The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-02 00:00:00

WHAT IS CONSERVATISM ?

'What is Conservatism, is a question which the Times
has endeavoured to solve in several long articles.
The homely proverb says, much too hardily, it now
it appears, " You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's
ear ; ' but you may call a sow's ear a silk purse, and then
you may set about explaining the qualities and uses of a
silk purse, and. wherein it differs from the peculiarities
of a sow's ear.; but no matter how long or how learnedly
you lecture to such effect, the thing in your hand will
retain its unalterable characteristics, and remain, not a
silk purse, but the old original sow's ear.
Toryism is not what Toryism was. True, but that
does not prove that it has become the Conservatism de-
scribed by the Times, combining the improvement of
what is defective with the preservation of all • that is
sound in laws and institutions. The sow's ear severed
from the head of the most unclean and stubborn of crea-
tures is not what it was, the organ of a pig's hearing,
but the fact does not advance the argument that its
bristles have been changed to silk. The Times asserts
that the change of name suffices to show the change of
things ' • but the Times might at the Old Bailey have
learnt the fallacy of such an inference, there being a
Class of persons who change their names because the
hands' of justice into which they fall are apt to dirty
hem.

According to Sir Robert Peers definition of Conser-
vatism, which The Times accepts, Conservatism seems
to us to be merely a longer word for Toryism after the
Reform Bill. It is Toryism with a new start—Toryism
with a new departure, in nautical phrase.
It is pretended that there is this difference between
old Toryism and New Conservatism, that the Conserva-
tives are no friends of abuses, and are prepared to adopt
changes which the altered state of society may require.
And is it conceivable that any men could make any other
professions ? Could they avow themselves attached to
abuses ? Could they proclaim a fixed hostility to the
changes which the advances of society render necessary?
Could they avow the settled purpose to resist improve-
ment in every form? Could they declare that all exist-
ing defects in laws and institutions should be held by
them sacred and immutable? Imagine Sir Robert Peel
in a Tamworth address avowing that he was the founder
of a party determined to maintain the vices as well as
the sound parts of our laws and institutions, and firmly
resolved to resist such changes as the altered circum-
stances of society may require. There have been
Tories who have acted on such a rule, but there never
was one, and never will be one, frank enough to make
the confession. They can say nothing but what they
do say, that where they find abuses they will consent
to reform ; but the remarkable fact is, that this Con-
servative party, in the eleventh year of its age,basneyer
yet made the
.discovery of an abuse in institutions. It
pretends that it differs from old Toryism, inasmuch as it
has the perception of what the altered circumstances of
society require, but in what single instance has it, sig.
nalized its possession of this new faculty, every change
effected within the last ten years having been extorted
from rafter a strenuous opposition, with the one excep-
tion, indeed, of the Poor-law, as to which the party was,
and is divided, some, with Sir Robert Peel and the Duke
of Wellington, recognizing in it a change required by
circumstances, and others opposing it as an innovation,
despotic and unconstitutional in principle, and unjust
and cruel in its operation. Now it is fur the Times to
explain which of these two divisions are the true Conser-
vatives, and which the old Tories. The Poor-law is the
best test to distinguish the men of the new light from
the men of the old Tory blindness, because it is the only
change since the Reform Bill in which the leaders of the
Conservative party have concurred and cordially co-ope-
rated. Are then the Stanhopes, Newcastles, and Win-
chilseas, the Stephenses and Oastlers, the true Conser-
vatives, or the Wellingtons and Peels ?
Sir Robert Peel stands on two legs, and the Times
conjures him, for the better security of his footing, to
stand upon one, and to cut off the other and cast it from
hint ; but which is it to be ? which is the right leg,
which the left, of his party ? He has shuffled in his
present position by putting forth sometimes the one,
sometimes the other, Which limb of the party is to be
amputated, the forward or the backward, the violent or
the moderate ?

Sir Robert Peel is in the predioament of the Malade
Imaginaire, advised by his mock doctor to pluck out one
of his eyes to improve the sight of the other, and to part
with his left arm for the invigoration of the right. He
is told that he must adopt the principles of the party
which has raised him to power ; but he has been raised
by Lord Roden and the Duke of Newcastle, as well as
by men who dread their intemperance, and feel ashamed
of their bigotry ; and he has been raised by the Duke of
Buckingham, with his agricultural mania, as well as by
persons who are not prepared to consent to a complete
sacrifice of the commercial to the mistaken landed uitb-
rest. Both have elevated Sir Robert Peel to his position,
and which is he to throw down, in token of his adopted
policy ?
The Times tells him that he can afford a rupture, in
words Nthich seem to us to have the import of—" So
much for Buckingham."
The most difficult task for Sir Robert Peel, if he
strictly follow the advice of the Times, will be the politi-
cal regeneration required of himself. Sir Robert Peel
is, in fact, not to be Sir Robert Peel. The Sir Robert
Peel of 1841 is to be the opposite in conduct of the Sir
Robert Peel of 1829. He must renounce himself, and
all his shifts. The Times, an excellent teacher of such
things, plainly tells him that he must become a man of
principle and consistency.
Principle and expediency are, henceforth, according to
the same authority, to have their separate provinces in
the Tory policy, that is to say, there will be no principle
in their expediencies, and no expediency in their princi-
ples. Sir Robert Peel's Government is to act on inexpe-
dient principles, and unprincipled expedients. By the
latter the commercial and fiscal policy is to be conducted.
—Examiner.

ATstTill OfilUl 1,0 T 1
the pubSlc -mind in
la? ToulouseTS
The riotsß,...
France, and the columns of the J
of Wednesday declares that the rigids. The Moniteur
with activity. The end of this in e-
l inquest goes on
the prosecution of M. Arzae, thequest will be, probably,
one of the writers in the Republicprovisional mayor, and
taire.. As the quarrel is thus likelyan Journal, the Uti/i-
-agitate the public mind, and to be kept open, to
public mind, we will give the followingperilaPs more than the
given by the municipality of
Toulouse :--
• , " JULY 13.—MoNsiEu
events which have taken it
l LE
MINIEITRE—The serious
to,be made of them, in place
order to demand a succinct report
tion, 'until a more detail give you due informs-
day may be prepared. ed report of occurrences day by
" It was
on Saturday,the
pointing M. Mahul
pointing be Prefect, in the room of M.
Floret, was kn • ow n at Toulouse by a
Ministerial letter.
The cause of this dismissal,the ' and the name of new
Prefect ,determined the Municipal Council to resign, but
it consented to continue its functions during a certain
time, in order to give the Prefect time to form another
municipality. But on the sth the prefect wrote to the
Mayor, during the sitting of the Municipal Council at
nine in the evening, a letter, of which the terms, aggra-
vating for the responsibility of the administration, were
such, that the municipality resigned altogether and im-
mediately. .0n the 6th a Provisional Municipality was
formed, according to the law of 1831, and three of the
. councillors consented to accept the painful mission. Im-
mediately the Commander put his force at the disposal
of the civil authorities, and measures of precau-
tion were taken, there being no doubt that crowds
would collect before the Prefecture with demonstrations
of opposition, which hitherto had proceeded no farther
than IL malicious serenade. These provisions were jus-
tifie3. - The crowd was immense. Yet the Prefecture
was protected. There were hissings, hootings, and
cries against the Prefect, but without menace or aught
of serious hostility. The provisional Magistrates were
on the place to direct the employment of the armed
force. There was difference of opinion between it
and the Prefect. The latter thought the crowd and
cries to be insulting to his office, and wanted to have
the crowd dispersed. The Provisional Magistracy, on
the contrary, thought that the crowd should be per-
minded to withdraw withotlt violence, and it objected

to any • legal surainda to withdraw, as indicating
the immediate employment of force. At eleven
o'clock the crowd dispersed, and without accident. The
Fame day died General Cassagne, an old Municipal
Councillor and ex-Colonel of the National Guard. ,At
the demtend of the Colonel of the National Guard, the
Provisional Mayor summoned the National Guard to at•
tend the fueeral on the evening of the next day, the 7th.
At two o'clock on the 7th the Prefect wrote to the Pro-
visional Mayor. forbidding him to take any engagemen I
for convoking the Guards, because he had learned
that the Guards after the funeral, intended coming
to him, the Prefect, with - offers . of support . for thee
evening. At• five o'clock the Prefect having read in:the
papers the convocation of the National Guards for the
funeral, wrote a second letter to the Mayor. formally
prohibiting the convocation of the Guards, and Saying,
that he had been deceiVed. The Mayor replied. imme-
diately to the two letters, explaining the' simple reason
of the convocation, and defending its legality, at the
same time alleging that it was wrong to suspect the
National Guards, as' well as to address the-- provi-
sional Magistrates in • terms so unwontedly impolite.
The Prefect insisted on the convocation of the National
Guard being instantly counter-ordered. It was too late to
do this by letter, but one of the Provisional Council went
round, and gave notice and explanation of' the counter-
order. This, of course, increased the obloquy of the Pre-
fect and the exasperation against him. At seven in the
evening of the 7th the troops were stationed in the
Place of the Prefecture. The crowd was immense.
Cries of ' Down with Mahul !' were frequent and loud.
The soldiers advanced to remove the crowd, when stones
were flung, and it became difficult for the troops to
overcome the resistance. The lamps were broken,
and the crowd, driven back, repaired to the
Hotel of the Procureur-General. There, too, pre-
cautions gf defence had been made. The troops were
then ()bitted to be employed on different points,
and there ensued some isolated instances of collisions.
But the mass of the citizens did not fling stones,
and the great body of the troops remained tranquil. In
the hinder ranks alone the soldiers received blows and
returned them. The crowd dispersed at midnight, and
the provisional Magistrates published a proclamation
next morning. On the Bth the Prefect also published It
proclamation in which he attributed the disorders to an
error in the execution of the law, an error by which the
disaffected prefited, but added that in his hands still re.
posed the tranquillity of the city. This proclamation
produced a bad effect: It attributed the troubles to *
wrong'motive, displayed the dissidence between Pre-
fect and Municipality, and arrogated to the fon:Jet
the preservation of tranquillity, Which belonged by
right to the Municipality. The Municipal Councillor
went to the Prefecture and asked the Prefect
to convoke and unite them in asseinbling. He
explained their reasons in a letter. The Prefect
replied by a verbal refusal. The discontent continued,
and the crowds gathered again. A barricade was erected
at the gate of St. Etienne, but was easily occupied any:
destroyed by the troops. It was said that the !atter
entered several houses and made some arrest This %vast
denied by the police. On the 9th the P'rel'ect published
another proclamation, announcing that the last evening
was more tranquil than former ones. It stigmatised the
last resistance as a revolt against the law. The provi-
sional magistracy also published a proclamation. Rain
preventecfany crowd's on that night. The press, of course..
gave accounts of all these events, and mentioned the acts
of violence attributed to the military, near the gate bp
St. Etienne. Some officers of artillery went to the
office of the paper, and menaced to beat the editors,
The Prefect wrote to the Mayor, with the copy of
an anonymons letter, announcing that a 7110VCIlle3et
wtea
preparing in the interior of St. Etienne, and that the
National Guard were disposed to take arms, At eiglo
o'clock on the same evening, the Prefeet announced tLiee
the head-quarters of the troops had been tramp-hi-e' dto
the Prefecture. Against this the' Provisie';;
trates protested. The Press matall'.:
next day, and .the irritation of ;is knoWn'loinagthise-
h one citizens increased.
They returned to the Geuee:
uf•rioonfrothme promised that no
Tfnhr-
ther provocation come.l'
fur-
ther passed quief,e
y. But on the 12th it was easy
per-
ceive
that an enteral* was at hand. The artisan'quoitted
work, and from other symptoms the municipality warned
the troops. The shops shut, the streets filled. Barricades
were erected,- and stones flung against' the Prefecture.
The officers of the National Guard, but not in uniform,
went to the Prefect and asked him to convoke the guard.
He assented, and at sun-set the National Guard 'mus-
tered in the place and occupied the posts in conjunction
with the line. Groups then surrounded the prison where
those arrested on the previous days were confined.
Their liberty was :demanded, but the detachment of
the National Guard refused. Reinforcements were
sent in, and for a time the people desisted. But
towards half-past eleven the post was forced, and the
door of the prison assailed with a lever. The pro-
visional Mayor instantly repaired thither with a
stong escort, just as the door was breaking open, and
he prevailed on the assailants to desist. This was the
last act of violence of the evening, a man having been
previously killed on the Place St. Etienne. On the
morning el the .13th the crowd was greater • than ever,
and more menacing. The whole population, male and
female, was on foot. New barricades arose, and the
general cry was against Mahul. His departure could.
alone restore tranquillity. The telegraphic line was in-
terrupted.' M. Mahul at length declared to the general
that he would withdraw. This was announced by pro-
clanitttioe. M. Mahul departed. The National Guard
was under arms. Its intervention has definitively re-
stored calm. M. Plougoulm also deter Mined to quit
Toulouse.. Them was not a- siner 'cry througwattectrei.
against the King or the Government."

ROYAL VICTORIA THEATRE.

TINDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. OSBALDISTON.
La;t week of " Simian Hopley !" in consequence of the unpa-
ralleled novelty and attraction which will be produced toge-
ther 01 Monday next.
THIS EVENING, AUGUST 2.

The splendidly successful Domestic Drama, in Three Acts, of
SUSAN HOPLEY ! OR, THE TRIALS AND VICISSI-

TUDES OF A SERVANT GIRL.! -
William Dean, Mr. E. F. Saville ; and Susan Hopley y
Miss Vincent, the accepted Heroine of Domestic. Drama.
After which,
WOMAN'S LOVE! OR, KATE WYNSLEY, TEE