The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-27 00:00:00

PUIII.IC OPINION.

The Morning Chronicle insists that, so far from being
a free agent, Sir Robert Peel will be hampered at every
step he takes by the faction who have got him fast bound
to their chariot-wheels. The following are our Con-
temporary's remarks on this subject :—" That Sir Ro-
bert Peel will not be long in office before wishing the
Chandos clause were repealed, we verily believe. But
he dare not fly in the face of his masters. He knows
that the Chandos clause prevents him from discharging
honestly his duty to his Sovereign and to the people ;
but he knows also that he has no power to shake off the
yoke. The Duke of Richmond has only to wag his little
finger, and out he goes. In the serious times which are
approaching, it is of infinite importance that the people
should know their real position, that their force may not
be mis-directed. We are the thralls of the landlords.
They can make and unmake Ministries, and, as the Duke
of Wellinglpon observed, that if the people will not be
quiet they ought to be made quiet, so the landlords
make light of the inclinations or opinions of the Queen.
They can make her quiet. They have proved their power."
" Serious times" are indeed approaching, but far more
serious for the landlords than the people. Let the for-
mer then take warning in time. The days are past when
the many could be made to succumb in quiet the few.
It is now for the few to tremble, when the many express
their determination to be righted.
In another article, our Contemporary, alluding to Mr.
Peter Borthwiek's oratorical-display in the House of,
Commons last night, says ;—" Mr. Peter Borthwick rose
up, and straightway nearly the whole House walked
out This sudden and general movement on the part
of Hon. Members, reminds us of a fable in )Esop, where
the beasts are represented as holding a solemn council.
First the Lion addressed the assembly—then the Tiger—
then the Fox—but when at last the Ass got up to speak,
the whole meeting at once took to their heels ! We re-
commend this apt fable to the particular attention of
Mr. Peter Borthwick. _ _

We quote the following significant passage from the
Times :—" Beware of America,' said Mr. Grattan. Pray
what does this mean ? Many of the great communities
in the United States participate largely, they tell us, in
the feelings and designs of the sympathizers on the Cana-
dian frontier. • To seduce the subjects of Great Britain
with
from their allegiance is the main object which those
Ire-
land,
whichsympathizers
whaasv ein
originally
invited This
b
ytampering
O'Connell
him-
self, was first responded to at Boston, from whence the
resident Papists despatched to Dublin a violent revolu-
tionary address. More recently the Irish Repeal Associa-
tion has received a contribution of 100/. from its republi-
can approvers in New York. Who does not see, then, that
Mr. Grattan's admonitory warnings, coupled with his
faction's American machinations, are just a covert intima-
tion, or rather a very broad one, that the accession of a
constitutional Government is about to be villanously
perverted in Ireland as a plea for sedition and revolt?"
This is evidently put forth as a sort of feeler, in order
to try the pulse of the people, and ascertain how far they
will relish the sending of fresh troops to Ireland, and
carrying matters with a high hand there. Indeed the
Times confesses as much without disguise, for, at the close
of its article, it observes, " governed the Irish subjects
of her Majesty must be, and shall be." Now, we all
know the meaning of the word " governed," as applied
to Tory legislation in Ireland. It means neither more
nor less than a revival of the Orange system of misrule
in that country ; a renewal of tithe. hunts, Rathcormac
massacres, and out-door Protestant ascendancy ! ,But
will Ireland submit to this sort of government. , Im-
possible. She will rise as one man, and not-cease from
strenuous agitation till she obtains all that she has a
right to obtain at the hands of an English Ministry.
The Herald is quite indignant that Ministers should
have been so far forgetful of precedent as to put common
sense and spirit into a Royal Speech, and adds, that this
Speech "is little less than a declaration of war against
the rights and privileges of the British constitution."
Our Tory Contemporary would prefer a Royal Speech

modelled on the good old Tory principle, and containing
a " declaration of war" only against syntax and gram-
mar. We quote the Herald's remarks on this matter,
for they are exceedingly rich in point of absurdity,
especially in the comparison instituted between her
Majesty and the " leaders of the French Revolution!"--,
" We perfectly assent to the manly and constitutional
declaration of the Duke of Wellington, that the, lan-
guage which the Ministers have put into her. Majesty's
mouth in her Speech to the Parliament, is little less than
a declaration of war against the rights and privileges of
the British Constitution. It is an appeal to the passions
of the people against their known and deliberate judg-
ment, as expressed in the result of the late general elec-
tion. To make the Queen appeal to her beloved people'
against her ' beloved. Houses of Parliament,' is, in
fact, to make her act the part of the leaders of the French
revolution, who continually appealed from the Govern-
ments, as by law established, to the people, as distinct
from those Governments. Such is the mad, revolution-
ary, and traitorous conduct of the present advisers of
the Crown, who are now resolved to enter on a course
of the most factious and unprincipled opposition—nay,
to create, if possible, a backstairs opposition to any Mi-
nistry which does not carry out their headlong measures
of anarchy and revolution."
We find the following in the Post.:—"The amendment
to the Address is described by the Ministerial Journal-
ists, and by some coarse-Ministerialists in the House of
Commons, as an affront to the Throne. Instead of
going into consideration of the Corn-laws, the Ad-
dress acquaints her Majesty that Parliament has no con-
fidence in her Majesty's Ministers. This is called an
affront to the Throne. We say it is no such thing ; but
we may very fairly retort that the continuance of Minis-
ters in office up to this time is an affront to Parliament."
The Advertiser thus alludes ty the late Manchester
Conference :—" We hail the calm and philosophic dis-
cussion of the Corn-laws at the recent Conference ; and
the more so, because the banner of the Church has sel-
dom been upreared on the side of the people. History
furnishes us with too many instances of the tendency of
the clergy to range themselves on the side of arbitrary
power, and to forget, that their duty is to sustain the
oppressed, instead of supporting the oppressor."
The Nottingham Review observes, with reference to
the prospects of the Tories:—" If they use their power
with moderation, they may continue for many years to
direct the reins a state, but if they indulge in the old
vices of Toryism, and despise, insult, and oppress the
people, again will .they. be shaken off, as an incubus of
which a generous bid high-minded nation will be weary."
The Chelmsford Chronach speaking of the Corn-law
question, says :—" It is well known we feel no sym-
pathy with the Anti-Corn-law er,y ; we think the Go-
vernment to a great degree merit 'the ruin into which
they have recklessly flung themselves by an attack upon
the land ; but Parliareent having been specially elected
to decide on the proposition, it ought to give a special
answer. When it, shrinks from that answer it engen-
ders suspiCion of its inte,,'rity in -the minds of those who
are honestly determined to stand by a fair protection
to the soil.

The Derby Reporter expresses itself as follows on the
subject of the Manchester Conference :—" The minis-
terial Conference, at Manchester, must convince every
reflecting mind that the Corn-law question has taken
too strong hold of the public mind to be disposed of
without some material melioration, or a desperate
struggle, which must involve the land in continued
suffering and misery. The attendance of six hundred
and fifty ministers, at great personal inconvenience and
expense, from all parts, including the remotest dis-
tricts of the kingdom, speaks volumes on the urgency
of the cause which brought them together."