The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-16 00:00:00

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OP THIS DAY.
CHRONICLE.—MarshaI Haynau has much t
answer for—not only to Austria and the house o
Hapsburg, but to Europe, whose peace may be fs,tall.,
disturbed, and to the whole civilized world, whit
may be indefinitely flung back, by his reckless an,
wanton disregard of the plainest dictates and corn
monest impulses of humanity. When the nev
French Republic first rose on the ruins of monarchy
it was naturally regarded with distrust; but ther,
was one of its early acts which conciliated almos
universal sympathy. We allude, of course, to the
abolition of the punishment of death for politics
offences. We are not discussing the prudence or pro
priety of following the example of the French in thi:
or any other country. We could name offences of th,
r most atrocious stamp—involving murder and rapine
in their most appalling forms—which would come
under the strict and literal definition of political. But
surely it is most indiscreet—to use the mildest forn
of expression—immediately after so remarkable r
manifestation of democratic clemency, to associate the
cause of order and legitimacy with images of vindic-
tiveness. -Let us admit that the late insurrection in
Hungary was attended by circumstances which de-
manded and justified severity, and that some of the
ringleaders, by the aggravated character of their
treason, deserved death. Surely the most sedulous
precautions should have been taken, by all the Impe
rial officers, both civil and military, to establish, be-
yond the possibility of a cavil, that justice was to
be combined with mercy, and that no unnecessary
degradation would form part of the punishments in
flitted in the name of the Emperor., W.t.say it with
deep regret, but it does appear to us, after making
every allowance for dramatic exaggeration in th
reports, both that the number of executions orderer
by Haynau very far exceed the utmost conceivable
demands of the emergency, and that the miserable
fate of Count Louis Batthyany will excite a thrill of
horror, and an irrepressible feeling of indignan,
sympathy in every quarter of the globe. "Count
Louis Batthyany," says the Oat-Deutsche Post, "ha(
voluntarily surrendered to Prince Windischgratz
He was one of the members of the
deputation from Pesth that waited upon the
Imperial Commander-in Chief, to effect, if pos-
sible, a peaceable solution of the struggle against
Austria. Since then he remained a prisoner, and hi,
name was scarcely ever mentioned. Suddenly it b
upon every lip, and the report is spread that Batthyany
is sentenced to die upon the gallows. The effect
produced by the report was visible in the counte•
nances of all, and many looked anxiously forward tt
the morning fixed for the execution; for although
the energetic measures of the state of siege set any
great demonstration at defiance, still something un-
usual was expected, either an act of mercy or an act
of despair. The morning came, and the dawn broke
upon an assembled multitude of many thousands
round a gallows erected on the Holz Platz. A
rumour suddenly spread through the crowd that
Batthyany had attempted suicide in prison. It proved
true ; but either the hand of the unhappy man 01
his energy failed him. Though he gave himsel
various wounds he did not deprive himself of life :
he, however, escaped the rope. Twelve hours
later, at nightfall, he was led out and shot. As
yet it is a mystery what influence procured
the substitution of powder and lead for the rope
Common report says that the wounds in the Count's
neck prevented the rope being used. Batthyany,
however, walked, it seems, with a firm step to the
place of execution, and before he fell, shouted in a
clear voice 'EI/en a haza I' or, long live my country !
A fearful silence pervaded the multitude at this salmi
moment. Some ladies, apparently of the highes'
classes, endeavoured to steep their handkerchiefs in
the blood of the dead man, but were driven back by
the guards." Ample details will be found in another
column, and we may take an early opportunity of
returning to the subject; but we could not refrait,
from at once expressing our deep regret, unfeigned
horror, and extreme alarm at such occurrences, which,
we entertain a strong hope, will be disavowed.
TIMES.—The citizens of Aberdeen are very bold
men, for they have plunged into the most furiously
vexed question of modern times. They have sud-
denly presented themselves in the field as th«
champions, not only of Sir Robert Peel's measures,
but, still more, of his motives. A diploma, written
in classic Latinity, records the public vote of these
learned Thebans, that Sir Robert has deserved wel!
of his country. Simple men ! Little can they
know the consequences of their ill-timed generosity
Is it possible that they have never seen the pages
where the statesman, his coadjutors, his supporters,
and his approvers of every degree are daily gibbeted
There are columns which are wreathed with festoons
every morning, fresh and new. Whatever fruit or
flower is uncouth to the eye, clammy to the touch,
or nauseous to the taste, contributes to those garlands,
while the more prosaic inscriptions with which they
are interspered contain all that is not complimentary
The demou of free trade, a more potent and
more unprincipled character than Satan him-
self, but embodied in the person of Sir
Robert Peel for the special benefit of this
unfortunate empire, is the invariable subject
of these gloomy honours. The citizens of Aberdeen
will now be added to the hideous category. With
Jews, Quakers, and money-lenders, they will now be
prayed for as iesolvents pray for their opposing cre-
ditors. It is not unknown to many of our readers,
on an authority so moderate, so charitable, and so
well-informed as to be above all suspicion, that there
exists a horrid conspiracy for converting all the phy-
sical and moral resources of this country into solid
gold ; and when our flocks and herds, our corn and
our hay, our woods and our fisheries, our industry and
institutions, the sinews of the labourer, and the fatness
of the soil, have all been turned into sovereigns of the
exact standard metal and weight, then to take the
mass out of the country and bury it in the soil of our
bitterest and most implacable enemies. Sir Robert
Peel, assisted by every variety of human baseness,
and by every perversion or denial of Christianity, is
the author of this truly diabolical scheme ; and to such
a man the wretched citizens of Aberdeen have now
tendered their adhesion. These honest burghers can
hardly know the fearful import of the words they
employ to express their infatuated homage. After
naming " integrity" among the less undeniable vir-
tues which have placed Sir Robert in the highest
rank of statesmanship, and after singling for special
admiration his "efforts to reform our currency, and
place it on a solid and permanent basis," the Provost
dashes boldly into the thick of the question :
"Nor must I omit to refer, though but in a single in-
stance, to the measures which passed during your last
occupancy of public office—measures which, I have no
hesitation in saying, have placed tho trade of this
country in a solid and permanent position, and will be
found ever to conduce to the prosperity and happiness
of the people. But, whatever be the ultimate result of
these measures, there is, there can be, but one opinion
as to the purity of you:' motives in bringing them for-
ward; and I take leave to assure you, Sir Robert, that
your reputation will yet grow brighter and brighter, and
your name will go down to future generations encircled
with renown."

We would not belong to Aberdeen for something this
next five years at least. There are hardly ten men
south of the Tweed who would venture on so unqua-
lified an encomium. We in this part of the world
handle the question of Sir Robert Peel's political vir-
tues much as a man might tread on flowing lava, or
on the edge of an icy crevasse. Besides the possibi-
lity of making a slip, the certainty of abuse is by no
means agreeable. There is a power in abuse—moral
or physical, it matters not much. In the noblest of
causes, a man does not like to be incrusted with mis-
sile dirt. Even a saint would not be tarred and feathered
every day of his life. Yet such is the inevitable fate
of the man who pronounces for Sir Robert. Judge
Lynch guides the pen, smearing the culprit with all
that would be odious, and adorning him with all
that would be ridiculous. As a matter of business
we in England shirk such a visitation. On the
personal question the Protectionists have almost a
monopoly of the field. They are allowed to con-
tinue with little interruption an amusement to
which they seem to find never-ending pleasure,
and which they invest with a superstitious value.
Thus the majority of the British people, with the
deepest thankfulness fur Sir Robert's measures, and
the fullest conviction of their necessity, leave his
motives to a higher tribunal,—not because they have
not an opinion, but because the question is more
noisy than profitable. Not so the citizens of Aber-
deen. Sir Robert felt the peculiar character of the
compliment. To be praised for his industry, his pru-
dence, his ability, and his perseverance, was only to
be told what everybody knows, and what nobody
denies. When the Provost mentioned his " integrity,
Sir Robert must have experienced a throb of agree-
able expectation ; but no ordinary man unknowing of
the political arena, its competition, and its prizes, can
imagine the transport the es-Premier must have felt
at the unwonte i vindication of his " motives." On
that hint he spake, and the good people of Aberdeen
may now bout of having drawn from Sir Robert
Peel the most emphatic and touching protestation of
political innocence which sympathy could elicit or
antipathy extort.
" Well, I shall not abuse your generosity. The free-
dom of your ancient city has been conferred on me by
the unanimous vote of the magistrates and council ; and
though from this I am not to conclude that every mem-
ber of that honourable body approves of every act of