The Sun.
London, England, 1824-12-30 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD.]

If we are to credit all that is stated relative to
the late proceedings in Ireland, they appear to
possess no small degree of that which unfortu-
nately appears to infuse Itself, more or less, into
every thing now.a.days—we mean humbug. On
one day Mr. O'Connell, it is said, dines with Mr.
Plunkett ; on the next, the latter holds his guest
to hail fur sedition. The reporters, who are
supposed to know every thine, when called
upon to give evidence, declare, one and
all, that they know nothing. Then come
some awkward quotations from Mr. Plun-
kett's own speeches at the time of the
Union (a period of acknowledged ferment),
vontaining expressions said to be quite R 9 strong
as those imputed to Mr. O'Connell. Then the
Catholic Parliament meets, " full of sound and
fury," and vote their supplies with a mock so-
lemnity quite ridiculous ; and this scene of the
drama concludes with these advocates of liberty
directing their Attorney.(General) to prosecute
the Courier newspaper fora libel I In all) or most
of this, there is abundant room for ridicule ; and
yet it Is all connected with a subject which the
people of Ireland, and indeed of the Empire in
general, are called upon to view as one of vital
interests: • The last topic we have alluded to is
curious enough ; and is an unfortunate, and, we are
sorry to say, too common an illustration of modern
principles of liberty'. As far as we have observed
the proceedings of the Catholic Association, they
have not been wauting in that quality which
they seem to admire so little in their opponents ;
and if consistency were to be looked for in
zealots of any kind, we should think that prose.
cutions for libel were the last things that the tem.

perance of these gentle►nen would have suggested
to them. But, alas! how hoodwinked is poor hu-
man nature; while the beam which deadens and
obstructs our own, at best, but imperfect vision,
leave us but just light enough to discover the
mote which is in the eye of others. Referring
to the subject generally, we should say,
that the proceedings on both sides are far
from being of that enlarged and liberal nature
which we should expect from persons who, on the
one hand, direct the public affairs, or, on the
other, are looking for a share in them. The
Press—the Press--that is the thing which equally
delights and annoys them. While it gives vent
to their owtyviews, in language however unmea-
sured, they extol it to the skies ; hut when it
assails or answers them, when it foils them at
their own weapons, they are ready to proclaim it
the curse and scourge of the country. We do not
anticipate much fame to. Mr. Plunkett from
his proceedings against Mr. O'Connell (which,
as we have already hinted, were intended, We
should think, to act rather as a caution than a
puniihment) ; still less do we think the Catholic
prosecutors will help their cause by endeavour.;
lag to stifle in this manner the arguments of their
opponents. This is not the way to pacify Ire-
land, or to serve even their own fair views. If
the 'Catholics wish to subdue intemperance
and zeal- in their opponents, they should set
an example of temperance in themselves. It
they .wish :to serve their country, they should
let us see themselves adopting a more liberal and
enlightened 'spirit. 'The world must have existed
for many years in vain, if we huve now to
tight a wordy war about first principles and self►sh
dogrnatlsms; The state of Ireland and of its
population, both Protestant and Catholic,' re-
quires very differeßt palliatives to these. Let
the lauded gentry of Ireland, let the men' of edu-
cation, and those who possess local knowledge,
come forward and state what is wanting ; they
are entitled to be heard. Their views are those
which should influence the Government. And
let not.a herd of hungry laWyers on either side
run away with the oyster, while 44 the pearly
shell " tame is left to ,those whom they profess
to serve.

-

[MORNING GHRONIGLIi.]

Our contemporarY of rise Courier has become
quifellO niferild itlah since his Columns have been
devoted to Irish affairs.' From a. staid well4e
hayed -
gentleman, who took every thing good
humouredii, liicuthe Fonahman of Goldsmith—
, "Pleased with Womb' whom all the worklun please,"
to "" become as wild 'es t young -orator from
Connawrn,nginus on his first appearance at the Eccen-
Wei. Lo was net more stli?iitne in ironi-
log of the 'Soblime than our contemporary is
Irish in treshti, 'of the Irish. The soft
insi-
nuating tone halßiven Piece; God help Ps, to a
him, so toad and'illatruin -
e•should be afraid to look on
g are his tones. Corne-
lius
downright
ehro:
has thietii;dosed. w it If Phrygian,
OrAe has wrought'himheir 'into a phreozyln the
Turkislrfashionn. Welhould not be at ail surpri
eetivif some 01 morningshis consciousness
should bets bard-lasked as vial thavof the 44 Mile.
Ale" In the old 'United, and that. ha.shOuld exClitith,
ad rubblog,hit eyes,:“ this is no the:" The worst

of the matter is, that our contemporary loses in con-
sistency as he gains in violence ; and that if he is as
loud as an Irishman on a fair night, after the
second pint of Puttee!), he seems equally re-
gardless of coherency. So far the change affects
us materially, because, for we could not be more
at a loss with the propositions ofJacob Boehmen,
than we are with our worthy contemporary.—
For instance, no' longer ago than Tuesday, our
contemporary, after exclaiming in his alarmingly
fervent manner—
" Who would not shrink with instinctive loathing from any
cause which courted—nay, which was absolutely proud of—the
most prostituted pen that was ever held by a human hand ? Do
we require to be told that there4,s carrion, when we see the
unclean birds of the air at their tout repast ? In the same
breath almost, Mr. O'Connell launched his silly menaces
against The Courier, and dribbled out his frothy panegyric
upon his new ally (Cobbett)."
After such exclamation, we say, and after allud-
ing to 44 orgies of Catholic disaffection," &c. our
Contemporary proceeded to observe--

" We shall not stop to illustrate the singular, yet instructive
anomaly, of a public body, held together for the avowed pur- '
pose of seeking liberty, using or attempting to use the means
it fancies . itself to possess, to crush , that favourite liberty of
all—the Liberty of the Press. The thing is neither new nor
strange. The. most intolerant are the seekers of toleration ;
the, most tyrannical—the Apostles of freedom. Intensely sel-
fish—they aim only at what they deem their own good ; and
would trample down eve opposing obstacle of truth and jus-
tice In their progress. SVhy does this blustering Association
talk of prosecution ? Because it would fain silence by foul,
antagonists whom it cannot overcome by fair, means. The
power it dreads it would gladly intimidate. The hope is vain;
the experiment ridiculous ; the principle detestable. If, how-
ever, we could feel proud of so poor a victory as that of having
driven this Association to an act of desperate folly, our triumph
is surely-complete. It is the last refuge of a baffled faction, to
invoke the ambiguous aid of the law, in order to get rid, if
possible, of a' too formidable antagonist. Public questions
should stand or fall by public dismission."
On hearing these sentiments we hailed the acces-
sion of our contemporary to the good cause. No,
thing more true than, that 44 public questions
should stand or fall by public discussion,"
thotigh it astonished us not a little to hear such
an avowal from him. We had just a little
before expressed the same opinion, and de-
precated the :prosecution of The Courier as
a measure which was only calculated to bring
odium on the Catholic Association in Eng-
land. A Court of Law, we observed, was
not a proper arena for discussion ; its rules
were not calculated to pro Mote the elucidation
of truth. We accounted for the suddenness of
the conversion of our contemporary to the right
side, by a'supposition that his conscience had
been enlightened by the same cause which en-
lightened that of Henry the Eighth--a regard
for himself. That man must be an ardent lover
of discipline indeed, who extols flogging on the
eve of his tasting the cat-o'-nine-tails."