not only to himself, but
to the public. He owned that pride which he felt in the
victories of peace which he had won ; he avowed his pas-
sion for a meritorious and honourable fame, and acknow-
ledged the pleasure which lie derived from the popularity
which he had obtained by measures as useful to his country
as they are creditable to himself. This speech was hailed
with rapturous concurrence in every sentiment which it
contained, and brought out the expression of a feeling,
which induces me to consider Lord Althorp as one of the
main sustainments of the Government. He is evidently
an object of warm individual liking, as well as of public
respect. He commands the confidence of all those who
know, or even hear him. He is a personification of old
English unadulterated honesty, and gets an easy possession
of the understanding by making a ready lodgment in the
heart. The health of Lord John Russell was next pro
posed. He rose with a countenance ' sickbed o'er by the
pale cast of thought,' to thank his friends for their aecla-