The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-05 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Morning Herald, after ringing the changes on
Lord Ellenborough's statesmanlike qualities, proceeds to
observe:—" The country anticipates much from Lord
Ellenborough's government, and great, indeed, will be
the national disappointment should that Government fail
in developing the resources of India, in confirming and
strengthening British influence over the native mind,
and in raising the character of the natives themselves;
Christianity, civilisation; and commerce are alike
deeply interested in his Lordship's success or failure.
That success will prolong our dominion over! the
most glorious dependency ever possessed by any
European nation; that failure will tend to disassociate
the eastern and western portions of the globe."—
Lord Ellenborough is undoubtediy an intelligent man,
but we are not aware that the country anticipates any
extraordinary amount of benefit from his Indian legisla-
Lion. He has done nothing as yet, whether in Parlia-
ment or out, to warrant such anticipation. No great
public measure calls him its originator. No enlarged or
generous principle of policy has found in him an expo-
sitor. He is nothing more than a dexterous Tory
statesman of the red tape school; and the exaggerated
praises of the Ministerial Journals are perfectly ridicu-
lous. A mole-hill is not, and never ca„n be, a mountain.
The Times, speaking of the blessings of Tory Go-
vernment—which, like the longitude, are yet to be
discovered—remarks as follows :—" In no part of the
kingdom will the trutk of this remark be more power-
fully felt than. in Ireland. Not a single important
benefit, but, on the contrary, much practical mischief,
have the inhabitants of that country derived from
Whig sway. Their very Corporation Bill, on the
operation of which they are now entering, with
O'Connell as .Lord Mayor of Dublin, was passed in
its present form by the Conservative party, irre-
spective of probable temporary results unfavourable
to Conservative views. Well was it foreseen what
the certain effect of that Bill would be, in filling
the Town Councils of Ireland with 'Roman Ca holic
Radicals. But the Conservative leaders generously
trusted the Irish people.
No mean party jealousies did
they permit to interfere with their sense of duty. The
question, therefore, now is, will this magnanimous con-
fidence be reciprocated by those who have been its ob-
jects ? Will the people of Ireland, that gallant, noble,
and warm hearted people, refuse their confidence to the
nnly Government that can really do them service—a
Government, the head of which, besides having con-
ferred on them their best boons in former days, has re-
cently enlarged their liberties with no niggard hand,
and is now literally courting opportunities, consistent
with the dignity and duties of his position, to prove
himself their firm and impartial benefactor."—
It was but the other day that the Times abused the
Irish people.in the grossest language it could find. They
were then, " aliens," " savages, " bigots;" now, it
sems, they are "gallant," " noble," " warm-hearted."
Unlike the )Ethiop and the leopard, they have wholly
changed their skin and their spots ; and have become all
that our Contemporary could desire to see them. And
this marvellous change has taken place within the month,
for it is not longer since the Times bespattered them with
its muddy BillingSgate ! Possibly, in a few days, should
• Ireland.exhibit a natural distrust of Earl de. Grey's Go-
vernment, our weather-cock Contemporary. will revert to
its old opinion, and again denounce the 'ignorance and