The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-06 00:00:00

which stated that JAUREGUI had defeated the sth
battalion of the rebels, near Irun and St. Sebastian,
the garrisons of which went out to intercept-the flight
of the fugitives. Now, whether this be true or not,
is of little consequence ; but it is not so to ask how
long is the population of Spain to be exposed to the
ravages of civil war, while France and England possesses
abundant means of putting an end to it with hardly
any expense, and without in the slightest degree en-
dangering the peace or security' of either country ? Is
it well to look an idle spectator on a scene of strife
and desolation, which, terminate as it may, must by its
continuance demoralize the people, and destroy in them
every trace of social virtue? It is not the carnage, the
destruction of property, the scenes of unheard of misery,
and unexampled woe, that constitute the direct calamity
of which civil war is ever pregnant. It is the eradication
of all principles of religion and virtue from among the
great mass of the suffering population—it is the cruelty
and hardness of heart engendered by familiarity with
military butchery, and the sight of human blood
poured forth like water, and without remorse, at the
command of alternate victors, who sanctify slaughter
by the plea of expediency—it is the being exposed to
that familiar acquaintance with the countenance of
vice, which a great poet and a sound moralist consi-
dered sufficient to cause the certain headlong plunge
into the gulph of iniquity of the very innocent--it is
these and many other evils which gradually but effec-
tually sap the foundations of virtue, that make the pro-
traction of civil war one of the most dreadful curses that
can befal any people. The only instance in which
these evils would not be productive of the worst con-
sequences here pointed out, is among a well-edu-
cated population, where the inhabitants, exposed
to the horrors of military devastation, would
be possessed of sufficient understanding to regard
such atrocities not as examples or palliatives
for individual wrong, but as salutary lessons of the
miseries consequent on what the world has monstrously
termed military glory ! But Spain boasts of no such
intellectual population. Her peasantry are in general
almost brutally ignorant, miserably poor, and fanati-
cally superstitious. They are, moreover, under the
influence of mendicant monks, personally interested
in repelling the progress of reform, and habitually
subject to the commands of Grandees, a number of
whom look to the chances of war, as the only
hope of improving their shattered fortunes, and
regaining their lost influence in the councils of the
Sovereign. Now, is it wise, or well, or even politi-
cally expedient, to behold the demoralization of a
great nation, such as Spain still is, while there are
abundant resources within reach by which the calamity
can be almost instantly avoided ? The principle of
non-interference is generally the best that can
be acted upon, but occasions will arise, and the
present state of Spain is of the number, when to
discharge our duty we must act in the very teeth of
it. Men may resolve never to interfere in domestic
quarrels beyond their own thresholds; but such a reso-
lution would be pleaded with very bad grace by a man
who beheld his neighbour's throat cut, and on principle
declined collaring the murderer while drawing his
knife. We ought not to embroil ourselves in diplomatic
squabbles, nor ought we give countenance or encou-
ragement to braggadocio bullyings about some such
foolery as the lowering or hoisting of a flag in this
or that channel ; but it is a very different thing
to
.witness unmoved the raising of the standard of re-
bellion, the demoralizing of millions of people, and the
massacre of thousands of innocent, unoffending beings
for no other crime than that of obeying the laws of
their country. In this latter case no principle of non-
interference can be pleaded—the very mention of it
would be a disgrace instead of an honest firmness—an
- ignorance of the fundamental laws of nature and nations
instead of an acquaintance with them. The question
is one so very obvious, that we may be excused quoting
the opinions of PUFFENDORFF, GROTIUS, or
VATTEL on the subject, though laid down and defined
in the works of each.

The correspondent of a Morning Paper, whose
communication from Bayonne is dated the 31st of
August, states that Colonel CARADOC arrived there
the night before from Rot) IL's head-quarters, which
he left two days previously ; and that that officer
stated the delay which took place in the total ex-
tirpation of the rebels arose from the want of
a -sufficient number of troops. He further stated
that RODIL could do nothing unless he received
a reinforcement of from thirty to forty thousand effec-
tive troops, as the whole of those under his command,
capable of being brought into the field, did not ex-
ceed twenty-five thousand, which he was obliged to
divide into five or six battalions, in order to intercept
the movements of the enemy. This intelligences if
correct, will deservedly expose Rolm, to much well-
merited censure, as we have reason to know that, but for
assurances of being amply provided with the means of
capturing Don CA RL os, the Spanish Government would
long since have had recourse to foreign powers if necessary,
rather than continue the useless protraction of a civil
war. Certain we are that neighbouring nations in-
ferred from the tone of RODIL'S despatches that the
war in Spain was nothing more than a superior des-
cription of squirrel hunt, in which their nimbleness of
foot, and skill at performing somersets over precipices
alone protected the rabble host of rebels from utter ex-
termination. But now it comes out, that there was
more swaggering than sincerity in this reported state of
things. That in all probability RODIL hazarded de-
feat, rather than make a confession which would de-
prive him of the sole honour of leading a captive
Prince in chains to the foot of his Sovereign's throne.
He would have but one triumphal car appear in the
via sacra ; and hence Spain was to run the chance of
being for months enwrithed by serpents. How often
are not nations sacrificed to the vanity of individuals !
The reports of the proceedings in the Chamber of
Deputies on the 26th and 28th ult., are not worthy of
any particular notice, as they merely refer to the pre-
sentation of petitions.

The CH A NCELLOR is by far the most highly gifted
individual that has appeared in our day. He must
therefore have a powerful influence on the affairs of his
country, so long as health and strength shall be vouch-
safed to him. His first act of power negatives the
motives which have been lately ascribed to him. For
time out of mind every other Chancellor appointed his
secretary of bankrupts and his purse-bearer with fixed
salaries, subject to the condition of paying to him the
fees of their respective offices. A sum of from 4,0001.
to 5,0001. per annum was thus added to the emolu-
ments of this great officer, by an unworthy arrange-
ment. With 5,000/. per annum from the civil list,
the remainder of his in'zome was composed of fees, the
rgreipt of which by. inlm the present CHANCELLOR has
*;11-61. iiSiWd, toe' ,Tl".:r. with all sinecures is Chancery,