The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-24 00:00:00

X.l

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THE TORIES AND SIR R. PEEL

(From the Examiner.)
What's to be done with Sir Robert Peel ? is now be-
coming an urgent question. In the words of the old
epigram, the Tory party can neither live with him nor
live without him. They murmur against him, they
mutiny against him, they reproach him, they revile him,
they insult him, but yet they suffer him ; but the ques-
tion is, can he much longer suffer them ? He is neces-
sary to them, and they use and abuse hi:n ; but they
omit to observe that while they abuse him they damage
him for their uses. To broil( their utensil, without
breaking with their utensil, is the character of their
conduct. Their only presentable leader in the Com-
mons they mutilate and cover with dirt. Aversion, which
for some time confined itself to sneers and disparag-
ing hints, has burst out upon this privilege question,
because it is now seen that it might have been turned
to golden uses of faction if Sir Robert Peel had either
not so early committed himself to the course of duty, or
bad retraced his steps on seeing that a path to office laid
over the ruins of the privileges of the House. For this
single preference of public virtue to the interests of fac-
tion, see how the Tory Chief is treated by his own
-gan, the Times. In its leading article, giving a sum.
ary of the proceedings in Parliament, which is gene-
al'; written, if not with absolute fairness, at least with•
u bitterness, or the insolence which characterizes the
other editorial productions, a deviation is made "from
ordinary moderation and forbearance of that part of the
Times for this fling at Sir Robert :

" It is a sad sight to see the Right Hon. Baronet, night
after night, floundering on in the labyrinth of error, into
which his want of perspicacity led him, and not having the
manly courage to confess his mistake and retrace his steps."
The next day this is made the text for a letter to
Sir Robert Peel, which is honoured with the distinction
of the large type leaded (as it is technically called), like
the editorial articles. Of this contribution (real or pre-
tended) the writer signs himzelf "'with much abated re-
spect, Harmodius." Much abated respect !—why there
is not a trace of respect in the long strain of objurgation.
It is insult, expressed or understood, from beginning to
end. The attack has been kept up in the columns of
the Times. The following day was admitted the dis-
covery of a correspondent :
" Sir—l have for some time doubted Sir Robert Peel's
moral courage. I am grieved to say, my opinion of his
talent, also, has now had a shake."

And another contributor commences a long letter
with a menace of the punishment of Sir Robert at the
next general election, if he do not forthwith repent and
recant. Sir Robert is now " Robert the Devil," with
his party. The revolt is breaking out in overt acts, and
how is it to end ? flow are the leader and the fol-
lowers who pelt him With abuse, to work on together,
pulling different ways, and hating, despising, and openly
scorning each other? What is to be the denouement
of this new play of " Rule a Chief and tlave a Chief ?"
The appearances would denote a rupture, and Sir
Robert Peel's assignation of his irksome post ; but we
do not anticipate any such event. We have seen this
state of things once before—we have seen its conse-
quence, and we shall see a repetition of the same effect.