The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-16 00:00:00

of the Inquisition. What, it will be asked, was the
proximate cause of this unnatural, and, we may even
call it, unnational quiessence ? We will answer that
question briefly, distinctly, and positively. The
cause of the apathy evinced by the inhabitants of the
Peninsula, in the midst of the turmoil excited by the
spread of revolutionary doctrines, was not any abate-
ment of sympathy with the lovers of freedom, either
on the side of the people of Spain or of Portugal
(for the very heart's core of the Portuguese and the
Spaniards was devoured by a suppressed yearning for
their respective nationalities), it was not from any di-
minution of that manhood which had hitherto been
the physical and political characteristic of both
Spaniard and Portuguese, it was not this, neither
was it the result of any sudden devotion for the self-
interested and despotic factions of NARVAEZ in one
metropolis, or of the Cabrals in the other; the tran-
quillity of both countries originated in circumstances
of a more remarkable andof a more pathetic character,
it arose from a despair of struggling against the odds
presented to them by their oppressors, from a convic-
tion that the time for their emancipation had not yet
arrived, and from the depressive influence of the
tyrranous and irresponsible authority concentrated
in their own hands by the dominant states-
men. Such have been the immediate causes of
this bewildering and almost uninterrupted tranquillity3
in the Peninsula since the gigantic outburst of the
revolution on the 24th of February.
At a moment when the political relations between
the Courts of VICTORIA. and IsABELLA appear to be
of such a singularly dubious character,when Sir
HENRY BULWER is dismissed from Madrid by order
of SOTOMAYOR, and when Senor Iszuain is dis-
missed from London by order of PALMERSTON, it
becomes a matter of supreme importance to consider
the exact position of affairs, of men, of parties,
and of opinion in Spain, so as to understand
at once the exact course which it has
become the imperative duty of England to follow in
regard to that country. In endeavouring to arrive at
this knowledge, in striving to appreciate the real merits
of the Spanish Question in its entirety, it is absolutely
essential, of course, to accumulate our facts from the
most authentic sources, and to listen without im.
patience, and most assuredly without the smallest
vestige of prejudice to the arguments of the most
disinterested among the political writers of the
Peninsula. Such an authority we take Don VICENT
DE PEREDA to be
regarding him, as we our-
selves E
selves do, and as every Englishman and as
every
Spaniard must do in like manner, as -a
man of indisputable impartiality, of unimpeach-
ableintegrity, and as one of the most distinguished
members. of the great party of the Progresistas. Don
ICNTE DE PEREDA has afforded us precisely the
medium we required for this particular investigation,
we allude to his bold and candid pamphlet entitled
"La .Naciony los Partidos, ó sea necesidad de former
el Purtido Nacional." Through this remarkable pam-
phlet we may literally place our hand upon the pulse
of Spain. Already, namely as far back as the first of
February, before the overthrow of the monarchical sys-
tem of Louis PHILIPPE, we took occasion to direct the
attention of our readers to the manifesto of this illus.
trious Progresista.* Having on the preceding day,
on the 31st of January, alluded incidentally to the
publication, we then, on the Ist of February, defined
in a few sentences the precise tendency of the argu-
ments propounded by its author. We then explained
that those arguments were to the effect that nothing
permanently advantageous to his native land could be
accomplished unless the heart burnings of the past
were forgotten, unless the honest men of all parties
were to gather about a new standard, unless the hand
that raised that standard were the hand of a
Spanish Prince—a Prince uncompromised by his
political adventures, a Prince of courage, of genius,
and of patriotism, one who could secure to himself
the loyalty and admiration of his fellow-countrymen
by the consistency of his career, and by the guarantee
of a glorious and liberal constitution: A. Prince of
this character is imperatively demanded by Spain
according to the arguments of the impartial and pa-
triotic Progresista. Don VICENTE DE PKBEDA and
beyond this he maintains, in the pamphlet already re-
ferred to, that the policy hitherto pursued by the
English Government is directly opposed 'to the inte-
rests of Great Britain, as well as to 'those of the
Spanish peninsula. Hereafter we shal enter a
greater length into this extraordinary :manifesto o
Don VICENTE DE PEREDA.

Poor Tom STEELE has followed his rev ered leader
to the grave, having survived him little more than
thirteen months. He died last night, at PeE •le's Coffee-
house, Fleet-street, where every atten t ion that the
most affectionate regard and friendly sons itude could
dictate was paid to him during the linge ring illness
that followed the rash attempt which it was our
painful duty to record in The Sun of the 20th April
last. We then called upon the public to , contribute
to a testimonial which would rescue the I igh-minded
patriot from every pecuniary annoyance, :and free him
for the remainder of his days from thot ie cares and
difficulties which we have too much reasc ea to believe
preyed upon his mind, and, couplet I. with the
decease of the illustrious man wb( ise devoted
follower he had ever been, and the wretched condi-
tion of his beloved country, rendered If im weary of
a prolonged existence and anxious for a SI peedy release
from his troubles. That appeal was F romptly and
liberally responded to, and considerab] e sums were
forwarded from various quarters for the benefit of the
consistent politician whose integrity of purpose,
fidelity, and devotion to the cause he e spoused, and
the leader to whose fortunes he more es p, cially bound
himself, were beyond all question. Th e subscription
was not limited to those who participate !C: in his poli-
tical views and feelings—men who had b een strongly
opposed to him in the strife of p a rty warfare,
who di 'eyed foto calf) from his ,opinions on
the repeal question, but who ac mired and
esteemed his private character and co] iduct, were
amongst the most bounteous donors. 13 'he kind in-
tentions were, however, defeated by the person whom
they desired to serve, who firmly and , decidedly re-
fused to accept of any pecuniary gift 01 aid in any
form or under any guise. His over-sere sitive nature
shrunk from the idea of becoming a bur len upon his
friends, or of sanctioning any act by whi ch the purity
and disinterestedness of his motives cc uld be ques-
tioned. He was resolved that they des ald be above
suspicion—that he would go down ti his grave
without leaving it in the power of any ix lan to slander
his memory. His reply to those friend s who, aware
of his difficulties—we might almotsl , say desti-
tution--urged him to accept the con tributions so
freely offered, as the payment of a debt due to
his past services, was, " I would sooner g rind a barrel-
organ through every city and town in Europe, than
accept a shilling from any man 7101 V livit lg." Finding
his resolution inflexible, and that it • could not be
to accede any arguaccede to his w ishes, and to
naen t, they were
op me l el
endt
acomm
reluctantly
ehlaukeetna
nftoiry
return the amounts forwarded to the various quar-
ters from whence they had been receiv ac 1.
Although he thus refused any pecun 13 ry assistance,
we rejoice to say that every cornf or t 'tie could have
desired was provided for him—that no care was
wanting to soothe his last hours, an d to afford him
the best medical aid, and, in fact, y e rer thing which
the wealthiest could possibly have obi fined. No wish
that he expressed was left ungra • , and had he
been a brother he could not have b s , a more affec-
tionately and carefully watched over than by Mr.
and se-house, AUSTIN, the proprietor of Peele's CON, _
other friends. Their cares have- now, alas •
terminated—the scientific engineer —the accom-
plished scholar—the high-minded :ntleman—the
enthusiastic and incorruptible patric It has breathed
his last. Some tribute of respect ma y, however, be
paid to his memory, and as his hon curable scruples
can unfortunately no longer prey ail, his funeral
should be worthy of such a man, an d at the public
expense. Mr. AUSTIN, too, should n of be suffered to
be a pecuniary loser in any respect b 7 his generous
attention to him whom so many s rot :Id have been
delighted to serve. It is due to t ::at gentleman to
state that he is wholly ignorant of this. I ippeal.

The Bill to facilitate the sale of encr kbered estates
in Ireland is to be submitted, we bell ;e, this week
to the consideration of a Committee )f the House of
Commons, having already obtained, in more than

*" La iVacion y los Paitidos, (1 sea n( cesidad de formal•
el Partido Nacional. Dccidado a todos los espaynoles (pie
tengan fe,en la regeneration de su;patri, 1," Pp. 96. Par
Don Vicente M. de Pereda. W. IL Dalton. 1848.
Londres.