The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-21 00:00:00

(Flom the Dublin Evening Mail of Wednesday.)
. These are ',ally and truly the parties now before the
country—the question at issue being whether the supre-
macy of the law is to be advocated by one of the Judges of
the land--whether the infatuated dupes of a selfish,
de-
signing, and mercenary adventurer, are to be warned of
the
toils with which they are beset—whether order is to
be rearm-id,
and British connexion maintained, or whe-
thee the lasesare to be violated and agitation continued ;
and the Government of the country and the Ministers of
the
King, having thrown the preponderating influence of
their weight •
akto ht and their power against justice and its admi-
13aron Smith has been sacrificed and Daniel
• o.Connell has triumphed.
It'leforeign to our present purpose to scan the low,
' paltry, and pitiful policy which led Mr. Littleton and his
c°l,leaßues--.*in breach of a solemn and distinct promise,
• li:eluenter,ilY given to the contrary—to take the line. they
adapted. They, of course, looked for their re-
* Aar to the clamourou's prai
• aff se of the disloyal and the die-
th "te4---to the laudatory panegyrics of that portion of
press which supports such principles. They have
foe press
both.
?or object just now is to show, that throughout a life
hinour and respect, Baron Smith, however he might,..
tweorain t
h._ g o our view, have
.been mistaken in his politics.
been at least honest, straightforward,
_and consistent ;
and that
IN accuser, who a few nights since, in the hear-
ItZei the House of Commons and the face of the country,
of
that he had never expressed a favourable opinion
4,that functionary, was his fawning slave and sycophantic
,14"elaor, so long as be conceived his great name, stupen-
-a" talents, and unblemished character, could be made
avaa.t.,
4, 'tole to the objects he then had in c,ontemplation.
e ell the following from Mr. O'Connell s speech .
.
" Of that person (Baron Smith), he (Mr. O'Connell).. had
n er' he begged to say, expresteil a favourable opinion. He
everts_ ,
J "4.1 Pronounced him to be a good Lawyer, or a learned
tote At the bar he had no practice.
His object had been
reli."'°olin on those who joined with him in the fiendish
•cry of
proft,slts intolerance, and excitement of one class of religious
h-4, against another."
Piej::"Y previous to the commenctment of that inane
-
t ttt.ssion when the accursed Act of Roman Catholic
timaneipation was passed, a dinner was arranged to be
the" tti Dublin to those favourable to the measure, under
.specious and high-sounding title of " Friends of
I?digious Liberty."
,;.," invitati,n, to this solemn feast were issued in the
114 w-e," "DANIEL O'CONNELL;"and this very individual,
in uelli•ril)e,i " the hallooer of all who would join him
tiu4e cry of religious intolerance," was amongst
isithTroost of the distinguished guests besought to honor
of th"pr,sence, and sanction by his name, this meeting
Friends of Civil and Religious Liberty !"
iv}
c1~1,4e 110 in,an3 of a,Ctl raining the precise terms in
tic that invitation was couched ; but that it was a par-
501'1-'1:
and si,eeial on-, written by Mr. O'CowatELL hint-
Low' "" full 01 all that unction which he knows so well
tt°aPPIY when he lias an object to attain, can be little
Crum the answer of the learned Judge, which
sk-Z rCrumiiuewl s the public papers of the day, and which is
ha:rbea! R* " January 21, 1826.
eop I am gratified by the invitation which I have
Nis "'Wed, and accept with pride a portion of the title which
civil 'otter gives me. Ido belong to the class of ' friends of
that la religious liberty,' though I cannot claim to be what
vOtter „us
me, a ,
distinguished' member of that class.
thi.ur candour will, however, induce you to agree with me,
rtorneelass includes more than those who are favourable to
tioo,
is atholic pretensions. You will assent to my sugges-
elsinos in the ranks of those who are in opposition to their
thou.,' friends ' of civil and religious liberty' are to be found;
taabi:" at the same time you may grieve, that wise and esti-
e.oont Pers,
inns, who all have the same object, the welfare of our
This their view, should differ as to the means by which
740,1110 n end is to be attained.
the win,thns claiming on behalf of many, who are adverse to
horto:Ts Of th Roman Catholics of Ireland, a share in th.e
?f being recognised as distinguished friends of civil
uirectl3.4rus liberty, I am not consulting any interests, or in-
tarliaroen'Ring any pretensions of my own. The annals of my
who w
career, of course, are, like myself, obscure.
who was search them will not find me in the list of those
etc adverse to the claims of my countrymen of your re-
that i; while 1 trust, as well for their honour as for my own,
seemed Zit' appear that I only espoused them because they
tlexion ~.. compatible with the permanency of British con-
Neu;
!tbtne the safety of our Church, and stability of our
0041Ptibil. •
ceti"
' • and because it was my hope, that any apparent
4'4 fair_urP" might be met and obviated by mutual candour
raugeineor
ou'g ; and twoamicable compromise, in the ar-
Tna.; What
fofiitteadil,so,
nb the two reli ions.
harel'e tames t„ the close of my parliamentary career,
4°" been, turned the channel of my public duties. I
which / t u. for ma
tachmentlruosotilitrc4t . years a Judge ; a period during
while I tef,
vestige or svm,-,, hureh an —no room for doubting my at-
' 'or be d. (1 Constitution, neither could any
Ilk of the want of a co"eetlted, either in my public or private
tholic fellow subjects
them :414 feeling towards my Roman Ca-
Shtass prejudice against
Zorn which it could be inferred unchecked by any the
Indeed nothing has occurred
that if I were again in Par-
:edenr,,lo might not resume the course which I formerly pur-
opizon,l doubt I ought conscientiouslyto review my past
be Ur 8;
tow eigh impartial( a Aright against them ;to conYsidneYr
arguments
wumpernesent circumstances
rrly do.areot and regulate their application. All this would be
tesqt `7; and I hope I shall perform it. But possibly the
hiso._,ltlight be, my serving as a private in those ranks which
e‘').uistingoished statesmen lead.
lorne.'_."" conceive that the situation which I fill makes it in
lire— my duty to stand aloof from such political scenes,
oolourL"ves, and transactions, as, from their nature, are
1 e0,.`.. with anything of a party tinge. Do not suppose that
parttrnsider the dinner to which you have invited me, as a
social ,„eeting, in the ill sense of that expression. But it is a
to proZete:in_e, originating in, connected with, and intended
,4111etion ,2e.rntain political arrangements, and to ashsiesrtisanhedd
seno toany'errimras.i political opinions, enterta.ined and
d.
ted fro„ t respectable persons; but disapproved and is-
lisktur_ by many others of the same description. The Le-
aflet th. 7, ruaY have to arbitrate between these opposite opinions;
Isbleh"7
indecision will form a portion of that general law,
rort
evurrivriantyeustetip.
aim hold be my tY not only to obey, but to administer ;
"/::::anredverence and submission. Whatever
hopes may be, I ought not to risk
thnte, or playa anticiPation, in the censure of what may con-
tines established law; and which, in discharging the
3' department, I may have to declare and act upon.
sty in estioiab
'et props de and distinguished individuals may, with
Of etthe kind Y' and I presume will, attend a convivial meeting
tournd which I have described. But I doubt whether a
ea°, wit'
pet
~ equal correctness, do so. The tone of the
er,„,„ %IR naturally be in unison with those objects, con-
. WilliZY with con-
which h .
tittered ic it is assembled. The pervading sentiment
„.:veltogs
Iv,. with the warmth which belongs to those power-
"' With these
associate themselves with a cause like yours,
the.tee.
All this
which conviviality is,
calculated to
of.lnteuiZtU this will be in maintenance of opinions on which
, oUr gent classes of our community,and even the branches
ar-eeNe 1. fittedß7lature, are unfortunately divided ; and all this
„,, tket,„, ° Produce a scene not discreditable to those who
scs-glett aZDa'take of it, but, perhaps, not precisely that in
""ireely be "ge should be an actor, and a mere spectator he can
Lither
tat patty in a„.„'"°._
ene,, which it might be quite, correct for the
re,,krOgard tr,O. ra.l to assume, will be suppressed, from. a deli-
frh,aint his situation ; and thus his presence will impose
tie,": 'hat he May have to listen to, join in, or abstain
They'hall suirleh.a it he joins, he mixes more in conflicting poli-
te, roar jo It
this station ; and from which, if he refrains, he
tieeue' '0 iar
iell degree, the harmony of the meeting, and
'
donee ati return for the hospitable honour which has
csererliap, ""•
for ,do ""Y scruples or too punctilious. You will, how-
on the first tit justice of recollecting, that they are not recently
lhai"elll,,„ ttnie taken up ; but that I entertained and acted
„ nicb'has eral Years
ago, when I received an honour similar to
/lieu I:here Just been done me.
ii,hertal ordertn Public convivial meetings, which persons of the
It a, ntcurr ace in tile habit of occasionally attending; yet
kl-s:r.'ll that rnhe,e:' may take place, in which they might think
POiitto areeY did not participate. But meetings such as
part ~
.ii „irnpien?t necessarily, perhaps are not properly, of a
of 6,0,3' nature '"°n. We are not to anticipate occurrences of
'rune a risk,',4nd in uniformly absenting themselves, because
ton .recc,,o. Ole
tbt, ,"I..ges
.might withhold their presence from
the Public bodies, to whom a degree of respect is
tuay attend 4, ➢
,fo'lue, and who are entitled to whatever lustre
Pergeoß,ive. totc)f public functionaries and official rank
Whkb
hand e,_ convivial meeting, formed of private
p„"sel connected with political opinions on
that I anla afrant"th are divided, I feel to be a different case.
tet,tane..,eeling
insnlio satisfy my
that no anxiou..at I have been prolix. My apology must be,
Roman Catholic countrymen,
true rna: °f your 'cal to them stands between me and an ac-
bie 'sons for 'nvttation. I have preferred assigning the
ever sea 1
1,71 Y declining it to inventing a civil and plausi-
-1 diet ace tale Qui(' equally decline to attend a meeting how-
highly reap °nlay assertible(' to •
Catboli Years
further views opposite to yours.
otata,.' "vete!
the wh:,:,eoithiro, eoisavind,:tractrisvaer, decline to meet company,
in which I learned that anti-
-1"
hosts, set tor:trade olystu be very zealously proclaimed. On
that
ded at dr°Uctlya,eulf, that those who have offered to be
rnat my ream:,
toe nit impartiality in a Judge, to be
ohjeot?_°nin their party, when they know
" TZbaniel O'co„ ". to joining any.
Tv e are.; A " I have the honour to be, &c.
of „,, r,_ 'nutbted 9" „
*t I, ''unttinpar for the for W. C. SMITH. "
ljeo, ary the egoing letter to tbe research
tlse.o4iwr,c
p 7" Mr. o,co;erder, who tells us that, after
_nta th "acYaie "'ell" rose and PRONOUNCED
e "NOUR " the ri
ues and SPLENDID to•
oelo AoLt e v
pwegvo... ..a
was LEARED wr
ced iter."
4" pNronoun in February,