The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-23 00:00:00

the nature of our LORD'S person ; and are
charged with being believers in the Mono-
thelite heresy while they assert that their
founder, MARI:), fled to the mountains of Lebanon,
to avoid the persecution of the Monothelites in the
days when imperial favour gave the latter power
to persecute. They eventually accepted the prin-
cipal doctrines of the Council of Trent, and acknow-
ledge the supreme headship of the PoPE, who
nominates their patriarch.
The Maronites are subject politically to the Emir
of the Druses, who, however, is in turn subject to the
Pasha of ACRE, but on condition that no Turks
dwell in his territory. It would seem, therefore, that
the Druses have long been the more powerful,
chiefly because the more warlike. The Maronites,
however, though of more strictly ecclesiastical
origin, are by no means wanting in courage. They
do not live amongst the Druses, like the Greeks
amongst the Turks, as sheep ever ready to be
fleeced. They are a fine race of men, and generally
go about well armed—the condition of safety in
those parts. The two races, or tribes, or sects,
whichever they should be called, intermingle in
many of their villages and cities, though they do
not intermarry, but the Druses predominate in the
southern part of the ranges of Lebanon and Anti-
Lebanon, and the valley between them ; the Maro-
nites have their chief seat in the northern part.

Such being the relations of the Druses and Maro •
nites, it is obviously but too easy for emissaries who
wish it, to stir up one against the other. To us
it does not seem likely that the Maronites would
be the aggressors, unless they were instigated
by the prospect of foreign aid; and it is far from
improbable that the Ruler who is now so forward
to help Turkey with soldiers, as well as ships of war,
should ba the real author of the commotion which
he is so zealous to quell. Of course, we are reduced
to suspicions, surmises, guesses ; but it is useless to
object to them as unfair. It were affectation, or
diplomatic conventionalism, not to acknowledge
that there is good reason for suspecting any possible
underhand procedure of the French Government ;
and England will be obliged to exercise all her
caution, as well as her firmness, if she thinks it im-
portant to her that all the East should believe that
the French EMPEROR is not eclipsing the QUEEN
of England. The Crimea left that impression in
the East ; shall Syria deepen it ?

Mr. COWPER is certainly carrying it with a high
hand as Chief Commissioner of Parks and Palaces.
He acknowledges frankly that nobody asked him
to carry that horse-road through Kensington-
gardens. He allows quite plainly that his alone is
the responsibility. According to his own showing,
therefore, the entire proceeding, from beginning to
end, is a little pet whim or crotchet of his (Mr.
COWPER'S) individually. Not a single complaint
was heard previously from any one, upon any plea
whatever, in respect to anything in the previous
arrangement of the gardens in question. It would
be a bold thing even for Mr. COWPER to assert that
such is the case since his arbitrary carrying out of
this extraordinary innovation. So far as we have
anywhere heard an opinion expressed upon the mat-
ter, that opinion has been invariably against the
horse-road, and against it diametrically and abso-
lutely. The unanimity, in fact, appears to be
quite remarkable all round the immediate neigh-
bourhood, at Kensington, at Notting, and at Bays-
water. Within a few hours 1,500 signatures of the
principal inhabitants were affixed to an energetic
protest against this so-called improvement. A de-
putation of the most influential character waited on
Mr. COWPER upon an early day after this unfortu-
nate act of Vandalism had been perpetrated, to pro-
test against it in the strongest possible language.
Meetings were held simultaneously on Friday even-
ing in the vestry on Paddington-green, and in the
vestry-hall at Kensington, where in each instance
resolutions were passed loudly condemnatory of
so outrageous a proceeding as this on the part of
the Chief Commissioner. Two of these resolutions
it will be sufficient here to specify : namely, one to
the effect " That without notice to, or consultation
with, the parties interested, a ride has been formed
connecting Rotten-row with the most retired and
beautiful parts of Kensington-gardens, cutting
these gardens into two parts, and rendering access
from one part to the other inconvenient and un-
safe." The resolution adding—" That these gar-
dens, by the gracious permission of the Sovereign,
have been hitherto open to pedestrians only, afford-
ing a great and safe means of enjoyment to all
classes, without reference to either rank or for-
tune." The other and longer resolution, declaring
—" That the ride now made appears intended to
afford further means of recreation to the upper
classes of society, whose means of enjoyment are
already comparatively without limit, particularly
as to horse exercise, which they can enjoy in the
parks, and on all the roads and places in the neigh-
bourhood of the metropolis ; and that it is an in-
terference, as unwise as it is ungracious, with the
comfort and the safety of the people at large, many
of whom have settled in the neighbourhood in the
expectation of being allowed for themselves and
their families, and for the young, the sick, and the
more studious of all classes, the quiet and safe en-
joyment of these gardens ; and this meeting hereby
expresses its unqualified condemnation of the for-
mation of such a ride." Those two resolutions
epitomise all that need be said against the immola

[on of which all but the " cream of the cream" are

complaining. Upon
,the very same evening
upon which these meetings were held at
Kensington and Paddington, the hon. and
learned member for Maryleboue brought
the question as to the propriety or impropriety of
maintaining this new horse-road in Kensington-
gardens under the consideration of the House of Com-
mons. It is an absurdity to sneer at a matter of this
kind being talked of in the House of Commons, ob-
serving in its regard, as some did, that it was a
thing of trivial importance that Mr. JAMES treated,
as though it was something vitally affecting the
stability of the constitution. We insist that it is
nothing less than puerile to talk thus. Justice is
justice whether it affect property to the value of

three halfpence or to the fabulous sum contemplated
by the will of that cruel old miser THELIISSON. It
is just so much evasive babble, therefore, to deride
the antagonism directed against this uncalled for
horse-road as exaggerated to the extent of being
ridiculous. Mr. COWPER insists in his reply to the
very able statement of the facts of the case given
by the hon. and learned gentleman the member for
Marylcbone, that by the formation of the horse-
road no rights whatever are infringed. According
to which—a horse-road might to morrow be opened
(in compliance with the arbitrary mandate of one
single individual in authority) across the centre of
the Green Park, in a diagonal direction, from the

corner of Stafford House, in the Mall, to the Tri-
umphal Arch at Hyde Park Corner. Again, Mr.
COWPER, and his over self-opinionated supporters
in the House of Commons, argue in favour of the

continuance of this horse-road through Kensington-
gardens, that the convenience of all classes and
not of any exclusive class should be con-
sulted in these kind of arrangements. Accord-

ing to which, the costermongers of London
might just as reasonably insist upon having a right
of way for their donkey-carts, as the fine ladies and