The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-23 00:00:00

THE AFFAIRS OF THE EAST.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Allow me, through the medium of your co-
lumns, to address a fcw thoughts to the people of Great
Britain on the affairs of the East.
The efforts of the plover, when you approach her
nest, to prevent a disturbance of her young, the
mimicked agony, the pretended broken wing, represent
well the efforts of the aristocracy to draw the attentio❑
of the people from the nest of corruption at home,
while they conjure up some danger abroad to distract
the people's attention.
The Will-o-the-wisp of the present moment is the
Turco-Egyptian question ; and it is sought to lug on a
war in relation to it.

Before a nation engages in a war it should be satis
feed on some points, such as the following I—Whether
justice is on its side—whether the end to be effected is
worth the blood and treasure which must be bestowed
in attaining it. But, above all, it ought to be satisfied
whether the wants of its own community demand or
not its peculiar attention—and whether it is in a condi-
tion, without injury to itr own community, to sustain
the expense of it.
Can we allege, with respect to the present war, that
we are acting in accordance with the dictates of justice ?
If justice consists in allowing robbers to retain their ill-
gotten spoil, we are ; then why uphold the Turkish
empire ? In the 14th century the Turks having hitherto
supported themselves by rapine, hewed their way through
blood into Europe ; ever since their efforts have been,
as a glance at their history will testify, by the most
brutal violence to carry out the principle contained in
the words of Amurath IV., " that all Christian Kings
ought either to receive the Ottoman laws, pay tribute
to the Sultan, or feel the sharpness of his sword." So
much for the justice of the case.
What is the end to be attained? The integrity of
the Ottoman empire and the maintenance of the ba-
lance of power ! The first is in terms the allowing a
robber to retain possession of his spoils ; the other a
phrase used by wily politicians and fools, having no
meaning at all. But let us take things as they stand.
Egypt (like the rest of their empire) the Turks ob-
tained by the sword. Selim (who murdered his own
father in the early part of the sixteenth century,
without the shadow of a right, turned his arms
against it, vanquished the reigning Prince, and af-
fixed it to his empire. What had been so ill ac-
quired could not be expected to be enjoyed in quiet,
and, of late years at least, the Porte has with
difficulty retained its vassalage. After the eva-
cuation in Egypt by the French, Mehemet Ali became
the ostensible ruler ; and though his acts have not al-
ways been such as to merit honour from a Christian,
he has uniformly endeavoured to ameliorate the con-
dition of those under his sway ; he has ruled with
ability, maintained, for a long time, tranquillity and
order ; promoted commerce, encouraged the adoption
of European arts, established hospitals and schools—in
[ a word, he has done that which the Turks cannot pre-
tend to have done—he has governed. He is in a po-
sition he could not occupy unless the majority of the
people of the pachalics he seeks to administer were in
his favour.
The war, then, must be to suppress this man, and
put an and to his efforts to civilize Egypt. But it will be
said, he seeks to dismember the Ottoman empire, to
throw off the yoke of the Porte. If the people of
the pachalics are agreeable, he has a right to do so,—
(but care is taken that we hear nothing of the will of
the people). If Greece might throw off the Turkish
yoke, why not Egypt? But there is a chance of Con-
stantinople falling into the hands of Russia? So long
as our object was to prevent this, war was perhaps, ex-
cusable ; but the late Treaty, and the arrangement
made with Russia, rather increase the chance than
otherwise. If the foregoing is correct, the mere inte-
grity of the Ottoman Empire is not sufficient to au-
thorize the shedding of British blood, and expenditure of
British treasure.
What are the wants of our own community ? Are not
they of urgent importance ? Arc they not sufficient to
occupy our attention ? Ask the starving poor ; cast
your eyes towards Ireland, let the amount of the debt
occupy your minds—that debt incurred by the aristo-
cracy to uphold aristocracy, but the interest of which,
by the present system of taxation, is paid out of the
hard earnings of the poor. Is that system of taxation
to continue ? Has the Corn-law question ceased to
merit attention ? or is it no longer necessary for each
individual to maintain the inherent right, bestowed on
him by nature, but wrested from him by oppression—
the right, by representation, of a voice in making the
laws whereby he is governed? People of Great Bri-
tain, keep to these things ; suffer not yourselves to be
led from seeking reforms at home.
" Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen !"
Yours, /sc.
A LOVER OF LIBERTY AND PEACE.
October 2'2.

THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.—Towards the
close of her eventful career, when, after her divorce from
Bonaparte, she kept a sort of domestic court at Navarre or
Mali-liaison, she and her ladies worked daily at tapestry or
embroidery—one reading aloud whilst the others were
thus occupied; and the hangings of the saloon ut Malmai-
son were entirely her own work. They must have been
elegant; the material was white silk, the embroidery roses,
in which at intervals were entwined her own initials.—The
Art o Needlework, by the Countess of Wilton.
SUlClDE.—Wedtiesday morning, shortly after
seven o'clock, a man named Jones, who has for the lasto
2 n)
years been foreman to Mr. Mortlock, butcher, in La-
! both-marsh, was found hanging in the stable at the back
of the premises from a rafter, and the horse-rein round his
neck. His clothes were completely drenched with water,
and from that circumstance there is not the slightest doubt
but he had first attempted to drown himself in a large vat
on the premises. The only cause assigned for the committal
of the deed is, that he has been discharged several times
for getting intoxicated.