The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-06 00:00:00

THE SUN,

Windiscbgratz from the kingdom of Wurtemberg, can
bear no hatred to that Germav race with which he is so
intimately connected both on his father's and his mother's
side. He himself, as well as his consort, the daughter of
Prince Schwartzenberg, whom ho lost by a random shot
at Prague a few weeks age, were both born within the
walls of the town which he has been so recently invest-
ing, so that all his habits and previous history would
prove that his earliest and his fondest recollections must
be intimately intertwined with Vienna. But Windieche
gratz is above all and before all a soldier, and though he
may entertain widely different notions from some of the
courtiers and flatterers who surround the Emperor at
011mutz, yet he feels his first duty as an officer to be
obedience, while as a man and as a citizen, also, he
must see that any authority, however arbitrary, is
preferable to the wild license which is alleged to pre-
vail. It is plain, however, that it was not without many
a pang, that Windischgratz commenced operations
against the capital of the monarchy. His attack
was deferred, not merely after his forces had been at
tacked, but for more than forty-eight hours after the
period indicated in his proclamations; and though we
cannot think, that all the conditions for which he con-
tended in these state documents were necessary or equit-
able, still, the demands, however exigent, were made in
terms moderate and dignified. No harsh or injurious
language was used, at least in state documents, not-
withstanding the exacerbation of feeling both on the
one side and on the other. As the city would not con-
sent to deliver up some of the leaders of the insurrection
—the arm; of the inhabitants—or pledge itself to abstain
from publishing none but public documents in the jour-
nals—as the Austrian commander refused to enter the
city to carry on the disarming by his own agents—the
bombardment commenced on the 27th, and the event has
been the capitulation of Vienna. The inhabitants and
working men of the capital fought with the greatest
bravery, and every success of the Imperial troops
was gained with the greatest slaughter. But
desolation and solitude, whatever Austrian field-
marshals may think, are not peace, still less
prosperity, and when the work of organization
and reconstruction devolves on the civil servants of Go-
vernment, it is then that the Austrian functionaries will
poignantly feel how difficult—if not impossible—it will
be even to replace things on their former footing. The
destruction of the fairest portion of a city by cannonade
or by bombardment, or the siege of a capital by invest•
ment, must ever leave rankling recollections, even in re-
ference to an alien enemy, which has conquered by the
fairest fortune of war. But how much more embittered
—how much more festering must be the recollections—
of an internecine civil war, in which subjects of the same
empire have been arrayed against each other. li, may
be that Vienna contained a" heap of peopl—to use
the happy epithet of Bacon—altogether unable or un-
worthy to govern ; but the shoals of seditious
students and workmen within the gates of that
city will not be rendered less savage and ferocious,
or the better and more obedient subjects, by the destptc-
don of their homes, the burning of their property—
and the death and massacre of their parents, kindred,
and friends. No—shadows, clouds, and darkness rest
on the future of the Austrian empire, and the success
of the Imperial armies before Vienna may be the doom
and the destruction of Austria as a German power.
The discontented burghers of the capital which was
once Vienna can now only be retained in subjection by
the sharp power of the sword, and it will not require
less than a garrison of 50,000 men to keep in check a
people subdued, but not exterminated—exacerbated,
but not crushed or extinguished. The .Tyroleans,
seeing the manner in which their German brethren
have been made to succumb to Selavonian prepOnder-
ance, are already exhibiting symptoms of discontent.
Italy, too, and Hungary are restless and disturbed, and
even the Ban Jellachich uppears in the moment of vic-
tory to be rather the servant of Sclavenism. than of the
Kaiser. Under these circumstances, it seez probable
that wit,tt was once Austria will soon cease to Lea Gtr
,nen and Italian, and transmute itself into .a pure, un
eft•eatcd Sclaronian power. If such a power wt-re cal-
culated to strengthen Turkey, and oppose, with At
Ottoman empire, a barrier t ) Russian encroachm n:—
(a Russian army is now ut Bucharest)—we might see
" sem() soul of goodness arising out of things" evil.
But to hope anything from a kingdom so rent and, torn,
or an Emperor so weak as the Emperor of. Aiistria,
were to be credulous over much. It is possible that
Ferdinand may, in a given time, enter within the walls
of his ruined capital, but never again to reign there or
elsewhere over the heat is of his German subjects.

RIOT IN ST. SID WELL'S CHURCH,

EXETER.

St. Sidwell's Church, Exeter, was on- Sunday
evening last the scene of one of the most disgraceful
riots, occasioned primarily by the obstinate' folly
and morbid !love of notoriety of a young clergy-
man' named 'lngle. Our readers doubtless reniem-
ber. " the surplice controversy,' which -Created
such feelings of animosity in Exeter some two
years since, and which was happily put an end to by
the bishop rescinding (in accordance with the wishes
of the Archbishop of Canterbury) his order to the
clergyman of his diocese to preach in their surplices..
The parishioners of St. Sidwell's were foremost
amongst the anti- surplicites, and knowing this Mr.
Ingle, who is, it appears, a mere boy, not having been
ordained
-more than two years, and who is not the
incumbent of St. Sidwell's, deemed it proper to wan-
tonly shock the prejudices of the congregation of St.
Sidwell's by appearing on Sunday evening
last in the pulpit of that church in his
surplice. We extract from froelmer's Exeter Gazette
a description of the row which ensued. Without
taking any notice of a visible agitation which was
going on in the church below, he used—hot a collect,
as is the accustomed preliminary to the sermon, but
the " bidding prayer," which is used
,in the morning i
service at the cathedral. This novelty was by no
means calculated to allay the ferment which was
rapidly increasing; anal on his giving out the text,
which he did from Judges ix., 7-15, the brewing
elements of discord burst forth in a terrific storm.

The uproar commenced with a general " coughing
down," such as takes place in popular assemblies
when an obnoxious speaker rises to deliver sentiments
which are hateful to the discordant majority. Several
persons then moved towards the door, making a great
uproar in their progress. The ',excitement was still
further increased by a young woman going off in a
fit of hysterics, uttering heartrending shrieks. At
this juncture, a mob, who had either collected or
been attracted together in the churchyard, be-
sieged the doors of the building. A cry of " Fire!"
was raised, followed by an announcement that the
church doors were closed. The effect may be more
readily conceived than described. A rush immedi-
ately took place to burst the gates open. Many
females fainted, and others went off into hysterics.
The persons' nearest the gates cried out—in allusion
to the clergymati—" Turn him out; put out his
lights." During this alarming interval the galleries
were the scenes of fearful uproar—of whistling, cat-
calls, and all the disgraceful outcry which is common
in the gallery of the theatres—persons in the gallery-
stairs were even burraing, and inciting the mob to
still further outrages. .

It was now be—come apparent that there was no
hope of the service being allowed to proceed unless
the arm of authority was interposed. It appeared
weles to expect conciliatory measures on the part of
the clergyman, for he was strongly advised by many
to take off his surplice, or to dismiss the people, but
he treated these suggestions of prudence with neg-
lect. He attempted three times to read 'Ads text and
commence his sermon, but on every occasion he
was obligel to desist, in consequence of the stunning
clamour"which was raised, and which his repeated
exhortations failed to allay. The Church is repre-
sented as resembling a Chartist assembly more than'
a place of worship. The decent respect to the house
of prayer, which at other times induces those who
enter to uncover their heads in reverential obedience,
seemed now to be forgotten. Men in the lower part
of the church put on their hats—others waved them
about—others stood up on the seats—jumped over
the pews—chattered, bawled, raved, and gesticulated
—and the scene could not be equalled in violence in
the Guildhall of Exeter on a Parliamentary election.
The churchwarden (Mr. Hayman) who had bene
sent for I;y a gentleman present, speedily arrived.
The minister had, at this time, also beckoned to
a perional friend of his among the congrega-
tion to come up to the pulpit to him. He did
so, and was desired by *Mr. Ingle to acquaint
the Mayor of Exeter with his situation, and to re-
quest his immediate interference for the preservation
of the peace. Whilst this gentleman was engaged
on this errand the churchwarden addressed the people.
lle informed them that his authority—(which was
magisterial in that building)—would be exerted if the
uproar continued, and he entreated them to resume
order. At the same time he expressed his hope that
the
- elergyman in the pulpit—seeing the excitement
which had been occasioned—would at once remove
the cause of
the ill-feeling manifested towards him.
Mr. Ingle treated this
remonstrance also with indif-
ference, when Mr.
e
him, and usingW. 13. Hill, a parishioner, adressed
vry :iiisigorous language, insisted, in no
measured terms, on
rectly. It is needless tocorning out of the pulpit di
say that this proceeding only
worse made " confusion contounded." About this
time the Mayor arrived,
and shortly afterwards
Mr. Steele, the suparintendent
s e r er al of the constabulary force,oefpolice, wish
who had
men hastily summoned from the
The Rev. Chancellor llarington and th:Vrest heats.
. Arch-
deacon Bartholomew, members of the chapter,
too had been sent for, also came. They our v'dt'hhoe
street in the neighb, urhood of the church thronged,
the churchyard crowded with people, and the church
continuing the scene of uproar. The mayor en-
forced silence, and after admonishing the people, sent
up a request to the clergyman to leave the pulpit for
a few moments-and to speak to him in the vestry. It
is with extreme regret we state that Mr. Ingle
treated the mayor's request with the same disrespect
that he had all the other remonstrances addressed to
him. He refu-ed to comply, and took advantage of
the lull which the mayor and the police had produced
Ito begin his sermon, by again giving out his text, at
about half-past eight o'clock, being half an hour after
' the time when the service usually concludes.
The text was most remarkable. The sermon, which
was of an entirely political character, and which
treated of the French Revolution, and Chartism, and
the Repeal of the Union with Ireland, lasted twenty
.. .