The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-09 00:00:00

wants in the language of the country which they are
visiting. And if this be the case with French, how
complete a blank do all other living languages pre-
sent in the education of Englishmen of all grades and
classes. Indeed so unimportant has this head of
knowledge been deemed in our schools and universi-
ties, that we would confidently hazard the conjecture
that there are more women than men in England who
can read and converse in Spanish, German, and Italian.
We are led to notice this subject by an able article in
the last number of the " British and Foreign Review,"
intitled " French Diplomacy." The article reviewed is
intitled Les Cours du Nord (MvoiMes ; ou, le S&ret
de Toplitz, par un ancien Ministre resident a la
Diete de Francfort." In this interesting brochure the
faults and errors of French diplomacy, as regards the
Northern Powers, is pointed out in an unanswerable
manner. "In Germany especially (says the writer) it
is easy to perceive the difference in the activity and in-
telligence of the various European Embassies, and to
appreciate accordingly their respective merits. In the.
greater capitals they escape observation ; but this is by
no means the case in the smaller German residencies ;
Dresden, for instance, which is the rendezvous of a
great proportion of the European diplomacy. The
number of persons employed in the Embassies of
the Northern Courts is very considerable; and
those attached to the Russian Embassy have, as
everywhere else, the majority. They may be seen
everywhere in society—in all the literary coteries, at
every public place, expressing themselves in the
purest German, and by degrees mixing entirely with
the people of the country. The French Embassy is
almost the only one of which almost nothing is heard.
The persons who compose it never quit that society in
which French alone is spoken, and arc thus entirely
confined to their own circle." After quoting these and
various other sentiments of this able writer, the Re-
viewer gives it as his opinion, in which we are reluct-
antly compelled to join, that " all these remarks may
be applied with equal justice to the general character
of British Legations in Germany." Indeed, when tJ
similar ignorance of langfiages we add the native
mauvaise honte of our countrymen, we may but too
safely infer that the evils which thus operate upon
French diplomacy are greatly aggravated in her own.
The root of the evil we take to be indisputably that to
which, in the outset of these observations, we have
adverted—viz., the omission of cultivating either at
all, or, at any rate, effectually, the knowledge of fo-
reign languages in our systems of education. There
are, probably, not fifty young men in our public
schools and Universities—we mean those under the old
foundations—who can hold a conversation in anv lan-
guage but their own ; and we all know how little, in
the way of grammar, is learned after a youth has gra-
duated at Oxford or Cambridge. King's College aryl
the London University profess to remedy this, as far
as they are concerned; but with what success, either
in our diplomatic or mercantile intercourse, they arc
as yet both too much in their infancy to furnish a fair
criterion. Sure we arc, however, that it is a subject
of vital importance in both respects ; and one to which
the attention of those in whose hands the remedy lies
cannot be too promptly and earnestly directed.—
Morning Herald.

The friends of the Government are beginning to cir-
culate a silly rumour of the determination of Lord
Melbourne to dissolve this Parliament, upon the re-
jection of the objectionable part of his Irish Mim:-
cipal Reform Bill in the House of Lords. The dili-
gent promulgation of this story proves neither that
Lord Melbourne has the power, nor that Melbourne
has the inclination, to dissolve the Parliament. It tes-
tifies only the conviction entertained by his adherents
that his defeat will be certain and decisive ; and their
anxiety to terrify by the threat of public convulsion and
tumult those whose understanding they cannot delude,
and whose. integrity they cannot corrupt. We shall not
readily be alarmed into an idea that Lord Melbourne
can or will dissolve the Parliament. If the Minister
shall tender such adviCe to his Royal Master we sup-
pose, remembering the agreement asserted by the sup-
porters of the Government to exist between the Premier
and the Lower House that he will tender his advice in
these terms :—" The present House of Commons
forced an admission for me into your Majesty's con-
fidence ; the present House of Commons supported
me through two Sessions of Parliament with unvaried
majorities. I was lifted into office when I proposed
to rob the Irish' Church by the present House of
Commons ; I was maintained in office when I failed to
rob the Irish Church by the present House of Com-
mons; I was applauded by the present House of
Commons when I talked of non-interference ; and I
was applauded by the present House of Commons
when I proceeded to interfere. Finally, upon the
very question on which I have been discomfited, the
present I-Ious&of Commons has done its utmost to se-
cure my triumph. For these reasons I advise your
Majesty to appeal to your people for the election of a
new House of-Commons." Surely a Premier would
be insane who should thus desire to divorce himself
from a House of Commons painted by all his friends
as so cordially favourable to his Administration. Lord
Melbourne, one should suppose, can have but one
motive for dismissing those by whom the nation's de-
votion to him is at presented represented—the same
love of contradiction which separated the testy old
Baronet in the_ Poor Gentleman from his over-cour-
teous brother--

" Poor Job I—we could'nt disagree—and so we parted !"
—Morning Post.
Ireland I we beseech you, notwithstanding the in-
fernal persecution under which you suffer—and, of
which some atrocious instances were yesterday exposed
in the letter of our correspondent—to forbear from any
violent demonstration of the indignation, abhorrence,
and resistance which such barbarities cannot fail to
excite in any people possessing the slightest preten-
sions to the name of freemen, or even with the feel-
ings natural to humanity. Why do we make this
appeal to you ? Because we hope and are certain to
obtain redress for your manifold wrongs, by means
which our Constitution, undefined and ricketty as it
is, admits to be in accordance with its principles, and
to which our most inveterate enemies dare not per-
severe in opposition. We say our enemies, because
the interests of England and Ireland are one and the
same ; and it is only the envenomed faction which
Tory Government has fostered and matured in the
bosom of both countries which would persuade us
they are different. We implore your forbearance for
the present, not that we are insensible to your
wrongs, nor unwilling to assist in their redress ; but
because we are anxious to try every possible course of
action before appealing to the dernier resort which
God and nature dictate to the oppressed. You have
suffered with unaccountable tranquillity the extremity
of human ill, when discord, bigotry, and we must, for
we will not flatter, add, ignorance of your wrongs and
your rights, prevented your success in the endeavour to
fling off the yoke of persecution. Then do not now,
when you have a Ministry proceeding, perhaps, as
well and as expeditiously as it is possible to do against
prejudice, and a bigoted and intolerant party—do not
now mar the efforts made for your relief, by an un-
timely and exasperated demonstration against your
persecutors, which, though justified by your suf-
ferings, would give to our mutual enemies data
to argue against your being admitted to the enjoy-
ment of an equal portion of the rights of which, by
the grace of hereditary legislation, the people of
England, and, by the strength of their " bra' clay-
mores," the people of Scotland are now in posses-
sion. Again, we entreat your forbearance I The
Commons of England are with you. The Lords are
opposed to the restitution of the rights of both coun-
tries. Then do not make a premature exertion which
would divide the forces, that the infatuation and de-
lirium of oppression, innate in'aristocratic legislation,
must ultimately combine against them. If there should
be a necessity of action, let it be simultaneous. We
anxiously hope that there will not be any direful ex-
tremity forced upon the country ; but it is impossibk
to calculate on the conduct of bigots, aristocrats, and
titled persecators, who have brought our Constitution,
at one time justly called glorious, into contempt, and
which now possesses but one claim to public respect—
that is, the innate principle by which it renovates its
natural decay, and purifies its own abuses. People of
Ireland, forbear a little while ! Should the Lords re-
ject the measures in progress for your relief, we shall
address you in different language ; but forbear I until,