The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-26 00:00:00

prerogative, no doubt, to the last—and not the
least energetically at a juncture when Lord PAL-
MERSTON is the chief among the Administrators.
In this particular, therefore, we are labouring
under no feeling of even momentary solicitude.
The Honour of England we believe to be in safe
keeping. We have no fear whatever of its being
in any manner paltered with---PALMERSTON being
our Prime Minister, and VICTORIA our Sovereign.

Nevertheless it is a moment when strenuous
efforts are apparently being adventured upon by a
powerful ally, with a view to the diminution, if
possible, of this right of asylum spontaneously
accorded to foreigners by our Constitution—it
cannot but be interesting to remember bow there
has been manifested upon former occasions the
same specious, we might almost say the same
insidious attempt at interference. For example, it
was observed, as far back as the 2d of March,
1803, in the official columns of the Moniteur—
mark well the force and bearing of every syllable
that follows—" The Alien Bill gives powers to
the English Ministry to send strangers out of
that country at pleasure." And it is added—
" that power the Ministry largely avails itself
of "—reference being then made (in illustration
of the truth of this) to the then recent case of
one Citizen BONNECARRERE. The Moniteur of
that same date, 2d March, 1803, ending its argu-
ment thus :—" The King of England owes to his
own personal dignity and to the honour of his
nation, to put an end to the outrages of his sub-
jects against a neighbouring Government and
nation with which it is at peace, and to which he
gives the service of an ambassador not less exalted
in rank than amiable and respectable in his per-
sonal qualities." France then, as now, was at
peace with this country—and what at that period,
let us ask, was the popular feeling in England in
regard to this right of asylum granted by Eng-
land to foreigners ? For a sufficiently significant
indication of the then feeling upon this point we
may turn to the record preserved to us of the
memorable trial in the Michaelmas Term of the
43d GEORGE 111., of JEAN PELTIER, before the
Lord Chief-Justice ELLENBOROUGH. It was there
and then observed by Mr. (afterwards Sir JAMES)
MACKINTOSH, the most eloquent of the counsel of
the defendant—" That he still enjoys the security
of this asylum, that he has not been sacrificed to
the resentment of his powerful enemies, is perhaps
owing to the firmness of the RING'S Government.
If that be the fact, Gentlemen, if his MAJESTY'S
Ministers have resisted application to expel this
unfortunate gentleman from England, I should
publicly thank them for their firmness, if it were
not unseemly and improper to suppose that they
would have acted otherwise—to thank an English
Government for not violating the most sacred du-
ties of hospitality ; for not bringing indelible dis-
grace on their country." Noble words those—
but nobler still those with Which the peroration of
this great speech was brought to a climax by
MACKINTOSH. "So long as our country exists,"
he exclaimed, " we are girt round with impene-
trable armour. Till the destruction of our country
no danger can fall upon us for the performance of
our duty, and I do trust that there is no English-
man so unworthy of life as to desire to outlive
England. But if any of us are condemned to the
cruel punishment of surviving our country—if in
the inscrutable counsels of PROVIDENCE this favoured
seat of justice and liberty, this noblest work of hon
man wisdom and virtue, be destined to destruction
(which I shall not be charged with national pre-
judice for saying would be the most dangerous
wound ever inflicted on civilisation) ; at least let
us carry with us into our sad exile the con-
solation that we ourselves have not violated
the rights of hospitality to exiles—that

4-we have not torn from the altar the suppliant who
claimed protection as the• voluntary victim of
loyalty and conscience I" Never ought those
thrilling and truthful accents to cease vibrating
upon the national remembrance. Ever ought
they to be cherished in our recollection, as loving
as that yet more memorable peroration uttered at
a slid earlier date by the greatest of the Irish
Masters of the Rolls, .TORN CURRAN, when in his
renowned defence of HAMILTON ROWAN, he ex-
claimed in a burst of improvised el )(pence, not
unworthy of DEM)STHENES—" I speak in the
spirit of the British law, which makes liberty
commensurate with, and inseparable from, British
soil—which proclaims even to the stranger and
the sojourner, the moment he sets his foot upon
British earth, that the ground on which he treads
is holy and consecrated by the genius of universal
emancipation. No matter in what language his
doom may have been pronounced--no matter
what complexion incompatible with freedom an
African sun may have burnt upon him--no matter
in what disastrous battle the helm of his liberty
may have been cloven down—no matter with
what solemnities ho may have been devoted upon
the altar of slavery—the moment h© touches the
sacred soil of Britain, the altar and the god sink
together in the dust ; his soul walks abroad
in its own majesty ; his body swells beyond
the measure of his chains,
beautyatithe glory
which burst
around him, and he stands redeemed, re-
generated, and disentbralled by the irresistible
gtreuntihuswhoieh of universal
constitutes
smtahno and
emancipation." It is the
of that magnificent eoulition of patriotic emo-
tion, and which renders that ever-inemorable
passage of CURRAN chief among the splendours of
our national oratory. Never, we feel that instinc-
tively, each one amongst us, in Our heart of hearts
never, "come what come may," will Englishmen
affording
forego
that
shelter.glor and ious and priceless privilege of
protection to the political
outcasts of the world—the privilege thus eulo-
gised by the rapturous rhetoric of CURRAN, and
by the less glowing, .but not less florid, declama-
tion of MaciuNTosir. The Right of Asylum for
Aliens in England is like the extension to the
Political Fugitives of the whole world of the
anoient privileges of Sanctuary.

re-
cent telegraphic despatches from India contains no
donveyed in the Although the intelligence
feature of very striking -importance, still it is
satisfactory to learn that the operations they re-
cord have been attended with success. Colonel
SEATON had achieved the rout of the Furruckabad
rebels, who sustained considerable loss in men
and guns, and finally took their heels in approved
Asiatic fashion, being pursued
by the vietors for
several miles. An ingredient in the caldron of
mischief was likewise removed by the disarmament
of HOLKAR'S regulars, which was effected without
disturbance on the 15ch of last month. The
defence of the Aziwghur frontier, which was me-
naced by rebels, has been entrusted to a brave and
experienced officer, Brigadier-General FRANKS,
and our good friend in need JUNG BATTADOOR, has
advanced a column of his intrepid Goorkahs nearly
10,000 strong from the mountains of Nepaul, for
service in the British territories. The Joudpoor
legion has been routed by the active SHOWERS,
and some minor engagements have taken place,
tending to the diminution and dispersion of the
mutinous hordes. All these are cheering details,
swell the tide of triumph serving to which may
now be regarded as fairly set in under the aus-
pices of the well-proved vetQran to whom the
leadership of our Indian armies is entrusted, and