The Sun.
London, England, 1824-03-25 00:00:00

HORNING CIIRONICLV,.]

We noticed yesterday the new light which has
broken in on The Courier, on the subject of the
result of the French Elections. Another Minis-
terial Paper, The New Times, seems also to
think that the French Opposition is not exactly
what it ought to be, though not for the same rea-
son—namely, that 17 out of 430 is too small a
number, but because they are not the right sort
of people, as " 17 Members of large property,
and commanding talent (they always go together)
Would form by no means so inefficient an opposi-
tion as The Courier seems to suppose." " Our
real and permanent Opposition," quoth our con-
temporary, " is an Aristocratic body ; and the
great want of France is a body of similar inde-
pendence among its Aristocracy. An Opposition
headed by such persons as Benjamin Constant,
Manuel, La Fayette, &c. &c. cannot have any
real weight ; France wants Bed fords and
Ilamil-
tons, Grosvenors and Lansdowne ; but these it
will be long before she will be able to form from
her impoverished Noblesse. It appears to us that
the error of the Journal des Djbals and that of
The Courier is the same. They calculate new
Votes, without considering the personal influence
of their possessors." It is personal influence then
which is wanted, is it ? The Opposition should
possess personal influence. Influence with whom?
The people to be sure. Then the people must
be something ! Our cotetnporary leaves the peo-
ple altogether out of his account. An impove-
rished Noblesse ! All would be well if the No.
bility were but rich. But the Noblesse were not
always impoverished. They possessed immense
wealth till lately ; but what did they do with it?
Dangle about Court; keep Opera-girls and Act-
resses, and make love to all wives but their own.
The only body which displayed any thing like
virtue, spirit, and independence in France before
the Revolution, was—not the I\4'ol)les—but the
Parliaments—men of the Long Robe, whom these
rich Nobles deemed beneath their contempt.—
" The common people of France (says Sir
William Temple) are as little considerable in the
Government as the children ; so that the Nobles
and the soldiers may, in a manner, be esteemed the
nation." The French nobility treated the people
with contempt, because tho people were nothing,
and they themselves were every thing. All that
they had to do, as the same respectable writer
observes, was " to have some war or other in
pursuit abroad, which may amuse the nation, and
keep them from reflecting upon their condition
at home, hard and uneasy to all but such as are
in charge, or in pay from the Court." Now, it
sa happened, from various causes, that the people
of England early attained consequence, and it
became necessary for the Aristocracy to influence
them. This at once accounts for the superi-
ority of the higher ranks of England to the
Nobility of F ranee, or of any other nation
in which the people passed for nothing. Where
merit and virtue are not necessary to success,
they will seldom be possessed. We have an ex-

ample of this in Ireland, where the Aristocracy,
being perfectly independent of the people, and
having nothing to dread from popular opinion,
adopt a very convenient code of morality. " I
wish to stand well with my neighbours," says an
English Gentleman, " and therefore I pay my
d ebts,perform my contracts,and avoid acting in such
a manner as would subject me to obloquy." " I do
what I please," says a❑ Irish Gentleman," I do not
care what my neighbours think of me, I pay no
debts, because no Sheriff either will or dare ar-
rest me."

[NEW Timts.J
The Times and Chronicle, which have been
very ill off of late for matters to grumble at, raise
a joint outcry against the Alien Act, which, in
the same breath, they are forced to confess is in
practice no evil at all. They say, however, they
dissent from the principle. Now what is meant
by this we profess ourselves unable to discover.
If nothing more is intended than to approve of
affording a ready asylum to persecuted innocence,
we as warmly approve of that principle as the ob-
jectors themselves can do. Nay, we go much
further. We would agree to allow private and
peaceable individuals to find an undisturbed re-
treat in England, even if we considered some
parts of their former political conduct very repre-
hensible. We would not give up a single fugitive
to the demands of all the Continental Sovereigns
united, if we were satisfied that he would really
remain in harmless tranquillity amongst us. Nor
do we see that in principle the Alien Act restricts
this large and liberal hospitality. Still it is
very conceivable that fugitives from other coun-
!•
tries may esort hither to carry on new plots
neighbouring nations, or even to stir up
againstiisaffection among our own people. What is to
be done in such a case ? What natural or social
right have such persons to be left to pursue their
nefarious schemes unmolested ? Does not com-
mon sense point out that every Government
should have summary means of removing dan-
gerous foreigners ? It is admitted that in point
of fact no power was ever so leniently,
so liberally exercised as the powers of the Alien
Act have been. But yet foreign incendiaries
must be kept in awe of some authority.—
We have often been surprised at the audacity of
individuals of this description, who have pub-
lished libels not only on their own Government,
but even on ours : we have known them circu-
late in private society the poison of the most per-
nicious principles ; but it never has fallen within
our knowledge that any one of these individuals
was seized and sent out of the country, which
perhaps not merely political but moral considera-
tions would have amply justified.

[BRITISH PRESS.] "
Now that the contested election for the India
Directorship is closed, we feel at liberty to make
a few remarks upon it. Having no preference ,
in favour of any particular Candidate, we had no
personal anxiety as to the success of. Mr. Mus-,
pratt ; but we nevertheless rejoice in it, because
we consider it as a triumph in behalf of inde-
pendence ; we rejoice in it as a breaking up of a
combination which has been strengthening itself
for years, headed principally by a certain East
India agency-house, sending three Members to
Parliament, and, though with address and skill
sufficient to plan its scheme of influence, has
failed in giving it effect. We have here another
confirmation of that useful truth—that the battle
is not always to the strong. It is true that de-
feat was never exemplified, that we remember, in
the celebrated battles of Alexander, and yet he
stretched his sceptre over the East, and sub-
jected all the provinces of India to his sway ;
but l3ayle says of the Macedonian Conqueror,
that he was "le plus extraordinaire de teas
hommes," which will account for it ; and the
India sovereignty moreover did riot then, as now,
reside in Threadneedle-street. Had Mr. Tucker
not been worsted in the late contest, the firm we
advert to, united like the Theban band, had
ready on their list three or four other Candidates,
whom they would have started in the regular
order of succession. But the Directors, some
time since, very generally discovered the pro-
ject, and they have now given a mortifying rap to
the projectors. Indeed, a very sensible individual
among them—at this moment unhappily labour-
log under a sudden and severe indisposition—
very shrewdly remarked," that if this combination
succeeded, the East India House would soon be-
come as close a borough as Old Sarum." Although,
after what we have here said, it will be seen
that we had no wish to congratulate Mr. Tucker
on his success, we still cannot regard bat with
the utmost indignation the mean and unmanly
expedient resorted to for the purpose of throw-
ing him out. An Englishman has the character
of being a generous enemy. The reviving, by
public placards, the memory of any act, which a
man's virtues have long since buried in oblivion,
is an act of the most pitiful and paltry opposition.
The Editors of the John Bull and the Indian
Observer newspapers degrade the public press,
and disgrace themselves, by resorting to a mode
of attack which every gentlemanly mind would
shrink frurn, and every honest man must despise.
It is not only the most mischievous, but the
basest species of cowardice. In an honourable
contest for place or power, no man need be
ashamed of having failed ; but they may well be
ashamed who could act against him in a spirit at
once so mean and so malicious. We hope never
again to witness a proceeding so disgraceful, re-
sorted to for a purpose so unworthy.