The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-07 00:00:00

ObiellilliT

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1847.

Borough elections having proved so advantageous
to the Liberal interests, by affording a triumphant
majority to the Government candidates, the county
elections have also proved, and are still proving, though
in a lesser degree, beneficial to the Popular Party.
Scarcely have the constituents in the Southern Divi-
sion of Lancashire given a decisive token of the cha-
racter of their commercial predilections, by return-
ing the Hon. CHARLES PELHAM VILLIERS, when a
yet more brilliant testimony of gratitude toivarde
the advocates of free trade is given by the nomina-
tion of Mr. COBDEN himself for the representation of
the West Riding of Yorkshire. That this distinguished
patriot should receive such a magnificent guarantee
of the confidence with which he is regarded by the
community is but just and rational. Whether Mr.
COBDEN will coincide with the enthusiasm which
has dictated this movement among his admirers
remains a question of considerable uncertainty.
The circumstance cannot however, in the ab-
stract, influence either the cause with which the
name of the Hon. Member for Stockport is for
ever associated, or the electors of the West
Riding of Yorkshire, prejudicially. Indeed, were
we to adopt the Machiavellian system of putting
Mr. COBDEN'S personal feelings altogether out of the
question, we should assuredly exult at an opportu-
nity so, peculiarly favourable to the diffusion of the
vivifying and luminous principles of which the famous
League has been the principal promulgator.
While the absurdity, if nut the absolute atrocity, of
the system of so-called protection to native industry
is recognised by the population of continental Europe
and the millions of the Western Hemisphere, it
would be frivolous to deny that those, among
our countrymen, who have been in any manner
pledged to the maintenance or restoration of the re-
strictive duties against the importation of foreign
grain and foreign merchandise ei ince no tendency
whatever to an alteration in their opinions. their pre-
possessions are rendered yet more illusory and more fas-
cinating by being invested with a certain degree of
political fanaticism. Their prejudices are rendered
snore stubborn than ever in consequence of their re-
cent and ignominious discomfiture. In a way, the
more obstinate supporters of protection are case-har-
dened in their ignorance. Their ideas upon political
economy can only die away with their own generation.
Another generation can never be inoculated with
notions so 'prepostercasly obsolete, or so contrary to
the revelations of experience. Thati is one consola-
tion in the midst of the confirmed darkness of our
G
Protectionist countrymen. Thank
on. moral
blindness is no more a hereditary affliction than
physical blindness !

Persuaded, therefore, as we are, that o
thfe con•
version of the more bigotted opponents
to commerce is a thing almost hopeless,
free-
dom
and decidedly chimerical, we are eqaally
satisfied that it only requires the inc,t
simple explanation of facts and the most common-place
enumeration of figures to remove the scales of miser,
prehension from the eyes of the more disinterested
and unbiassed agriculturists. The nomination, con-
sequently, of such men as the Hon. Members for
Stockport and Wolverhampton for the representation
of Populous shires cannot but tend to dispel the errors
which have hitherto obscured the judgments of our
intelligent farmers. They will thereby be brought
into immediate,communication with those who have
wisdom
imbibed the free trade from the eloquence
of RICHARD C01113E1..
of
and The collision tetween their
ancient misconceptions, the unanswerable logic
of the enemies of Protection,
s must necessarily result
in the elucidation of truths comprehensible to the
meanest capacity. Free ad
laver ,Of ARCIIIMEDES. Give . is as irresistible as the
it but s
is rosy be argued with candour, au spot upon which
will be moved in unison with its ll„
rrinct'll e whole world
fore we are especially rejoiced that Li'les• There-.
the colleagues
and supporters of the Hon. CHARLES PELHA V
TrouhtriLaann ocpasphoritreuffifrtyomto adthedress the constimtuen"c;
hustings, and
the ccilesgma znd ::upporkir; a lir ', that
• ....)Lmx win,