The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-15 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The circumstances connected with the origin
and progress of the late disturbances at Brus-
sels—the views of the party who arranged the
attack on the houses of the Orangeists—and
the reasons why the devastation was allowed so
long to continue unobstructed by either the
civil or military authorities, must remain a sub-
ject of controversy till the termination of the
promised judicial inquiry, and perhaps may ne-
ver be fully explained even by that proceeding.
But, though it may be difficult to say who were
the original plotters of the outrage, or to give
a reasonable explanation of the supineness of
the public force to which its subsequent ravages
are to be ascribed, it is easy to mention parties
whose characters could not be implicated, and
thus to rebut by anticipation a tissue of absurd
calumnies. We formerly mentioned that the
charge of having encouraged the rioters, brought,
by one of our morning contemporaries, against
King Leopold, betrayed as much insane credulity
as malignity, and we extend the same defence to
the conduct of his ministers. It is not con-
ceivable how, in their situation, men of good
sense, and actuated by a common regard to their
own interests, could think of such a mode of
taking revenge on some paltry enemies, whom
the Belgic people so heartily despised as to
treat even the devastation of their houses with
indifference. It is not conceivable how, having
borne their insolence so long, they should at
last take such an objectionable way of punish-
ing their folly. It cannot for a moment be ima-
gined that they would enter into a negotiation
with incendiaries or
.pillagers for the execution
of such a nefarious service. So far from having
any motive to serve by these disturbances, every
consideration of interest, of duty, and of honour
was placed in the opposite scale. If anybody
could gain in character, reputation, or power,
by exhibiting the Belgic people to the world as
the friends of order, as peaceable subjects, and
good citizens, it was their present King. If
anybody could suffer in political consequence
by a renewal of the riots and disorders which
succeeded the revolution of 1830, it was
King Leopold. He has had the' happiness
of reigning over a quiet and orderly people
for nearly three years, amid trying difficul-
ties and great excitements. Since his accession
to the new throne, tumult had disappeared
from the streets, and the laws had been punc-
tually obeyed. This talisman for securing na-
tional tranquillity and order, it was of great
consequence to show that he still retained.
While the question of the final separation of
his kingdom from that of Holland still remained
unsettled—while some • of the Holy Alliance
politicians still affected to doubt whether his
dominions could be ruled on the principles of a
constitutional monarchy—while his predecessor
King William still endeavoured to throw dis-
credit on his people by calling them " turbu-
lent rebels," he knew that much of his influ-
ence abroad would depend on the maintenance
of a firm and regular government at home. He
knew that the suspicious eyes of the absolute
Powers of Europe were upon him,—that he
was, in a manner, on " his good behaviour,"
—and that he was expected to keep the species
of recognizances for the peace, into which he
had entered as the condition of procuring the
acknowledgment of the Allies to the independ-
ence and neutrality of his States. How then
could he, or his Ministers either, originate or en-
courage disturbances which were opposed to such
obvious interests and such powerful predilections?
Neither can we suppose that the local, civil,
or military authorities of Brussels could insti-
gate the populace to such excesses. The only
party, then, remaining, on whom suspicion falls
with great probability, is the faction of the, Re-
publicans and Anarchists ; and it is no answer
to this charge that this same faction is now the
loudest in accusations against the Ministry for
not having taken more expeditious and effective
measures to arrest the progress of the disorders.
It is a notorious fact that a distinguished mem-
ber of this party insisted in the Council of Re-
gency, up to two o'clock on Sunday afternoon;
when organized devastation was carrying on in
the four corners of the city, that the play of the
Muette de Portici should be allowed to be re-
presented in the evening—a representation
which must have excited to fresh disorders. The
Ministers have published evidence sufficient
to prove that they at least were zealous in
their efforts to arrest the progress of the
evil, and that they had given all the requi-
site orders for the purpose. If some unneces-
sary delay took place—if the armed force did not
arrive at the scene of disorder till pillage had
reached its height, and the officers felt bewildered
in the discharge of their duties, it was not the
fault of the King's government. In the face of
such disturbances, where no life was endangered,
and where only property was attacked, men,
really. disposed to do their duty, might feel a re-
pugnance to fire upon the multitude, more espe-
cially as the officers had evidently no plan of
combined operations. We have heard a good
deal of the consequential bustling of some En-
glishmen, and of their officious visits to the
palace or to the ministers, to give advice during
the most anxious moments of the tumults. We
cannot blame them for this exuberant display of
solicitude and wisdom ; but neither must they
be surprised, if at such a crisis their inquiries
could not always be answered, nor their counsels
followed. We do not, of course, include in
this category our venerable Ambassador, whose
ip.udable exertions to stop the pillage our corres-
pondent has repeatedly mentioned with honour.
But may not even Sir It. Adair have expected too
much deference to his recommendations in such a
crisis ; and if he is offended at the neglect of his
commands in one instance, was there nothing
that indicated a too great partiality for Orange
principles and persons in his intended diploma-
tic protection ? The Burgomaster, at his re-
quest, sent a special guard to protect the house
of Mr. Northey, and made the same arrange-
ment for securing against the assaults of the
rioters the hotel of. the handsome Countess of
Marnix. But if the latter order was not exe-
cuted in the midst of the reigning confusion,
and the hotel was pillaged along with others,
must the throne of Belgium be considered as
lost because the Burgomaster of Brussels failed
in realizing a promised act of diplomatic gal-
lantry? It is said in authentic letters from
Brussels, that King Leopold has shown great
firmness and presence of mind during the late
disturbances. We are yet ignorant of the effect
which the intelligence of their occurrence will
produce among his allies of the great continental
Courts, but the only moral which we can draw
from them is, that they ought to accelerate that
final arrangement of the Belgic question from
the delay of which alone they have originated.
—Times.

The principal discussion last night, on the
miscellaneous estimates, had reference to the
National Galleri, the uurchase of two Correggios