The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-29 00:00:00

SPI. RIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

I' the Tories cannot gathcr (ids from brambles, they
car L, at all events, pluck hope from defeat, and conso-
la don from disaster. When that virtuous and con-.

istent Peer, Lord Lyndhurst, was first spoken of as a
proposed candidate for the office of Lord Rector of
Glasgow University, the Times (the especial organ of
Lordship) applauded the design contemplated by
the small section of unscrupulous masters and reckless
boys in whose eves the hideous tergiversations of the
Learned Baron had found favour. But so soon as the
indignant revulsion of the more ingenuous of the stu-
dents, forming the majority, against the disgrace of
being lorded over by such a man, became notorious,
land rendered it 'indispensable to cast his Learned
Lordship aside, and to exhume Sir Robert Peel from
the retirement of Drayton, then the Learned Baron's
organ, somewhat in the fashion of Macheath, professed'
satisfaction a, the latter event, but in so melancholy a
mood, and w'.th so bad a grace, that its hypocrisy was
laid bare, v.:bile its chagrin was manifest. Our politi-
cal " Jiri Crow," though used to

" Wheel about, turn about,"

with -wondrous agility and expertness, seemed on tins
occr.sion to have forgotten his art of dexterous evolu-
tich. Nor does he seem to have yet altogether re-
:gained his self-possession. Look, for instance, to the
lugubrious attempt yesterday to show buoyancy under
the heavy blow aimed and struck at Toryism by the
Town Council of Glasgow. There, hatred of his
master's rival, has given way to fury against those who
have exhibited a rather unpalatable sort of re-action
against the principles and party which our "Jim" is
now employed to cry up. The Town Council of
Glasgow would not be cajoled into an act whiti would
assuredly
have been made a handle of b'; the perfidi-
ous Tories in and out of Parliament--iftey refused to
bestow any honour upon the plausible, smooth-
tongued, and slippery Baron'zt, and scouted the at-
tempt to wheedle them 'Ant() an apparent approval
of Sir Robert Peel's public conduct ; and having
thus signally attested their hostility to Toryism,
even in its cloak and bonnet, the ribald journal
to which we have already alluded deals at their
heads a few of those noisome missiles which
of late have formed its armoury. Nay, it even affects
to be pleased at what has happened. Having formerly
essayed to appear pleased at the compliment paid to
Sir R. Peel by the beardless boys of Glasgow Uni-
versity, though that compliment, if it had any value,
was necessarily a severe stigma upon Baron Lyndhurst,
honest "Jim" now labours to look cheerful and pleased
because the Corporation of Glasgow have refused thc
honour of the eely Baronet's association. The article
opens with the usual magniloquent phraseology.
" There are," quoth Jim, " two modes of conferring a
distinction. The first and most obvious is the homage
pia by worth, intellect, all that ennobles our common
kind, to some surpassing fellow-man, &c. &c. &c.
The second mark of distinction is, however, still more
complimentary to the qualities just spoken of ; when
all that is mean, and base, and 'elle is brought to bear
against the opposite of those qnalities," &c. &c. The
English of ail this is, that Cie abuse of the base, &c.,
is " still more complimentary" than the homage of
worth, intellect, and ail beside that ennobles our na-
ture. Now, we must beg leave to demur to this
ethical dictum. It clashes with the laudari a laudato
too glaringly to meet the approval of the well-edu-
cated gentleman upon whom the vulgar scribe intended
to palm a bad compliment. But who is this " sur-
passing man" who has been, as we are told, doubly
distinguished, first, by " the homage of all that en-
nobles our common kind ;" and, secondly, and in a
-Manner " still more complimentary," by the opposi-
tion of " all that is mean, and base, and vile ?" It
is none other than Sir Robert Peel—he of whom the
Times (sneering at its origin and talents) wrote and
published not very long ago, that his capacity was of
a velveteen character, which wear and tear soon ren-
dered worthless ! And who are the " mean, and
base, and vile," venom that journal denounces—for
complimenting, mark you, the surpassing Baronet ?
Why, the Town Council of the city of Glasgow.
They are " all that is mean, and base, and vile," be-
cause they have indignantly declined to become instru-
mental, to the passing a cheat on the nation. If, as
the Times dissembingly says, the rejection of Sir R.
Peel by the Town Council of Glasgow is the highest
mark of distinction that could have been conferred upon
that " surpassing" master of face, wherefore, in the
name of wonder, all this flirt flung at them by one who
does really,
" Every time he turns about, dance Jim Crow ?"
If the homage of the " ardent youth" of a Scottish
University—[time was when the "ardent youth" of
Oxford and Cambridge were treated in a different
fashion by the Lyndhurst organ]—if this be a high
distinction, surely the surpassing piece of velveteen is
sufficiently distinguished, particularly as we are as-
sured that it constitutes the materiel out of which the
" certainly proximate Prime Minister of England" is
to be wrought. The Corporation of Glasgow havt
refused to allow it free importation into their city ;
whereupon " Jim" waxes wroth while he begs leave
to ask, " Is not this a political compliment to the
Right Hon. Baronet ?" His partisans did not think
so, for they struggled hard, and -had recourse to all
manner of stratagem and ingenious devices, in order, if
possible, to procure him the freedom of Glasgow, which,
according to the wheelabont print, would be a degra-
dation. Ah I poor "Jim," this is ghastly smiling--
these are mournful congratulations. The fable of the
fox and the grapes is a familiar one. Had Sir
Robert Peel obtained the freedom of Glasgow, the cir-
cumstance would have been trumpetted through the
land as a sign of the times—a proof of reaction in
favour of Toryism—a certain precursor of the down-
fall of the 'Melbourne Administration, and the Town
Council would have been lauded to the third heavens
as men of talent, virtue, honour, wisdom, wealth—
the depositaries of " all that ennobles our common
kind." But Sir Robert has been repwa'iated, and our
" turn about Contemporary would Fain make the world
believe that the rejection is the highest compliment
thar could be be paid the Wight Hon. Gentleman, and
that they who rejected I.l6—the selected town-coun-
cillors of a large wealthy city—are " all that is
mean, and base, P:id vile 1 " There is one passage
at the close of the article on this subject so rich that
we cannot o,eprive our readers of the pleasure we our-
selves dr.;rived from reading it. Here it is :—" We
must say that by far the most complimentary act we
ever could have anticipated in honour of Sir It.
Peel is what think you ? " the refusal of
the Town Council of Glasgow to inflict upon him
any public compliment. It'. is impossible not to
rejoice at this." Does Sir Robert think so ? Is
he rejoicing at it ? Is it the highest honour Ai:
ever could 'have anticipated? It were a stran(""e Coin-
deuce if the faction really rejoiced at that which has
given pleasure to the friends of P_..etorm. Now, we
say, too, that "it is impossible not to rejoice at this ;"
viz., the rf-iusal of the To".vn 'Council Glasgow o f to
confer public co'74liment upon a man who is in-
debt'ed for his w,sition to his opposition to Reform,
'Win) hates it perhaps in his heart more than Bafons
Lyndlitur,,t or Wharncliffe, but who, from his wealth,
is less dependent on thc party than the " bold Baron,"
and, can therefore take his own course. He has tact
enough to see that open opposition to Reform, though
it might be more comfortable to the more determined
Tories, would diminish his influence with the House
of Commons and the middle classes, and therefore his
system is to cheat and not to bully, and to obtain by
finesse vvlK.t it were vain to seek by force. The " ge-
neroul lend ardent youth" of the University have
scouted Lord Lyndhurst—the experienced age and the
Wealthy enterprise of the town have paid a similar
compliment to Sir Robert Peel. Is it possible for the
friends of Reform to have or to receive better cause for
beartlealt congratulation ?-211orning Chrmicle.
The position held by Lord Lyndhurst is not only
eminent as regards his Lordship's grateful admirers
Among the friends of the Constitution, but also
triumphant when reference is made to the enemies of
that Constitution, who are, it is almost superfluous to
Bay, the enemies of the Noble and Learned Lord. The
organs of Government are instructed to say that Lord
Lyndhurst has been personally slighted by the fact of
his not having been formally invited to the Glasgow
dinner.. To men of ordinary delicacy, it would ap-
pear that the peculiar circumstances attending the elec-
tion of Sir Robert Peel were of themselves satisfac-