The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-24 00:00:00

then A consistent Reformer then, he would be
a most inconsistent Revolutionist now. In the
last debate on the Reform Act he avowed, as
Lord John Russell avowed, a determination to
abide by the position which was then taken up,
and to defend the existence of the Constitution
with the same spirit which had been exerted
against its abuses. But in this the Paymaster of
the Forces differs from the Irish Secretary. The
one, in compliance with mere pique, has already
expressed his readiness to forfeit the pledge
which, as a Member of Parliament, as a Minister
of the Crown, as the mover of the Reform Bill,
he could not hut advisedly have given. The
other has recently revived our recollection of his
declaration by a formal, elaborate, solemn repe-
tition of its terms. To turn from a duty thus
undertaken would be perilous to the character
of any Statesman ; to his it would be ruinous
indeed. He has already sacrificed much of
personal character to the interests of his party ;
he has temporized and truckled ; he has timidly
withdrawn the measures he pompously an-
nounced, and denounced one day the dema-
' gogue he was to conciliate on the next. His
advocates see in these inconsistencies, what we
are willing to see in them to-day, a chivalrous
sense of honour, a reluctance to withhold aid
from friends who needed it, a submission to
private indignity for the sake of public good.
Mr. O'Connell is not at a loss for far less com-
plimentary suggestions to account for the conti-
nuance in of of the vainly discomfited "Saxon:'
Let Mr. Stanley be assured that his countrymen
wait for the future before they venture to
pronounce a final judgment upon the past.
The Levellers clearly expect to find in Mr.
Stanley a determined opponent. They have
been pouring out against him a virulence of
vituperation the like of which few Tories have
been so fortunate as to deserve. The friends of
the Constitution may well find something to
praise where its foes find so much to censure.
We know that many Conservatives—we speak
especially with reference to some of the rising
ornaments of our aristocracy—estimating his
talents at a value which we confess we do not yet
put upon them, and reposing in his honour a
confidence which we do not think has yet been
justified, have predicted that in him our Mo-
narchy, our Peerage, our Church, would
have a late but a consistent champion. If
Mr. Stanley can trust, as he ought to trust,
in his own resources—if he can measure, as
he ought to measure, the right iutentious of
others, he has it now in his power to secure to
himself a nobler and more generous following
than has been ranked within our recollection
under the banneis of any leader. But we are
weary of the fickleness and frivolity of politi-
cians. From Mr. S anley, in spit,- of his ma-
nifest love for what is great and pure, his un-
concealed aversion for what is mean and corrupt,
we scarcely venture, in our sadder moments, to
hope any thing but the old abandonment of things
for shadows, of a nation's welfare for a party's
praise. What we have this day said will be
misinterpreted, we w. II know, by his friends—
perhaps by ours. Be it so ! If he shall become
what many of his colleagues are, we shalt be as
ready to condetnn as we are now to extenuate.
If lie shall realise all his warmest well-wishers
pronounce—we flatter him not—the first place
in our esteem will still be due to those who
foresaw the danger with a quicker prudence, and
resisted it with an earlierdevotion.— Morn. Post.
The plain truth is, that Ministers cannot
govern England, to say nothing of Ireland, on
the principles of the Bill. Forward to a repub-
lic they must go unless they fall back at once
upon Conservative principles, and get support,
directly or indirectly, from the Conservative
party. The masked leaders of the Movement
are mortally vexed at what they deem the prema-
ture disclosure of the plot by the simple citizens,
and stand aloof to observe how the public will
like act the first. Ministers would be glad to
temporize a little longer, but find it impossible,
as the crowding of events compels decision.
Neither Conservative nor Radical will tolerate
the neutral tint ; up with one or the other, Gen-
tlemen, if you please—the union flag of Eng-
land, or the well-known tri-coloured badge of
atheism and revolution.— Morning Post.
The meeting of the electors of the city of
London, on Monday, must not be sunk as an
every-day affair—no longer thought of than
existing ; but,—whatever may be the supercili-
ousness and interested prejudices of certain par-
ties,—placed upon its proper footing as an im-
portant meeting, both for its locality and for
the subjects on which it came to a final conclu-
sion. There are those, we are aware, who would
willingly hold up the meeting to view as being
one composed of persons whose ultra notions of
reform went far beyond those of the community
—(Mr. Hunt having unfortunately been a
speaker at it)—and others who disapprove of it,
as tending to embarrass, not to strengthen,
the hands of his Majesty's Ministers ; but, say
of it what they may, it is—to use the
language of The Sun of last evening—
" a sign of the tines—an earnest of the future—
speaking in language not to be mistaken, that
the wishes of the people, when just and proper,
and expressed in a constitutional spirit, are not
to be treated with indifference even by a Re-
formed Cabinet." The sentiments amid wishes
expres,ed at it were not ultra-Radical, or beyond
the feelings of a great portion of the community,
nor can it well be said of it, that it was got up
for the purpose of embarrassing his Majesty's
Ministers. We believe, in fact, that nothing was
farther from the thoughts of those who originated
it, than that of doing anything which should
have even a tendency to place his Majesty's
advisers in a delicate position ; but if it was
a sacred duty on the part of the people to meet,
to resolve, and to petition, for the passing of the
Ref nan Bill, is it not, we ask, an equally sacred
dtry for them to meet, to resolve, and to peti-
tion, for the adoption of those improvements in
the Reform Bill, which will render it a real, in-
stead of an apparent blessing to them ? Let it
also be considered, that the resolutions passed at
the city meeting were resolutions entirely in
accordance with the views of some of the most
ineluen ial IVlembers of the Cabinet, as well as
of the House of Commoos—that Lord John
Russell is pledged to the ballot—that Lord Al-
thorp is pledged to it—that Mr. Poulett
Thomson and others are pledged to it. But,
say tbose who would fain set down the meet-
ing as a mere mob meeting, unworthy of serious
consideration—the time is not apt—the season
is not convenient—there are many questions of
great practical importance whiCh the Govern-
ment must deal with. Granted that there are
great, important, and practical questions to be
settled ; b it are not these the arguments which
the Tories have invariably employed as reasons
for the maintenance of the greatest possible
abuses, and the prevention of the most ne-
cessary refornis ? 'lt is worthy of notice, like-
wise, that the discussion of the important',