The Sun.
London, England, 1823-11-13 00:00:00

LIBERTY AND EQUALITY.

EDlTOlt—Necording to the doctrine zea-
lously piopagated by the apostle of Jacobinism
and of Radicalism, which I apprehend to be one
and the same thing, Liberty and Equality, are
the unalienable right of al,l men. Those words
have no doubt a pleasing sound, and are well cal-
culated to convey to the unreflecting multitude
the idea of something inexpressibly just and highly
advantageous. But before it yields implicit faith
to the truth of this doctrine, the cool and reflect-
ing mind may be allowed to make some enquiries
into the precise signification of these talismanic
words. A. state of absolute liberty is a chimera,
wholly incompatible with the disposition and
passions of mankind, and as little to be found
amongst the wild Indians of America, as amongst
the more civilized nations of Europe. The very
idea of it is incompatible with any notion of social
order, and its partizans must either be prepared
to admit that a state of anarchy or barbarism is
the most conducive.to human happiness ; or that
what they preach is altogether impracticable, and
therefore absurd. The advantages immediately,
derived from society are too obvious to bear a de-
nial, whilst it may be safely asserted that man is
essentially and instinctively a social animal.
Scarcely does he enter into life than he begins to
feel his dependence, and this sentiment accoms
panies him throughout the whole of his career,
and terminates only in death. The feebleness of
his infancy places him under parental autho-
rity, while ,his passions, his necessities, and
his weakness, in a more advanced age, com-
mand his submission to the laws of social order.
No sooner does he begin to reflect, than he finds
it for his interest to be obedient to the laws
which procure his individual advantage, whilst
they secure the general welfare of the community.
These laws do not deprive him of any portion of
liberty, that can in the least tend to his own
comfort ; they merely restrain him from doing
that to others, which if done to himself, must
prove contrary to his interest, or destructive of
his happiness. Man enjoys all the freedom of
which his condition in this world is susceptible,
when his property, his person, and his life are
effectually protected by laws, which permit the
practice of every virtue, and condemn only the
vicious and criminal propensities which too fre-
quently sway the human breast. As long as man
remains exposed to the baneful influence of his
passions, an influence to which he must be ever
more or less subjected,his absolute liberty would
prove injurious to his fellow-creatures. How,
indeed, are we to reconcile self-interest, ambi-
tion, avarice, with absolute liberty ? Are not
these passions the main spring of our actions ?
And must they not ever prove destructive of ab-
solute liberty.? The wild Indian, it has been
said, is born free. True; and he roves freely
through his native wilds, and he will seek in his
native woods the means of satisfying his appetite :
but whilst he boasts of his freedom, will he turn
a deaf ear to the suggestion of avarice ? Will he
fail to resent the encroachment of another tribe,
no less free than himself ? No, we find this
pursuit of simple nature, this unsophisticated
child of liberty, no less avaricious, no less ready
to oppress his neighbours, and far more barbarous
and sanguinary, than the most cruel oppressors
of the human race. The freedom which he claims
for himself, he denies to others ; and like the
revolutionary demagogue, he talks of liberty,
whilst he dooms his fellow men to captivity and
death.
The idea of perfect equality is no less absurd,
and still more unnatural, than that of absolute
liberty. Some shadow of the latter may be found
in nature ; but of the former, not the least trace
can be discovered. The productions of nature
are not more varied than are the mental and
bodily qualities of men : and where this is the
case, how can perfect equality exist. Men are
all born equal, says the deniocratical advocate.
Yes, men are indeed all born equally to contend
through life against passions, which it is their own
interest to subdue ; and find in the grave the
term of all their worldly hopes and fears, to re-
ceive in another world the punishment or the
reward, which their actions in this will have
merited. In this, and in this only, consists their
perfect equality ; in every other respect, it call-
net possibly exist. But, it may be added, that
-men are all born with equal rights. True again.
Then are all born to inherit those rights which
social order has assigned to each individual mem-
ber of the social body ; and claim from the laws
protection for their person, and the free enjoy-
ment of their own property. These are the
rights of men; and these are rights which he
enjoys as long as he remains an honest man, anti
a faithful subject. But, if we may judge from the
conduct of the French Revolutionists, they gave
to the word equality a very different signification
In no country, indeed, and under no form of Go.
vernment did less liberty and equality exist, than
under that which took for its motto, " Liberty,
Equality, or Death." Where VMS liberty, whey
one opinion alone was tolerated ? When thou.
sandsitt
house
of?o fmiirnii
rttlaai teel uglauvlaasisi wtc,y eh
‘tevnagse imprisoned,
into a vast r e
therel
l:
wholei
t►isv,icltiin: ?inthtehopslentdldaeyrse,r, and the
ty
truly de-
nominated
ul.aniite ra en(di
?o
error, neither liberty
re
ingonre
dequality
were to be found, death alone reigned tniumn.
ptenlqu tuntail
atyg:s: it
revolutiontktnagog of
tles understood n;'detirscteoos(lmuiblyd
liberty
a ibertlyesasnodn
wasst gaapacvrettiiicealraillustration odf what
ispa s .
were to be found, death alone
populart
The
sionate a true idea of this signification. The dif-
ference in bodily strength' and in mental ca-
pacity that exists amongst i nen, whilst they de-
monstrate how absurd is
the idea of absolute
equality, prove the
impossibility of absolute
liberty. Some men
must be stronger
others; and in
This seems, indeed a general
lawg
beelms ? We are
been
all ages,
hatsurrounded
equality the
strongis
ilia
ndq
therei'ave between
theoppress.
ed the weak.
ilrr
the hawk and the spar.
row, the spider and the of
nature.
and the he lamb ;
eu
de el beeend
landess
said that no two leaves
bel
thevsr
variety
workingt
exactly alike canfound upon the same tree;

and the amiable St. Pierre trisgerts, that the in
sects that. visited his strawberry plant, were so
different in most respects, that,he, abandoned the
idea of classing them. has equality then really
no existence ? Is it an empty name, or useful
only as an instrument of discord ? No, there does
exist a national equality, that which alone should
satisfy the utmost wishes of a reasonable being.
It is the equality which the British Constitu-
tion grants to every subject; which distributes
justice with an impartial hand to every 'class of
citizens, which protects the poor and the lowly,
as well as the rich and- the great of the land.
May every Briton duly impressed with the truth,
turn a deaf ear to the voice of popular demago-
gues, and ever cheerfully lend his helping hand
to support the venerable fabric with the existence
of which, his peace, his happiness and his pro-
sperity, are essentially connected.

A. P•

DAMP WALLS.—The following method is red
cemmended to prevent the effect of damp walls
upon paper in rooms. Line the damp part of the
wall with sheet-lead, rolled very thin, and les'
tened up witl small copper nails. It may be jai'
mediately covered with paper. The lead is not
to be thicker-than that which lines tea-chests.
Mr. AMIN'S Method of Preserving Iron and
Steel from Rust.—Greasy and oily, or resinous)
substalices have hitherto formed the basis of the
different preparations proposed and employed for
this purpose, but in the former, •when rancidity
-an acid
liastpterro,duxedn which
dry corrodes
comest
e i i•oonn; are apt to
crack, and thus afford an inlet to moisture.--
But melted caoutchouc, or India rubber,
found to possess peculiar advantages in pre'
serving the surface of iron from being acted on
by the atmosphere, arising from its little sus-
ceptibility of chemical change when exposed to
the air, from its treacly consistence under
all ordinary temperature, from its strong adhesion
to the surface of iron or steel, and, at the same
time, from the facility with which it is removed
by a soft brush charged with warm oil of turpen-
tine. The finger, or a soft brush, are the most con-
venient implements for applying the caoutchouc;
and as soon as the article has been covered, it
ought to be set up ou end, in order that the ex-
cess may drain, which will take place in a day
or two. The temperature for inciting caoutchouc
is nearly equal to that required for the fusion of
lead.
Rice GLUE.--An elegant cement may be made
from the rice flour, which is at present used for
that purpose in China and Japan. It is only ne'
cessary to mix the rice flour intimately with cold
water and gently simmer it over the fire, when it
readily forms a delicate and durable cement, to
ppt t+
ps
et erli
obluiltyaadimlsiwraebrilnygnadlalpttheed pfourrij)ooisieilsnogftcoogmetmheorn
tasteful ornaments which afford so much ernploc
card, &c. in forming the various beautiful an
meat and amusement to the ladies. When me!
of the consistence of plastic clay, models,
`o
the basso-relievos, &c. may be formed ; and the ark'
'
ales, when dry, are susceptible of a high P°ll'"
and are very durable.
TOAD IN A SOLID ROCK.-The workmen en'
gaged in blasting rock from the bed of the Erie
Canal, at Lockport, in Niagara County, Unitea
States, discovered in a small cavity in the rock''
a toad in a torpid state, which, on exposure .
the air, instantly revived, but died in a few 017
nutes afterward. The cavity was only
enough to contain the body without aili
room for motion. No communication exist,,ria,l
with the atmosphere, the nearest approach toirii
surface was six inches through solid rock.sLe 00
not mentioned whether the rock was sand•
or lime-stone, but from the prevalence Of dime
stone on the surface of the contiguous count/ft;
may be presumed to have been the latter'
I:re,
fessor Silliman, in whose Journal this feel short
corded, supposes that the recovery, Or 45, sad-
period, of the functions of life in anima' stor.
denly evelopped in a state of earth, wheliZ,e9. the
ed to the atmosphere, may be, more or'I" '
effect of galvanic action. close hi
„roc A SINGULAR OCCURRENCE
took ma by
rt''
the stream of Saxthorpe, near Holt, on theied
ing of Saturday week. A cottage, "Clod ti
an elderly man and his wife, was Per' beri
the latter, while making a bed in the fc,bearP,:srds
to be in motion, and was shortly
found by her husband to be sinking', .10ors
ties immediately used their utmost en"; elk.
remove their furniture) but they bad lig/ it iflg
out only a bed and a few chairs, lerreto
faribr,
so far sunk into the earth as to retitle ajeali
efforts unavailing. A spring flowed 111111
wrich
the
upon the sinking building, one cad above a
a chimney-top only are Dow visible h isoste
surface of the water, the depth of whit
to be from 20 to 22 feet.—(!3o3 Gageae,)

, e.
ogrd.sessauoatnisi,ii
eaeorrrrik:
Market.
0A.1:-111,....IIIKE_7, No:: 12:40:511.,fe*0g
Ships
111 i Newcastle' Ships sold 39, , ta.' iit, y
e- :sAt
banker,
on the 7th ililuistt.T, f trhSe. 141(1Y fillettlfid ef'''
1 phi itontn
lue..Montrose, of Jc4)°
youngest daughter °n the 27th ult , the LatlY of 1
iCburcDf
MARRIED. i its- WO*
Catty, Esq.
On NVednesday, the
alt
inst'ant, at 100wi'hip I°•ig slt
,ghter of .Ir. Squibb of Savillelvit'onedPogeit
daughter ! f en
and •
of Hill-green, in the same county. p' itsP-
On Tuesday last, at Lambeth Chuscb,looolo
Young, of the Loyal Artillery, to CatherineloonioolV•
of the late J. 11. 11icknell, Esq!, of Doetere -- ill
DIED. tinuttie°ll;io
or P'' bee jib
On the 2d November, at Carderan, Phich She ay Pr
lateti 111
joiy:talstaEfeeitnihitsti)*,tn3:en:ees,itsge'Y.a:tworfil:noll'kll':tie
t:;;I:
France, after a long and painful illness,. w tion, 0,
unvaried serenity of mind, piety, and rem/Still ' °opal'
Piarepont.
..tiaence!. • err.
On N Vet Tuesday,
,r,,e4 51r,
an near Rolle, in Switzerland, ‘A'in. Areiterl r,,3001- d
On the 10th instant, at her house, liu4, ari L.,1,
nington, Mrs. 31ark Aircatherley, aged joe. le /Piet
Charles AVeatherley, formerly of the Fir'stulleP 0444011
On the 17th ult., Vary Ann, wife of vialio l' „orb
man years resident in Fleet-street, and 0" t pr'
Lioon, medico-electriciati.
itlP
~
On Sunday last, the 9th of
t tht '
Samuel Knight, lisq late of Nortopiftalig:tsl"°°4llll3:' '
.4 t
10910'
doyafdauatStl'iyt`'oif.et..jaP last,u
ne(ti c,: Peter's
isg}'.,leesi ttliell.ra,.11:1:11: ° f a daughtcr.hClteler
Printed and Published fur the PflorScAitoTh
OFFICE'. 112, Strantl, by J.'S.