The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Our readers will not fail to have observed the recep-
tion which was given, on Tuesday, to the Lord
Chancellor, at the Sheriffs' inauguration dinner at the
Merchant Tailors'-hall. It is worthy of notice that
this was a meeting of men of all political parties : the
Lord Mayor, who is a Tory, presided, and with great
tact proscribed party feeling and discussion, as being
foreign to the intention of the meeting, and inexpedient
where hospitality was proposed to distinguished men of
different political sentiments. At this meeting, thus
composed, the most remarkable, and we had nearly said
the only extraordinary feeling, was an universal and
strong demonstration of respect towards the Chancellor,
displayed with a warmth and zeal which could not fail
to mark its meaning to every one who witnessed. it.
We have here in the metropolis of England as in
Scotland, the same overwhelming expression of dis-
approbation of the attack which has been made
upon Lord Brougham in the Times. That journal,
we trust, will be taught a useful lesson by this meeting,
applied in a still more convincing form, which cannot
fail to be understood by it. Whatever disgust we have
felt at the coarseness of the attack on Lord Brougham,
•and the undefined object of our contemporary, it has
been relieved by observing the generosity with which
-the whole British public have proclaimed'. their abhor-
rence of the attempt. The Times has called forth, in
opposition to it, an almost universal feeling in favour of
the individual attacked. His mistakes, even, have
been overlooked by the public, in their determination
to resist an unworthy effort to -crush a public man, who,
in some way not very apparent to them, had offended
his former idolater. Public men will not fail to disco-
ver from the result in this case that they may safely rely
on the people for protection against any unprincipled
journalist, however powerful ; and journalists may also
learn that, whatever be their talents or influence, they
cannot in a free country be employed as the
Times has lately been in the case of the Chancellor,
without receiving the due reward of a persecuting
spirit. We had almost hoped, from the recent silence
of our contemporary, that it had discovered the error
of its ways, and would embrace a less obnoxious
course. In the Times of yesterday, however, the hos-
tility re-appears ; but though it no longer assumes an
aggressive form, it is not on that account the less ma-
licious. A report, to be faithful, ought to state not
only what is said, but how what is said is received.
Now, in the report of the proceedings at the dinner,
every indication of the feeling of the meeting towards
the Lord Chancellor is carefully suppressed. For in-
stance, at the outset the announcement of the Chancel-
lor's name was " hailed," asis stated in our report, "with
enthusiastic cheering." Of this no notice is taken in the
Times. But this might have been accidental. However,
when the health of the Lord Chancellor and the
rest of his Majesty's Ministers was proposed by the
Lord Mayor, " the toast was received with tremen-
dous cheering." What does the Times report say ?
Merely, " The toast having been drunk with the usual
honours, the Lord Chancellor rose to return thanks."
Now, why omit the account of the marked demonstra-
tion of feeling on this occasion ? Why, but that it
might not appear that the object of the hostility of
the Times was the object of the public regard. The
report of the Chronicle, which is a true and faithful
report, states, " that the Lord Chancellor rose amidst
an universal shout of applause. When silence had been
in some degree restored,' &c. Now, when we couple the
omission of all these indications of the feelings of the
meeting with the recent conduct of the Times, we are
bound to say that it could not have been accidental,
but must have been the result of a determination to
keep the readers of the Times, not present at the
dinner, in the dark as to what actually took place with
regard to the Chancellor.—Morning Chronicle.
The accounts from Spain continue to be of a most
gratifying nature to the well-wishers of human im-
provement and civilisation. The contest in the North,
to be sure, is far from being ended ; but the spirit of
the nation appears to be aroused, and Spain seems de-
termined to take advantage of the present moment.
Well has Senor Arargues reminded them, " that if
nations, whenever the occasion offers itself of becoming
free, do not profit by it, five centuries may pass before
another may present it." From what has already oc-
curred in the Chambers, it is tolerably clear that the
Liberal party may, at any moment, assume the reins of
Government ; and what, we would ask, has been one
of the first and successful efforts of that party, but an
immediate recognition of a great part of the just debts
of their country, and an attempt to keep faith with
their creditors ? And is this at all in accordance
with the charge usually made by the ultra-Tories
of this country, and by the admirers of the ancien
regime generally, that all those who are anxious
to improve the institutions of their country, and
who cannot help seeing existing defects, are a set
of unprincipled and needy adventurers, totally regard-
less of all the ties of good faith or honour ? We will
not deny that some of these persons, like too many in
our own country, would be a disgrace to any principles,
and are, in fact, a curse to the country, too often re-
tarding the cause which they profess to advocate. But
still this admission does not at all effect the merits of
the real question. When, may we ask, will these
admirers of the ancient order of things learn to
distinguish between the merits of a cause, and
the character of all its advocates, and dis-
cover that a desire to improve does not necessarily infer
a wish to destroy ? Cannot they understand that Spain,
France, or other nations of Europe, may see the be-
nefits which Britons derive from the establishment of
a free Press, and from institutions which, while they
protect the people from the personal character of the
Sovereign, yet, at the same time, are free from the dan-
gers of an unlimited and wild democracy ? And see-
ing this, is it to be wondered at that they should wish
to reconstruct their own Government on similar prin-
ciples ? What is it that Spain now claims for its Press,
but what we already enjoy ?—viz. " The right of
every Spainard to publish his thoughts by means of the
Press, without any previous Censorship, subject always
to the laws which may be enacted for the repression of the
abuses of that right." And yet, when these and simi-
lar attempts are made in Spain or elsewhere, we regret
to say that there still exists in this country a party to
throw obloquy on such patriotic attempts, and who re-
joice in no measured strains at even a reported suc-
cess of Don Carlos and his priesthood. These latter
are " wise in their generation;" for full well they
know that on the diffusion of knowledge, and on the
.establishment of more enlightened institutions, their
power falls to the ground. Without, however, going
the full length of some over-zealous advocates of
change, we cannot doubt but that the institutions of
Spain, which had their rise in times when knowledge
and wealth were in the hands of the few, are not at
all suited to the present times, or to the wishes of the
nation. The clear duty of the rulers of Spain, and of
those throughout Europe, on whom the cares of Go-
vernment devolve, is to adapt the institution of each
country to the more enlarged wants and advanced in-
telligence of the people, with the smallest possible in-
jury to existing establishments and privileges ; and as
the thread of knowledge amongst the people has now
made it impossible togovern nations by standing armies
or brute force, let governors learn, instead of relying
on. the ignorance and fears, to appeal to the good sense
and interests of the governed.—Morning Herald.

We were not aware at the time that our last article
respecting the soldier Hutchinson appeared in this
journal, that he had already been brought to trial ;
still less, .we believe, could our readers have been pre-
pared for the summary mode, to give it no harsher
name, in-which the charges against him appeared to
have been disposed of. He has, however, as our
readers would see by our paper of Tuesday, been not
only brought to trial, but ordered to plead, under
. every possible disadvantage, without having the assist-
ance of a Solicitor to conduct his defence—against
his entreaty to be allowed time to prepare it—and,
finally, in despite of the absence of a witness whose
evidence he declared to be most material, if not ab-
solutely indispensable to it I 'Who, after this, will
not entertain the conviction, whether justly founded
or not, we do not say, that Hutchinson is, as he said,
" a marked man," and that the severity of his
former punishment, coupled with the publicity which
has been given to it, have rendered him obnoxious to
the officers of his regiment, and deprived him of all
chance of fair play; either in his simple capacity of a

soldier, or in the more painful one of a defendant un-
der a charge of breach of military discipline ? The
total absence of even .the appearance of fair play to
him on his trial, is astonishing—the impolicy of it, to
speak of it in no worse terms, absolutely appalling.
Hutchinson was arraigned on two charges—the first,
that of having been absent from his regiment during
a period of twenty-five days, by which he became a
deserter, and liable to the punishment inflicted on
such delinquents—the second, with having made
away with a pair of regimental boots. Hutchinson
at first refused to plead, and protested against the
proceedings,—first, because he had not received
sufficient notice ; and, secondly that a very material
witness on his behalf—Serjeant Duff, of the second
battalion of Scots Fusileer Guards,—was not pre-
sent, and he had not been allowed time to send
for him. He begged that the Courtmartial might
be adjourned until the following day (Saturday) when
he should be prepared to proceed. These were as-
suredly rational and proper grounds for refusing to
plead, or, in other words, not consenting to the pro-
gress of proceedings against him ; and it would be dif-
ficult, we imagine to prove that his Majesty's service
could have sustained any, the most trifling disservice,
by the postponement of his trial till saturday ; but no!!
the trial was, after a consultation, ordered to proceed,
and the poor fellow subjected to the risk of being con-
demned, through the absence of a material witness t. It
is true that the prisoner sustained, apparently, no ma-
terial injury, in consequence of the indecent haste with
which the trial was hurried forward to a conclusion—
the charge respecting the boots having fallen to the
ground, and Captain Taubman having very gallantly
come forward and stated on behalf of Hutchinson, that
he considered him correct in his statement of his having,
been absent only 19 days, instead of 25, from his re-
giment, and in consequence not liable to be considered
a deserter ; but this good luck was matter of accident,
and the refusal of the Court to allow of any postpone-
ment of the trial, might have resulted in the infliction
of gross injustice. It remains now to be seen what
will be the next proceedings against Hutchinson. That
lie must stand acquitted of the charges preferred against
him, is evident enough, unless it be meant to sentence
him to punishment, in defiance of all justice ; but he
may be again tried, we have reason to believe, for hav-
ing been absent without leave, and most certain is the
conviction on our minds, that, whatever the sentence
may be, the possibility of his continuing in the
service is utterly out of the question. He is now,
in every respect, " a marked man," and, whether
lie remained in his regiment, or were passed into
another, would continue to be so. He has 'been the
instrument of a great public good—his severe punish-
ment has doomed to speedy destruction the future
flogging of human beings—and that is a crime for
which there is no forgiveness in the military code.
But the public ought not, must not, and will not, we
are confident, desert him. Whatever be the issue of
his present trial, let the subscription proceed, and let
it not be alleged, as a reproach and disgrace to us,
that while we legislate to save donkeys, and cattle, and
sheep, and horses, from the oppression of their masters
or drivers, we not only allow the back of a human
being to be torn in pieces, but will not even give a
penny out of our superfluity to save him from the base,
degrading, cruel, and brutal infliction !—Morizino-
b
Advertiser.

Amongst the variety of attacks which are being
simultaneously made upon the welfare and prosperity
of the country, we cannot but notice with peculiar in-
terest, and we may say indignation, the base and insi-
dious efforts of a portion of the press to excite the
worst passions of the army, and create a spirit of dis-
content and disaffection among our soldiery, by pub-
lishing garbled statements, forcibly illustrated by mock
philanthropic notes and observations, touching the ne-
cessary administration of military punishments. Since
the days of Mr. Grey Bennet we do not recollect hear-
ing anything. so extravagantly absurd as are these at-
tempts to disorganize the service, and to destroy the
discipline by which alone it can be rendered either safe
or efficient. We remember that the Hon. Gentleman
was perpetually harping upon the one string, and con-
stantly bringing forward cases (according to his own
respectable testimony) of barbarity and tyranny almost
too shocking to mention. The lowest portion of
the public press subsequently picked up the torn and
dirty garments of the distinguished philanthropist,
and they are now assumed by those who, while
they are descanting, expounding, and describing, are
perfectly conscious of the baseness of their intentions,
and of the infamous character of the objects they have
in view. Under the auspices of the King's Ministers
we find the Church assailed in the grossest terms ; and
under the same auspices, strange to say, are measures
taken to disorganise and disturb the army. 'When
Bennet was a philanthropist he was a radical Whig,
and we could quite understand his meaning. When
Burdett " wept, or seemed to weep," at what lie knew
was the absolutely necessary punishment of the refrac-
tory soldier, he was a popularity-hunter and a Radical;
we could understand the object of his proceedings.
But it has been reserved for us to find the ministerial
press devoting itself to the cause of revolt and mutiny.
To be sure we never yet had a Radical from the count-
ting-house, " disreputably known in the City" (as the
Times says), at the head of the War Department, nor
a convicted and imprisoned rioter appointed Judge Ad-
vocate-General, and " one of his Majesty's Most
Honourable Privy Council ;" but this we know, that,
if it is by the orders and under the sanction of those
Right Hon. Gentlemen that the Radical attacks, not
only upon the characters of officers commanding regi-
ments, but upon the constitution of the army itself, are
made, it will shortly become necessary for them, in
the plenitude of their military knowledge, political
wisdom, and personal respectability, to look to other
forces than those of his Majesty for protection or
support. An account appears in Tuesday's Morning
Chronicle of a Court Martial held upon an incorrigible
fellow of the name of Hutchinson, whose infamous
conduct had been previously punished by a flogging,
and who was again arraigned as a deserter, for selling
part of his wearing apparel, and having been taken in
plain clothes, having been absent for twenty-five days.
The Morning Chronicle, in giving the account of this
second Court Martial—it being a notorious fact that
not only the Lord Chancellor, for as far as the legal
part of the question goes the connection would be not
much, but that the Secretary at War, the " disreputably
known"—we again quote the Tinter--" the disrepu-
tably known" Mr. Edward Ellice is a chief supporter,
not only from that mysterious fund from which the
even more respectable Mr. Whittle Harvey received the
money which he declared he never touched, but with
his pen, as witness the malevolent letters of " Vindex"
—the Morning Chronicle, we say, in giving the
account of this Court Martial, furnished perhaps
,by
some dissolute private employed by the War Office
for the purpose, puts the case of this most infamous
offender in a liberal and pathetic light, supports his
objections to the jurisdiction of the Court, maintains
his demand for legal advice, and does what is even
worse, states—for it is not insinuation—that Colonel
Bowater took a personal interest in the fellow's con-
viction. Colonel Bowater, of whom we know nothing,
and of whom nobody, we believe, can know anything
likely to bring down upon him the gratifying censure
of the Ministerio-revolutionary Press, except his hav-
ing been selected by his Majesty to hold a high and
important situation in the Royal Household, is repre-
sented, or we should say infamously mis-represented,
as having been hovering about the Court-martial, in
order, as the writer infers, to influence the proceed-
ings of what, except by the miscreants who seek to
pervert everything just and right, is admitted to be the
highest and most purely honourable tribunal extant.
The man is found guilty of desertion ; and look
at the arguments of these disturbers and revolu-
tionists. Because the fellow had previously been
flogged for the grossest insubordination and the most
infamous conduct, he is not be punished ; no, not
even to be tried for having aggravated his last
offence, by committing a new and more im-
portant one. At the Old Bailey, before Magistrates,
and all criminal Juries, however much a Judge may
impress upon the minds of a Jury to attend to nothing
but what comes before them, what, we ask, is the ef-
fect of a previous conviction upon the Court ? Is the
commission of burglary an excuse for a subsequent
commission of murder ? This Hutchinson conducted
himself in the most outrageous manner. He was sen-