The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIB,—As every prosecution of the press by the GJ-
vernment forms an epoch in the history of our liberty, it
seems desirable that the exact extent of the authority
given by me in writing to my solicitor, and which I have
reason to believe was communicated to the Attorney-
General, should be placed on record. For that reason, I
forward you a copy of my letter to Mr. Leverson, which
was as follows :

"Mr. Montagu Leverson.—Sir,—On considering the
proposal made to me, which I understand comes from
the Government, I am willing that the following state_
ment shall be made on iny behalf.
"That the pamphlet 'Tyrannicide' was never intended
either by me or the writer to incite to assassination ;
that in its publication I only Exercised the right of overy
citizen to state facts and discuss abstract principles ; that
the attack on me was an attack on the right of free dis-
cussion, and I consider myself t'-$e injured party, especi-
ally in being arrested, as I was, like a felon ; but that as
it is stated that this pamphlet is calculated in the pre-
sent state of affairs between this country and France to
cause great international irritation, I am willing t.) ?ro-
mise not to sell any more copies of the pamphlet nor re-
publish it.

"Even this conzideration, however, would not have in-
duced me to make such a concession had the prosecution
been commenced by the presrit, Governmeie, but as
they have shown themselves moro English and liberal
than their predecessors, I am willing to make the con-
cession which Mr. James advises. Sill, I hope counsel
wilt protest both against my arrest and against the prin-
ciple of such a prosecution as this being instituted at all.

" I❑ conclusion, I will state that, if instead of arrest-
ing me the late Government had quietly intimated to me
that the publication of the pamphlet was calculated to
cause international irritation, I should most probably
have adopted the same course as that recommended by
my counsel.—l am, &c.,
(Signed) " E. TRUELOVE."

Here, sir, under ordinary circumstances, I should have
ended, but the cowardly article which has appeared in this
day's Times, in which that i. insinuated which the writer
dares not assert, and in which allusion is made to me,
calculated materially to injure my reputation, and yet in
such a manner that I can bring no action against the
Times for its dastardly proceedings, induces me to
trouble you with a few further observations.
That such a thing as principle is utterly unknown to
the directors of the Times is too notorious, and needs no
comment from me ; and thus they cannot understand
that, in refuoing the overtures made to me, and in reso-
lutely resisting the prosecution commenced by the Times'
protege (Lord Palmerton), I was actuated by principle
and by attachment to the liberties of my country which
this preten led liberal Minister had attacked. It was
then with extreme reluctance, as stated by Mr. James,
that, notwithstanding the proffer a a verdict of not
guilty, I gave my consent to abandon the further pub•
lication of " Tyrannicide," which no more incited to
assassination than your articles or those of the Times to
murder or theft, there being the same difference between
assassination and tyrannicide as between murder and
justifiable, or even praiseworthy, homicide; but it was
my intention, had the case gone on, and the jury de-
livered—as they must have dune—a verdict of not
guilty, to have then voluntarily discontinued the publica-
tion, on the grounds stated by Mr. James.
It was not till late on Monday night I reluctantly
gave my consent, having previously refused a similar
proposition, and I much regret that Mr. James not not
protest against the issue of the warrant in the first in-
stance as a gross abuse of authority by the Bow-street
magistrate.

On the whole, on ca'mly reviewing the circumstances,
a great and real progress has been made, so much so, in-
deed, that I trust a press prosecifsien by the State is for
the future impuseible. But it should be placed on re•
cord that, while none ha•t so deep an interest in the
question as the Times itself, the liberty of the press was
basely abandoned by that journal ; the advertisements
of the Press Prosecution Defence CommMee refused in-
sertion ; no notice taken of the trials until their termi-
nation ; and then noticed in a manner which will cal
forth the disgust of every honest man, an insidious at-
tempt being then made to blacken my character, but
done in so dastardly a manner that I cannot call the
publisher or proprietors to account for their slander.
To you, sir, who have consistently and ably taken the
lead of all the other journals of the country in defend•
ing the liberty of the press, I render the expression of
my warmest thanks, not on my own account, but as
one of the citizens of this country ; and I feel assured
that every true lover of his country joins in this expres-
sion of gratitude.—l am, &c.,
240, Strand, June 23. E. TRUELOVE,