The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-24 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.—SrN OFFICE, SEPT. 24.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
69—highest since noon yesterday.
57—lowest this morning and during the night.
63—this day at noon.
BAnommTER-20.27—a rise of half an inch since yester,
d aWINE, North-Westerly; light, and fine.
Two o'Clock—Heavy clouds, indicating rain or a thus
der-storm. It blew almost a hurricane yesterday after.
noon.

THE SUN.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1858.

If there be any quality duly appreciated by
Englishmen it is that of fair play. Candour 18
regarded as a high virtue, and detraction, as the
opposite vice, is not only condemned, but despised.
The leading journal, however, habitually indulges
in this course against those who have had the
misfortune to incur its displeasare. Lord DERBY
has succeeded in gaining popular favour without
the aid of the Times. He has not conciliated the
wizard of Printing-house-square, or propitiated
the oracle of Puddle-dock--hence we find no less
than two philippics against the Premier in the
publication of this day. one assailing his public,
the other his private character, and both with a
degree of rancour and acrimony, and absolute want
of foundation, that causes intense surprise that such
productions could have obtained admission into any
journal putting forward the slightest claim to-
respectability.
The first onslaught on the noble lord is founded
on the non-publication of the terms of the Treaty
with China, and we readily concede that, as a por-
tion of the red-tapist system, it is one that should
be got rid of with all conceivable speed. But what
is there of " Ministerial insolence," " Ministerial
idleness," or " Ministerial stupidity," in this delay ?
Can the Times pretend for a moment that the
Public would have received earlier information, if
either Lord PALMERSTON or Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
or any of its other pets held the seats of office ? It
knows well that such would not be the case—that
according to official etiquette, albeit more honoured
in the breach than in the observance, every
treaty must, in the first instance, be submitted to
the SOVEREIGN before publication, and that it then
remains with her 'MAJESTY to say whether
it shall be forthwith published or sup-
pressed until an address from one of the
collateral branches of the Legislature. As we have
already stated, we wish it had been otherwise.
But most certainly neither Lord DERBY nor any of
his colleagues are responsible for the results. The
Times is well aware of the fact, and that although
perhaps not directly amenably to a charge of wilful
and deliberate falsehood, it has at least rendered
itself responsible for a suppression of truth, by
striving to create an imputation which the facts
do not nor cannot possibly warrant.
But this charge against the public character of a
public man may possibly be defended on the ground
that in politics, as in love and in war, all schemes
or dodges are justifiable. But there can be no excuse
for referring to the private life of a public man. It
may be that " the Rowdy journal " would give a
large sum to the nurse of a Secretary of State to
reveal a " flagrant act of dishonesty " committed by
the future statesman when he had arrived at the
mature age of five years ; but we should scarcely
have supposed that an English newspaper, of high
standing, would endeavour to distort a very simple
and praiseworthy proceeding on the part of the
First Lord of the Treasury into an improper act,
such as would subject him to an imputation of
impropriety, although possibly not to a criminal
charge.

The defence of Lord DERBY, if defence were
required on such a point, is admirably put forward
by a gentleman writing under the nom de plume
of " Fairplay," whose letter will ,be found in
another part of our impression. Lord DERBY,
who, with true British spirit, was attached to
British sports, found that the cares of office,
which had rather been cast on than sought
by him, were incompatible with the recreations
which he had allowed himself—and which his
ample fortune fully justified—determine) to sell off
his stud, and to withdraw from the turf, at least
for the time being. But there was no press:TT
creditor, no urgent claimant that should be satisfied
at any cost or exigency. Lord DERBY was not ob-
liged to sell, and Lord DERBY would not part with
his valuable property save for a fair equivalent.
This did not suit the " hard calculators—the men
that think there must be alarming sacrifices," by
which they may profit at the expense of the rigbt-

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