The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-13 00:00:00

infatuation, what lethargy had seized them ? .What ghost stood
in their way ? What night-mare sat upon their breasts, and,
in,spite of all their efforts., pinned them down ? For himself,
he saw nothing but the danger-of his country, and could look
to nothing but the means to save her. In her cause there was ---
no sacrifice lint he would-make, no 'hazard but he woueld en-
counter, and all the reward he sought was the glory of her ser-
vice:' In her 'cause he would say, with Hotspur—
" By 'heaven, methinks it were an easy leap.
To pluck bright honour 'from the pale-fac'd moon,
Or dive into the bottom of the.deep,
Where fathom-line could never touch the ground,
And pluck up drowned honour by the loelts.-;
But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship ;"
for, unless his Hon. Friende. would 'go all lengths, and make all
sacrifices of private interest for the public good, there was no
salvation for their country. " Virtue cola nobilitas" was the
motto of his heart, arid he hoped too deeply written down to
be erased by any temptation which the vanity of this world
could offer it; and it was there alone; and not to the mottos in
their shields, that true nobility and a high-minded aristocracy
would refer those who once looked up to them, and who
did so still whenever their conduct and example deceived it.—
The Hon. Member was convinced that he appealed to those
who were influenced by the same feelings with himself, and as
individuals wouldeniake those sacrifices which they deprecated
or despaired of as a body. Ile was convinced, for instance.
that the Noble Patron, whom his Hon. and Learned Friend had
represented, and not the people, in his late motion for Reform,.
would readily sacrifice his private interest for the public OA:
nor did the Hon. Member say it from his personal esteem of
the individual, but because the whole tenor of his public and
private life gave the assurance. So too would a host, of others,
thchllower of the aristocracy of the nation; and who., in thus
coming forwardn would carry the whole country with them e
not that he claimed the monopoly of his feelings, nor any merit
but that of treading in the steps of those who had set the exam
pie, and above all, that individuals who, upon the question of
Reform, and sill others involving the honour and interests of
his country, has ever stood forward, whether in or out of that
House, the firmest,- warmest, and most consistent friend both to
the CroWn and people. But to return to his Noble Friend
and others, who could not agree with them upon this subjece
of Reform ; what was the difference of their feelings, unless
that they were conscious of their own worth, but had a bad
opinion of the world, whilst the Hon. Member and his friends
thought better of mankind, and that others might be as honest
as themselves. - Fonthey believed that God has implanted the
same feelings in every human breast, and that education only
made the difference. Not the education of colleges and schools,
nor even writing or readng, but simply the education of example
and good Government. They contended that the Government
of a nation was like that of any smaller body ; nor could a
better parallel be found than in his own profession. Suppose
then a nation and a regiment, and the moral character and
conduct of each to be equally good and unexceptionable ; only
put a fool at the head of either, and it must fall to pieces. Let
the system of each be perfection itself, " of one entire and pers
fact Chrysolite ;" again he would say, put but a fool 'at the
head of either', its honour, pride, feeling, name—
" Yea all that it inherit shall dissolve y
And like the baseless fabric of a vision.
Leave not a wreck behind."
A knave in such a case was infinitely preferable ; for without a
heart, if he had judgment, he would learn that honesty was the
better policy, and might at last discover that honour, chivalry,
and a straight course, was the best road to his ambition. But a
fool had neither heart nor head; he neither saw nor felt beyond
the Circle of his own contracted mind ; and with the validity of
the knave, without his sense, give him only the power, he never
failed to abuse it. The Hon. Member hoped, that in that
House he had been no egotist; and that the silent votes which,
during sixteen years he had given in almost every instance upon
public questions, might protect him from the charge, if in sup-
port of his argument upon this important subject, lie referred
to his own experience for the fact. The case he would quote
was that of the regiment to which be once, belonged, and which
from the worst possible state of drunkenness anti neglect of
duty was, in the course of only a few weeks, hiought to the
highest degree of discipline and good order. And how was
this effected ! Simply by justice, firmness, humanity, and corn-
men sense., Governed by these
.principles, this regiment (as
stated in evidence before a Come) was considered as a pattern
to the service; and so continued so long as such system last-
ed. But the system being changed, the same corps which had
been the admiration cur the army, because its
.reproach, and
the object of the severestcensure of its Leader. And so it
hid been with this country; fOr she was once,- in every sense
of the expression, the greatest nation in the world ; but
she now stood degraded, insulted, despised, a bankrupt in
character and fortune, and what was worse, lest even to
the sense of her own dishonour. Nor was it his Om opi-
nion that he urged, but that of Eurppe and. the world ; and
especially that Government, whose strength and resources
were the main spring of those combined Powers, which, with-
out a change of system, must work the ruin of the country.__
Let the House look to the policy and intentions of the French
Government, and their opinions and criticisms on the speeches
of Ministers upon the Spanish and South American ques-
tions ; and it would find, whatever the case betwixt the Go-
vernments and the people, that betwixt the Governments them-
selves, viz., France, Spain, and the Holy Alliance on one
hand, and England on the other; that England, neither in
justice, honour, nor consistency, had an inch of round to stand
on. But to return to the present system. It was supposed
to be the law of nature, that all nations which rise and
flourish must in their turn decay. But the Honourable 'Mem-
ber contended that nations might always flourish, but for
'the moral causes of their- ruin. For Governments were 'moral
structures, easily damaged or destroyed ; but might always be
.repaired.or rebuilt as long as the materials existed.. See-Spain
for instance ! Was ever a noble edifice in such a state ef ruin?
For look at what she was, and what she is ! But etillethe mate-
rials existed, for it was the same country and the same people ;
nay, a better; for it had. been the education and improve-
ment of the people struggling, not only against the ipso.-
ranee and barbarity of their. Ruler, bnt the open hostility-of
the combined Powers, and the basest.treachery on the part of
England, which had produced the present chaos of horror and
confusion in that devoted, country ; for it was base to insult even
an enemy when fallen ; arid.how much more base, not only to
betray a friend, but to blacken his character to excuse your own
conduct. Not only to tear him-from his country, friends, chil-
dren, wife, and all that is dear to his affections ; but even to
deprive hint of the only cOnsolation in his misfortune e
" Who steals my purse, steals trash ; 'tis something, nothing :
'Twas mine, 'tis his and has been slave to thousands e
-But lie that filches From int.my good name,
'Robs me of that, which nofenriches him,
•
And makes me poor indeed:"
So the poor Spaniard, after bravely fighting in his- country's
cause, until his last hope forsook him, (1 was now cell, by those
who prayed for his success, a coward, and a fool ; nay worse,
an idiot ! For who hut idiots, in spite of all they had seen,
and was still before their eyes, could. prefer absolute mes
narchy and King :Ferdinand, to the blessing of Conetim-
tional liberty. But was ever assertion so utterly false and on.
fotinded ; so revolting against reason and common sense, or so
foul a libel upon the wisdom and justice of the Almighty ; for
if true, it at once reduced human nature below the level of the
brute creation. Arid who was the author of this libel? Where
had'he formed this opinion ? Where had he imbibed his knoiv-
ledge of mankind, and of the Spanish character ? In the Senate,
Conventicle, or public feast? The Bible Society, or Caledo-
oever,
nhs
tieaa
tne
i mighti ?fleeting tbei
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igdte
euu ttoonw.
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re
Member
le, Ve e ri
t.i t mightLook_
rep
atp:Gea
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tojerilii7anlhas
not he a Spaniard ? Look at his brave army, were not they all
Spaniards? And were there no other Minas in Spain ? Were
there not thousands of his countrymen, to .whom Cod had &en
the satin heartand understanding, and whoin Mina'snlacewould
have acted as he haddone throughout? But they could not allbe
leaders : and amongst those who had been,'Whanconntry bore.
the bell ? He would answer—Spain ! For ofall the heroes of the.,
present
ads lai soTea
day, in
and good a maninion,anti,he b
as Mina.
elieved,lithethiselyeofGoda;
it might, he was at least an honest man ; arid ()eau others.. the
most 'competent to speak to the character of his nation. ...:What
then said Mina, and every,Englishman, Frenchman, and others
who had been upon the. spot, and with whom the Hon. Mem-
ber who had conversed upon the subject? One and all declared,
that with the exception of the priesthood, there was net a man.
or rather a mind in Spain, but hailed, nonhated the Const;tin-
don. Mina too declared, (as the lloriotrable,MeMber COll-
- that if Ministers had sent but half their ships to Ca-
diz ; and by repealing the Foreign Enlistment Bill, had only
unlocked' the gate to let out British hearts to theecause of-in-
jured Spain; the flag of Constitutional lih6-ty would now be
flying upon every .thstress in the kingdotti ;-this,- too, Mina
declared was all they stood in need of, for as to sending troops