The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-21 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FROM TIIE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
(From the Morning Chronicle.)
We elsewhere insert a copy of a letter from a gen-
tleman in the United States to his correspondent in
this country, dated 29th December last. The Ame-
rican gentleman is highly informed on the subjects on
which he writes, and his statements are peculiarly en-
titled to attention at this moment. Of the value of our
commerce with the United States few persons in this
country have an adequate notion. But, then, the rapid
growth of the United States in population and wealth
constitutes an important feature in this commerce.
The American gentleman observes, that " a free
trade with the single state of New York, now con-
taining 2,4:20,000 persons, is of more value than the
whole trade of the peninsula of Spain and Portugal,"
but then the progress of improvement in the Penin-
sula is hardly perceptible, while the resources of the
United States are every year increasing with un-
exampled rapidity. " I regret," he says, "in the
examination before the Import Duties Committee
to find how few facts were brought out as to the ex-
tent and character of our trade with you, and as to the
resources of this country, which, under a restrictive
policy on your side and ours, may be brought into
competition with yours." The manufacture of cotton
goods commenced in the United States during the war
of 1812. "To show the rapid progress in manufac-
tures, I refer," he says, " to 1826-27, and we find we
only worked up 103,483 bales of cotton, of about
3401b5. or 3501b5. In 1883-34 it extended to 196,413
bales ; in 1838-9 to 276,018 bales ; and in 1840 to
291,279 bales, of about 400Ibs. each, equal
to 116,511,6001b5. of cotton." Our readers may
confidently rely on the statements in this let-
ter. But if the commerce with the United
States be of paramount importance to this
country, we ought not to neglect the means by
which that commerce may be continued. ‘• If," says
this American gentleman, " you would take our e rain at
a duty of ss. or even 10s. a quarter, we could se; I you
to the amount of from 2,000,0001. to 3,000,00 C: • and
the grain-growing States, if that were a pert:. start
rate, would at once extend the cultivation, and e euld
always, or in most seasons, have a surplus to Bart. ,' for
your cottons, woollens, glass, iron, &c." But what ie we
hazard by the continuance of our present restrictive -sys-
tem' The tariff question will come on for discussion -text
Congress, and General Harrison and his supporters are
understood to be more favourable to prohibitory duties
than the Van Buren party. "It is, in truth," he says,
" the great mass of the nation who favour this bad sys-
tem, and therefore it cannot be lessened, unless we can
induce your Government to repeal the Timber and Corn-
laws—and it should be done soon—immediately, to have
any effect on the new proposed tariff." The period is criti-
cal—the change in our system must take place soon,
immediately to have any effect in the United States.
No doubt the people of that country will do a very
foolish thing ; but we are not entitled to reprove them.
They are merely treading in our steps—with this dif-
ference, that they are better able to make foolish ex-
periments than ourselves. The millions of these king-
doms who are starved to make incomes to bankrupt
landowners, would do well to bethink them in time of
the danger with which they are threatened by the reta-
liation
in the United States.
(From the Morning Herald.)
We may congratulate the friends of order, and the
loyal supporters of our old-fashioned Constitution, on
the recent failure of one of the most pompous, but most
abortive, demonstrations which, even in Ireland, have
been yet attempted against the established Monarchy.
To contend that an attempt to bring about the repeal
of the Union by factious organisations of clubs and sedi-
tious harangues at public meetings, is not equivalent in
its theory and management to a purpose of subverting
' the Monarchy, is a manifest solecism. A skilful surgeon
' may have very original notions about the extent to which
he can carry the process of amputation without risking
the extinction of life ; but a reckless mountebank, who
should undertake veritably to effect that species of dis-
memberment which, in the mere fervour of his eloquence,
he assures his auditory at a country fair that he can
readily perform " without any sort of inconvenience to
the patient," would scarcely reduce his propositions
into practice, without arriving at a fatal issue. To
divide the trunk, for exomple, from the head, or to dis-
member the larger extremities from the trunk, would
prove an operation fatal to the subject, whoever might
be the operator. Now, surely, taking into the ac-
count the mere physical consideration of territorial ex-
tent and production, and the relations of geographical
position, Ireland is an integral member of the kingdom
of Great Britain, sufficiently extensive and essential to
the vitality of the united monarchy, to excite in every
reflecting mind the most painful conviction that the
excision of the one would be followed by the dissolu-
tion, more or less speeiy, of the other. On the 15th
instant, at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, an aggregate
meeting of the " Reformers " of Ireland took place,
at which it was announced, long beforehand, by all
the trumpets of the brazen-lunged and brazen-faced
section who worship the Dalton of Darrynane, that
"an enormous array " of the Peers and ancient
gentry of Ireland were to assist. In an advertisement
carefully sent forth as a " precursor " to this grand
field day, these " magnates" were marshalled with a
precision, as to precedency, which almost smacked
of the official arrangements of the Castle, or the herald-
hand of Sir William Beethain himself. But In ! when
the day came—which saw in the chair, indeed, an Earl
of Charlemont (I)—the whole of this patrician array of
between fiwty and fifty dwindled down into four or Jive !
Two Lords and two or three Baronets were all who
came down to do honour to the show. it was a " show'
in the paltriest sense of the word ; but the parties who
were to have been the principal " performers" on the
occasion, were not " all in to begin." The Noble
Chairman apologised for the absence of the Earl
of Gasferd, laid up with the gout. He deplored
\
the absence of the Duke of Leiestcr ; whether
absent with or without leave, did not very clearly
appear. The other great men had wit, at least,
atter offering their necks to the noose which the
Repenters had prepared for them, to withdraw them
again.
.Thee would not turn out. So, then, Mr.
Dillon Browne, a Dr. Moneeemery, and Mr. Henry
Grattan, seemed to take up the parts of the absent, and,
in theatrical phrase, " kindly to undertake to read
them." This they did, and with the usual success.
They made a bungling, miserable affrir of it, the absur-
dities of which would have been brought out in much
bolder relief, hut that they were followed by the prime
juggler, the great •Daniel himself. Meantime the avowed
intention of the meeting to discuss the Registration
Bill, and denounce Lord Stanley, expanded, of course,
into endless orations for " Repeal." O'Connell was, if'
possible, more intensely vulgar and mendacious than ever.
His abuse of Lord Stanley—whom he called a" a mieer,.
at
his exageerated and must false versien
ofoad p fondling"assage (I
in that
hat Noble Lord's speech. on introducing
his Registration Bill, wherein he deplored the prac-
tices of perjury and fraud to which the existing sys_
tern of registry gave rise in Ireland—were all in the
worst taste of the worst political charlatan of our days.
And then his efforts at. drollery ! Beyond the self-
complaeeet exhibition of his own boorish person, while
he twaddled about his " unimpaired physical strength"
and his " marchiega and countermarchings" (to use the
phrase of another vaunting impostor, Major Sturgeon),
the desperate effort of the Liberator seems to have
been absolutely deplorable. If we could imagine the
man guilty of any honest excitement, we should sup-
pose that he must have been drinking Father Matthew's
good health very fast, and not in _Boyne teeter. The
"speech," however, as reported, is too dull to justify
so pleasant an idea. We shall leave Lords Charlernont
and Brabazon to reconcile, as they best can, their ,
no-
tions of respect for the Constitution with their pre-
' settee and presidency at such a meeting. But how
"ti,
I could any gentlewen b- found to endure, apart from
the objects of the meeng such ferocious ribaldry—
! such insane chuckling—Rich overacted strainings at
! jocularity (every new effort being a coup inanque)—
las were combined in O'Connell's address 1 " Misery,"