The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-09 00:00:00

Ziv ~.a-trt,.

LONDON:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, IE4I.

A strange change has come over the most influ-
ential and, we believe, most numerous faction of the
factioai Tories. The main principle of those

unscrupulous persons was for many years that
their will was to be other men's law, and they prac-
tically carried out their arbitrary decision by the
most severe and cruel means. Opprobrious epithets
generally applied, however, to the most numerous
and most industrious classes, were amongst the
feeblest weapons they used. Nothing was too bad
for them to say of the people, and not much was too
bad for them to do. Abusive terms were accompa-
nied by sharp laws ; and coercion, constraint, and
t .rror were habitually employed, The steady sup •
port the Tories gave to the penal laws in Ireland,
and the vigorous resistance they opposed to all at-
tempts to procure the repeal, is one illustration o
their conduct. The Manchester massacre and the

Six Acts is another. Their resistance to the pro-
jects for lessening hanging is a third. A fourth is
to be found in their determination to uphold mili-
tary flogging, and that abomination of abominations
impressment. These are specimens of the manner
which they enforced their will by cruel laws.
C s and Church-rates may suffice as exam-
pl:s of the manner in which they fill their pockets
or gratify their caprice at other people's expense.
If they used less hard words than their opponents,
which we deny—looking at their continued abuse of
the bulk of the people, and at their persecution, li-
terary as well as legal, of every man who did not
hap} en to believe as they believe, on matters of re-
ligion—they had less excuse for them, because they
wielded the powers of the Government and the
Legislature, gave to their will the sanctity of an
enactment, and enforced it by the sword. Other

men had nothing hut words with which to defend
themselves, and might stand excused, though we
know not that they do any good if they used harsh

same hand, was a leading article, taking the
Quarterly Review to task for exciting dread in. '
Irela►►d, by the horrible blue light, reflecting with
much exaggeration the plots of the Romanists,
which it has thrown up in the last number. The
article is, however, remarkable when found in a
Tory journal, and too strong a confirmation of the
denunciations by which The Sun and other Liberal
Journalists sought to stem the flood of virulence
which was vomited by the O'SULLIVANS and
M'GttEEs from Exeter Hall over the land, to be
metely commented on, and therefore we transfer the
majorpart of it to our columns. The rhodomontade of
the Tory journals, in which the Post heretofore in-
dulged as much as any one, is now " stock exag-
gerations, convenient for the use of speech-makers
in moments of excitement, and of newspaper writers
when something strong was considered as appro-
priate to the occasion." In these "stock exaggc-
ratio►►s," however, lay the whole strength of PEEL,
STANLEY, and Co. ; and, now that they are dis-
carded, on what pretext will they continue to make a
species of legislative war on the Catholics of Ireland ?
Instead of fostering the animosities between
the professors of rival creeds, which has hitherto
been the great business of Orange writers and
Orange spoutets, the Post wisely recommends jus-
tice and kindness, charity in the largest sense, and
concludes that if the Protestants act on these
golden precepts, as they :have hitherto trampled
them under foot, they will have nothing to
fear. Joining cordially in the recommenda-
tions of the Post, we cannot neglect again to
remind it that adversity has taught it and its party,
and that the Tories never dreamed of moderation
while they wielded the law and the sword. Little
as they have yet felt of the many evils they for
a long period inflicted on others, they no sooner
begin to feel them. no sooner does the sword which
they have sent to the bone of the multitude graze
their skin—no sooner do hard words even begin
to tell against them, than they become apostle
of moderation. Let their new doctrines be fol-
lowed, because moderation will best ensure our vic-
tory, as it is the most opposed to the whole pre.
vious policy of the Tories.
We have not, however, by the above examples
quite exhausted the proofs which we can extract
from the Post of the present love of moderation in
the Tories. On Saturday last it essayed to prove
to Mr. O'CONNELL, that he was quite mistaken in
asserting that the English Tories hate the Irish
people. No, said the Post,

The Tories of England do not bate the Irish people,
but they ardently desire to see that people reclaimed
from their bad habits, and capable of taking a better
rank in civili.sed society. There may be some Tories so
inflamed and injured in mind, by listening to perpetual
extravagance, as to consider that Papist and ruffian, or
Roman Catholic and traitor, are almost synonymous
terms; but in England such Tories are neither nume-
rous nor influential. They are persons who have caught
the infection of their politics from a certain deplorable
class of Irishmen who have acted and spoken for many
years as if furious hatred of those who profess religious
error were true relip,ion, and as if the rude domination
of themselves were the only just administration of a
Protestant monarchy. 7 hese unprincipled and dan
gerous persons, whose energy is often but the offering
of drunkenness, and their patriotism dependent upon
pelf, have in some degree imposed upon the English
Tories by their impudence and perseverance in untruth ;
but Mr. O'Connell should remember that this is but
Me importation of an Irish vice, and it ought not to be
charged upon England.

This is very like what The Sun has repeatedly
stated ; and it has more than once expressly warned
the English Tories, that they were led astray by
certain speakers and writers, who put forth their
own Orange notions, nursed in the hot-bed of vio-
lent civic contentions—the offspring, perhaps, in
some cases, of personal injury—as the genuine
Protestantism of England. The Sun has warned
the Protestants, that Church-of-Englandism was
in its characteristics mild and careless, approaching
to indifference, till these Orangemen and the Ul-
tras, whom the MINEILES, the PHILPOTTS, and
others who are afflicted with the Orange disease,
have inoculated, have lashed her into bigotry and
fury. Now it is found that this game cannot be
played out ; and now the political Tories, retreat-
ing from their auxiliaries, whom they so long coun-
tenanced, follow the lead of The Sun, and de-
nounce, if not by name, by implication, those who
have for many years spoken—and, let us add,
written—" as if furious hatred of those who profess
religious errors, were true religion."

On several occasions the Standard seems to
have resented this desertion by the Post and its
friends, and every now and then talks of waiting-
women and hangers-on of the Carlton seeking to ex-
change official salary for the wages of newspaper
industry. It feels apparently that the remarks of
the Post, such as those we have quoted, were di-
rected against it and its friends. The quarrel—
which, however, is obvious—between the sections
of the Tories, is one of principle, not of de-
gree, which time and return to office, should that
ever take place, would only exasperate. We pre-
sume that Lord STANLEY may be considered as
the head and representative of the ultra extravagant
Orangemen, whose " energy is often the offspring
of drunkenness," as Sir ROBERT PEEL is the
head of the moderate section. The quarrel which
is carrying on by the Post and the Standard no
doubt represents pretty correctly the feelings with
which these rival statesmen regard each other,
though they suppress them for a political purpose,
yet work together just as the Post and Standard
have done for years past.

The Walsall election seems likely to be preg-
nant with more important consequences than we
have hitherto given it credit for. A writer in the
Morning Chronicle yesterday, adverse to the Anti-
Corn-law League, says—
It is pretty evident that a body of this description,
throwing all their weight in a large town into the scale
against a Liberal candidate, will, in the present evenly-
balanced state of parties, generally ensure the failure of
that cause. lam aware they do not in name throw
this weight into the Tory scale ; but if the effect should
be, as nine times out of ten it will be, to ensure the Tory
triumph, I need not say that it is not very material
under what name they carry on their proceedings.
He admits, in fact, that the League can turn
the scale against the Ministers, and throw the ma-
jority of the House of Commons on the side of
their opponents. Such being its power, its will
is declared by another writer of a letter to the
Chronicle, who signs himself a " Member of the
League," in the following terms :

You complain of the conduct of the Anti Corn-
law League at Walsall, and ask, " How it will Serve
the one question—the repeal of the Corn-laws?” I'll
tell you how ; by making other Liberals yield on this
question, to preserve their scats. You must remem-
ber that it is from want of support from professed Li-
berals, that the question is not carried. It is the
Liberals in the House of Commons that prevent it ; and
the Liberal party niay make up their mind: to this,
either to grant Me repeal of the Corn-laws, or go out.
S;r, you are quite right when you say, that "if the
League pursue this course as vacancies may occur, or
,xt a dissolution of the present Parliament, it requires
not the spirit of divination to predict that the Liberal
interest will he overthrown." You are quite right ;
there is, there can be, "no mistake " about
it ; for the League is too powerful for any interests
ar party to oppose successfully. Seeing this, what
should,. be the conduct of the great Liberal party' ?
Letl'
:tl,',Y, most decidedly to take up the question and
wiito'ea4- There arc but two among the Alinisters
not Redealers to a greater or less degree.
we can getng to
nh
say you,
the two yield, and propose a settlement of the mat-
ter. IVe wit/ do our b
repeal ; and, faill • best to obtain total and immediate
thing that, will take the next best
carry it ; they would '
Surely not ; the People
Now,
rally round them, and in-
the matter would end there ?
,should agree to unitewinl maintain that all Reform-
erswhich has madeon ; and they should
the greatest progress i
obtaining one grand mea-
sure, and then another, and so
choose
in
the
publictha t firstmin d ,
and has the greatest support out of I 1