The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-07 00:00:00

Tt E SUN,

be afforded a similar opportunity, at the nomination
for the West Riding of Yorkshire. It were a fitting
accompaniment to the national testimonial already
collected for presentation to the latter gentleman to
proffer him at the same moment the knighthood of a
gigantic shire. That would be a splendid consumma-
tion to the memorable travels of RICHARD COBDEN ;
it would be a welcome of suitable cordiality, after
his enthusiastic reception in the courts and cities of
France, Spain, Germany, and the Italian principali-
ties. It would Le a brilliant evidence, that if Europe
can honour an Apostle of Civilisation, England can
also honour a Patriot and a Benefactor.

We have repeatedly directed the public attention to
the suicidal policy adopted in Ireland during the pre-
paration for, and, in some instances, the progress of,
the present elections in that country. Ultra-Tories,
the most decided Conservatives, have been received
without opposition ; nay, even with the approbation of
the people ; while the most approved and tried friends
of liberal opinions, those who have served during a
series of years with ability, fidelity, and zeal, are,
with scarcely an exception, held up to public odium,
and subjected to all the expense and annoyances of a
contest, and too often deserted by the constituencies,
who should have felt honoured by the connexion. A
difference on one question is considered an amply
sufficient reason for a total oblivion of past services,
and of the very many points on which there is an
identity of feelings and sentiments. The late vener-
able patriot, the Liberator, who for so many years di-
rected the actions of his countrymen, would never
have sanctioned so ridiculous a course, the only re-
sult of which must be a weakening of the popular
party and an increase to the ranks of their most de-
cided opponents.
A pamphlet of great power and ability has just
appeared on this most important topic, entitled, " A
Word in Season to the Liberal Electors of Ireland,"
by a Graduate of the Irish University, which should
receive an attentive perusal and the most serious
consideration of every member of the class to whom
it is addressed, before he shall finally decide on the
manner in which he shall exercise his most important
privilege " the elective franchise"— a privilege
which may not again be conceded to him for many
years, and until after the questions of the deepest
interest, the most vital importance to the welfare of
his country, shall have been finally disposed of. He
may bitterly lament the error into which
he has been led by a feeling of temporary irritation,
but the opportunity, once thrown away, can never be
recalled. He inay find that the representative whom
in a moment of pique he helped to return, may record
his votes on every great question in opposition to his
feelings and wishes, but he will only have himself to
blame, and must remain, until a future election shall
afford him an opportunity of retracing his footsteps,
a political nonentity, or, even worse, a practical oppo-
nent of his country's rights.

The talented writer of the address to which we have
alluded has well exposed this absurdity. He says—
"A political leader is not justified in directing all the
energies of a people towards the attainment of an ob-
ject, either of doubtful possibility or remote success,
in such a manner as to be injurious during the conti-
nuance of the struggle, and, in the event of
failure, to leave them in a condition far
worse than that in which they originally
were, and incapable of any effort to redeem them-
selves. This is gambling with the interests of the
country, and perhaps few higher tributes can be paid
to the memory of O'CONNELL than that throughout
his entire career, with many temptations to pursue it,
he never was allured into this dangerous, though
very popular policy. His uniform course seems to
have been, while directing his efforts to one ultimate
object, to take care that the means he employed
should not be prejudicial to his country, and to
neglect no intermediate advantages he could procure
for her, but, on the contrary, seize every opportunity
of acquiring them." Would that the present leaders
of the Irish people—the children and friends of that
illustrious patriot—were guided and influenced by
similar sentiments ; then, indeed he would be spared
the pain of witnessing Ireland's ingratitude to some
of her most worthy children. The late rejection of
the Roman Catholic Relief Bill brought forward by
Mr. WATsoN, Q.C., a rejection chiefly to be attri-
buted to the unrelenting hostility of many Members
of tire Irish party, as it is termed, is well commented
on. "An English barrister (says the writer) pro-
poses to erase from the statute-book certain obsolete
laws, imposing pains and penalties on persons pro-
fessing the Roman Catholic religion. Those laws
are obsolete, because the spirit of the age would not
suffer their execution ; and education and enlight-
ment have shown the injustice and absurdity of them.
By one of them, the man who conferred the blessings
of temperance upon Ireland, and who has just been
honoured with a pension from the Crown, is liable
to transportation, yet members of the Irish party,
who were all for Ireland, without distinction of po-
litics or religion, could not afford to let this humble
priest walk independent of this law. The represen-
tative's of the metropolis, and the University
of that country, fur whose benefit they proposed
to forget all distinctions, made common cause with
their tolerant companions, and defeated the objects of
this liberal stranger. They retained a power which
they never can u-e. To quote the language of the
Irish orator, they showed their teeth, but they were
too loose to bite." And yet that liberal stranger--
the man who sought to abolish these atrocious enact-
ments, and who earned golden opinions for himself
during the period of his Parliamentary career—is to
be opposed in the Irish borough for which he had
been returned by a high Conservative. And if re-
jected it will be owing to the apathy, or, still worse,
the hostility of those from whom he endeavoured to
strike off the sole remaining shackles to elevate them
to perfect religious freedom, and to remove every dis•
ability and stigma. The conduct of the Whig party
of the present Liberal Government is shown to be
such, in every particular, as should have earned
the warmest gratitude of the people. It is
impossible to withhold your assent from the
evidences thereof put forward by " the
Graduate" in the most eloquent and energetic lan-
guage. Ills observations on the New Irish Poor-
law, by which " the present Government were boll
and manly enough to go to the root of the evil," and
which he designates as " the Bill of Rights of the
Irish people," are deserving of the highest approba-
tion for the soundness of the views put forward.
We deeply regret that our space does not at present
permit a further notice of this admirable address.
We cannot, howaver, refrain from again quoting his
opinions in reference to a possible opposition to the
re-election of the Master of the Mint, an opposition
which was then only meditated, but which has actually
since taken place: He says—
" Suppose, for instance, that the electors of Dungarvar,
should discard—air some one who calls himself a nation-
alist, and who may be useful to make or count out a
house—the brilliant advocate of their liberty, the fellow-
labourer and associate of their illustrious leader, to
yet paid funeral honours, do you
twhheinokgmatvlheieey)h'wi have
his
cl not
youth advanceand histheir
elocciauuseeneby
tsoucthhea
.ngareet:
Ht
struggle with which his name is associated ; and as an
Irish Catholic in the English Cabinet, he is, at once, a
brilliant trophy of their victory, and a convincing proof
that they deserved it. Aud if men desire rationally to
spread the doctrine thas Irishmen alone should legislate
on Irish matters, do they hope to do so, at a time when
three English Members do not agree with them, by forcing
into a prtoote .totion their countryman, who commands the
admiration of the Senate, and reflects honour upon them ?
I trust the constituents or this Right Hon. Gentle-
nurtns'tr7vho are
justly proud of their representative, will
of
you
who are
iitheraselves this dishonour. But those
Whigs. Yes ; but ital esoruusg dufeasyt
'object, that if you par•
sue the course which you will be practically
Inooutrysoauvewsilflrobme practically
sustaining
Tories. You eamiut prevent
one or the other."

The Austrian Cabinet has addressed
Pontifical Government, in whichit-s
a note to the
in the event of any disturbances in the declareded in that,
of the Church remaining unrepressed, or 'i°ll3
being unpunizhed, Austria would consider crimes
the Pop},
incapable of ;naintaining order in his States, and feel
'it her duty to interfere.
An Austrian array of observation of twenty thou-
sand men is to take up a position at Como, a few
leagues from Milan. The troops will be drawn from
the interior of Austria, in order that the army of
Italy may not be weakened. General RADETSKY,
Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian army in Lom-
bardy, had been empowered to act according to cir-
aumatance.s. It was reported that Cardinal FEER.Em
,hadb ill cr-nzqu(a.ace of that a;:tificaticzt crizre'd t11:'