The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

tagonisms of opinion are in both instances con-
spicuous, but in both instances likewise the over-
whelming prepondei ance of the Moderate Republicans
is equally conspicuous. %With the National
Assembly will repose the responsibility of weeding
the Government, of discarding whatsoever is
pernicious, and of nominating to the glorious digni-
ties of the Republkan Administration only such men
as France and Europe can regard with a supreme
and unreserved CONFIDENCE. Such a man may
Loris BLaric yet prove himself to be, such also may
be ALBERT, and perhaps, by a sort of political miracle,
FERDINAND FLOCON himself. But LEDRU ROLLIN !
the man who has evinced all the ambition but not
one jot of the courage to render himself the Dictator
of the Capital and the Departments : LEDRU
KOLLIN !—the outcast of O'CoNNELL--the panegyrist
of our trumpery National Convention—the physical
force advocate of Paris ! Of such a man's sound and
secure conversion to moderate ideas in legislation
we despair. In , spite of the positive declaration of
one of our contemporary correspondents (writing from
Paris, at noon yesterday)—" I have just heard from
good authority that a perfectly good understanding
low really subsists between M. LEDRU Roma', and all
•iis colleagues of the Provisional Government"—we
annot credit the cordiality or permanence of that
reconciliation. Every incident in the political life of
the Provisional Minister of the Interior justifies this
suspicion. Let the Parisians remain vigilant, for the
anarchists are plotting !

The Security of the Crown and Government Bill last
night passed the House of Commons, the third
reading having been carried by
a majority of 255.
fhe debate of last evening—the last debate upon an
apparently most coercive measure—was rendered
qminently satisfactory by affording an opportunity
Cor the expression of most liberal sentiments and
most encouraging assurances on the parts of the late
Ind the present Prime Ministers.
In reference to the advice so frequently given to
the Government, that they should propose remedial
rather than coercive measures, Lord J. RUSSELL
emphatically and explicitly declared, that so far from
being averse to the consideration of such (remedial)
measures, he intended, immediately after the Easter
rect ss, to proceed with those questions which relate
to the political state of Ireland. And not only, he
added, was it the intention of the Government to pro.
pose such measures themselves, but they would
be prepared to give every attention to any similar
measures proposed by the Irish Members. " Let any
Hon. Member," said Lord J. Russe.r.r, last night,
" bring forward such propositions as may tend, in his
opinion, to the advantage of Ireland, and to any pro-
position which may be supported by the great
majority of the Irish Members, having for its object
to improve the laws of the country, the situation of
landlord and tenant, or to remove any social or
political grievance under which they think they
labour, I shall be ready to listen." It is earnestly
to be desired that, instead of promoting dissatisfac-
don among their countrymen, the Irish Members
may take Lord Joni RUSSELL at his word, and
bring forward, in their places in Parliament,
those measures which the exigencies of the country
may require. It would, however, be infinitely more
desirable were the Government to forestal such
propositions by themselves introducing the ne-
cessary reforms, as Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S assurance
leads us to anticipate. But the Security Bill, the
passing of which gave occasion for those encouraging
promises to Ireland, relates, be it remembered, to
England as well as Ireland, and hence the promises
of remedial as well as coercive measures must be
understood (let us hope) as applying to England as
wsll as Ireland, and the challenge to the Liberal
Members to come forward and propose beneficial re-
forms, relying upon the consideration, if not the co-
operation of the Government, will, or should
have the effect of instigating fresh exertions
on the part of the representatives of the people.
Sir R. PEEL has hitherto given a silent support to
the Government measure; last night, however, he
enforced that support with an eloquent assurance of his
concurrence in the views of the Government on this
subject. Frequent as have been the "occasions on
which the Right Hon. Member for Taniworth has
addressed the House of Commons, seldom has he
addressed them in a more earnest and animated dis-
course than that of last evening, seldom have his
expressions been conceived in a happier spirit. And
seldom, be it especially remarked, has he given utter-
ance to more liberal sentiments than those with which
he qualified his approbation of a coercive mea-
sure. In the commencement of his speech Sir
R. PEEL drew the following very correct distinction
between patriots of the school of HAsteDEN and
SYDNEY, and of that of O'BRIEN, MEAGHER, and
MITCHELL :—" I make great allowance for those
who, inspired by an ardent love of liberty, are ready
to sacrifice their lives and fortunes under circum-
stances of great necessity, and when liberty is really
in danger. I have great admiration for those who are
ready to set an example of peril to others and engage
in a common cause ; but I have no sympathy, no re-
spect, no admiration for those who involve the igno-
rant in the capital punishment of treason, and content
themselves with escaping from all responsibility.
Sir, I cannot conceive a more detestable character

than the man who, for the purpose of gratifying
his personal vanity, in the hope of having his
name associated with splendid names that are in-
cluded in the category of traitors, urges on the
miserable, deluded followers by his speeches or writings,
but is nut ready to share with them a common fate.
I rejoice to see such characters reduced, as they
ought to be, to the condition of felons. Let us
keep those frogs that are croaking sedition in the

marshes in their proper position, and not let them
puff themselves into the dimensions of the nobler

animals that bellow treason." In alluding to the
;recent revolution in France, the ex-Premier expressed
similar sentiments to those already enunciated
his successors, as to the advisability of our ab-
staking from all interference in the internal affairs of
foreign countries. "I believe it to be essential to the
peace of the world," added the Right Hon. Baronet,
" and to the stability of Government, that the experi-
ments now making in France should have a fair trial,
without being embarrassed or disturbed by extrinsic
intervention." But while abstaining from pro-
nouncing any opinion as to the political move-
ments of France, Sir ROBERT PEEL took occasion
to deprecate and denounce all social changes such as
are now in progress on the Continent. If this de-
precation have reference to such changes as those
desired by M. LEDRII ROLLIN, we heartily concur in
it, and, furthermore, we heartily concur in the con-
c:uding declaration of Sir R. PEEL last night, that it
is upon the exertions of the people of this country,
and not upon police, nor upon armies, that the tran-
quillity, if not the safety, of this country depends. As
hsving been the vehicle for the eloquent discourse of
Sir R. PEEL, and the encouraging assurances of Lord
J. RUSSELL, the debate of last evening was, as we
have already said, eminently satisfactory.

Steps have at length been taken to relieve the
peaceable portion of the community in Ireland from
the nuisance to which they have recently been ex
posed in the perpetual meetings for drill and
exercise which had become of daily
be military
throughout the entire country. Several
parties
been arrested and held to bail, both in Dublin have
and
Cork, on charges of having violated the provisions of
the statute which renders it unlawful for " large as-
semblies of armed men to meet together for the prac-
tice of military movements," and which subjects the
offenders to the punishment of seven years' transpor-
tation or imprisonment, at the discretion of the pre-
siding judge. In no other country in the world would
ctliriret 7c3;
matters have been suffered to proceed to the extremi-
ties to which they have been carried in the sister kingdom
Persons moving in a respectable position ia society have
openly proclaimed themselves the apostles of sedition,
and preached disaffection to the unfortunate dupes,
whom they have induced to listen to their outrageous
h.hthey
of
denunciations of the Government by law established ;
w
have avowed their intention of subvert-
ing, by Open violence and armed resistance. The
doctrines
beelntAnbisdy 1
itilicsioet
physicali force, the necessity of being
prepared, not only the possession of weapons of
offence, but by such by
skill in their use as would enable
r "" t^ he turned to
,dolted in no
_to the best advantage, have been
repkaerpattiotiatehnats.
,i,,et
of all`
axi:neamire,i language.
uaeans conaealed, :
*merely to overawe run authorities, and to in,.

duce them to make the concessions that have
been demanded—concessions be it remembered, which

mply the dismemberment of the empire—but to resist
,hem to the very uttermost, to expose their country
,o all the horrors of

" Civil dissension, with its vip'rous tooth,
That gnaws the bowels of the commonweal—
to carry on a " war to the knife" with England and
the friends of the British connexion in Ireland—to
have blood flowing in the streets, and a total suspension
of those works of industry that can alone work the
regeneration of their country, and develop its hidden
resources to the utmost extent. Surely no well-dis-
posed person will say that it was not time for the
Executive to interpose, or that in so doing they have
in any manner unduly interfered with the liberty of
the subject.
We do not desire that the unfortunate men who
have been led astray by such outrageous counsels, and
who have thereby exposed themselves to the penalties
of the law, should be too severely dealt with in the
first instance, or that the provisions of the salutary
statute should on the present occasion be enforced
with the utmost stringency ; we would gladly see
those persons permitted to escape unharmed, if they
make a prompt submission and pledge themselves
solemnly that they will not again offend in like manner.
The law had to a certain extent become obsolete and
fallen into desuetude. For many years no prosecu-
tion had been instituted founded on its enactments,
for happily there had been no occasion for such an
appeal to the tribunals of the country. The Liberator
of his country had ever disavowed the sanguinary
doctrines of the present school of physical force poli-
ticians. His triumphs were gained by moral force
alone. They were won by sound arguments, by
powerful reasoning, by appeals to the immutable
principles of truth and justice. They were not
stained or tarnished by the shedding of one drop of
human blood, and no N idow or orphan could have
justly
accused him as being in any the slightest degree
instrumental in le..ding to the loss of the husband or
father. But that great man has passed from
amongst us, his memory alone remains to his
country, and it does not speak highly
for the gratitude of the people of whom he
was for so many years the acknowledged leader, that
they have so speedily forgotten his counsels, and de-
serted the paths by which they achieved so many
bloodless victories. The men, who would Lain occupy
the proud position he had attained, but who are
wholly inadequate thereto, have endeavoured to con•
teal their incapacity by using truculent and blood-
thirsty language ; in place of moderating the passions
of the excitable multitude, and exhorting them to a
strict obedience to the law, they have inflamed their
minds with revolutionary harangues, and have urged
the violation of public order, and of every law
by which it has been secured. O'CoNsann im-
plored bis countrymen to abstain from meeting
with arms, knowing that from their ardent tem-
perament irreparable mischief might be occa-
sioned to the cause he advocated. The
Confederates of the present day recommend a
totally opposite course. Hence, those provisions which,
during his lifetime, were practically useless, are now es-
sential to the safety of the country, but we would
not have any persons punished under a law of which
they were ignorant. The prosecutions that have al-
ready taken place will act as beacons to warn others
from danger. Let those persons, then, be dismissed
(after conviction) with a merely nominal punishment,
but let it be fully understood that no such plea will
be available for future offenders, but that hencefor-
ward every transgressor will be treated with the ut-
most rigour of the law.