The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-30 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNAL.

It is now evident that the poor old Times had
worked itself into a perfect fury about nothing—its
appeals to the citizens of London were absolutely pa-
thetic—its article on the Mayoralty, with its rounded
periods, gently oscillating between Billingsgate and
Shoe lane, must have set the whole City upon inqui-
ring, What could all this mean ? Your lion is cer-
tainly a terrible wild fowl to let loose upon peaceable
citizens, as Bottom or Winchester would say, particu-
larly when he roars and bellows from the recesses of
Printing House-square—but wherefore all this useless
bellowing, good lion? Why expend so much capital roar-
ing to terrify imaginary victims? Why try to frighten the
citizens and ladies thus for nothing ? Was it that, when
the uncontested day had passed over; certain parties might
be able to say, " Our thunder has done it ? See
what influence we have within the bounds of the
city ? How can we secure successions, and put down
innovation at pleasure ?" Verily, good Times, delec-
table Times, and the more delectable, being, as you
are, the poor old Times—verily, you did for once
overstep the mark. You conjured up a phantom,
and battled with it " two hours by Shrewsbury
clock." Why, man, you know very well that
there never was any serious intention of interfering
with the usual course of election on the present
occasion ; and your " Correspondent" was really
" joking," as you insinuated in his statement to
the contrary. Better have kept to O'Connell ;he
at least was flesh and blood, and not a phantom
of your own crazed imagination. Call you this playing
the part of a lion, to disturb the repose of the City,
and roar in the ears of quiet people thus, from mere
boasting display, or the idle gratification of hearing the
dulcet harmony of your own growl ? To speak se-
riously, the Liberal party in the City bad good reason
for dissatisfaction with the Winchester dignitary, and,
as expressed in the letter of a respected Correspondent
in yesterday's Chronicle, much ground for distrust,
however solemn might be the pledges given of fair and
impartial exercise of the civic " prerogative ;" but it
was not intended to interrupt the usual course of pro-
ceeding, provided a fair probability existed of the rights
of the citizens being respected by the civic functionary
whose election was secured by the accustomed course.
The present Mayor elect has given the most solemn
and public pledge that he will depart from that nar-
row and stupid course which has procured for the
present functionary the disgust of his fellow-citizens
and the applause of unthinking allies of the Tory
party. We trust that Alderman Copeland will keep
his word, and exercise the high duties of his office
with a view to the real satisfaction which will be de-
rived from a liberal and impartial discharge of his
functions, and will in everything be found to be the
very reverse of the precious wiseacre who now " struts
his brief hour" upon the stage of civic elevation. We
know that the Tory organ first mentioned would
like to have it said " the Times has done it all ;" but
to those who look behind the scenes such braga-
docio is unspeakably ludicrous. By the way, our Tory
Contemporary seems fond of setting up windmills
in its old age, in order to demolish them ; not satisfied
with fighting its own battles, it ventures heroically to
take up the cause of other journals. Thus, because
the Journal de Frankfort attacks the French Times,
" Le Temps," " c'est moi" says our costard of Print-
ing-house-square. " It is true we never held the doc-
trines attributed to the abused journal, but still, as there
is only one sun in the firmament, so there can only be
one Times of European reputation." But again, good
Times, rest in peace—no one attacks you—no one be-
yond the sound of Bow-bell thinks of you. Why, then,
all this combativeness and taking up of the cudgels for
no purpose—what humane journalist would ever dream
of disturbing the repose of the poor decrepid stingless
renegade —Morning Chronicle.

It is not alone depravity of principle and purpose,
but depravity of taste, which stamps with infamous
distinction the columns of the anti-Ministerial and
anti-Liberal Journals. Ashamed, as it were—if such
a feeling as shame can exercise any influence on their
abandoned prostitution—to attack openly the pure
and sacred principles of democracy, which arc strug-
gling into birth and action, the pensioned scribes of
Toryism attempt to spit the malignant poison of their
venom on the men by whom these principles are most
efficiently represented, and with whom the best in-
terests of Great Britain are most closely identified.
Measures, not men, was at one time justly denounced
as the common cant of hypocricv and afrected mode-
ration ; but men, not measures, has now become the
unvarying theme of these malformed, false-birth poli-
ticians, who seem to have been flung into public
existence marely to libel humanity, caricature common
sense, and outrage all public feeling and decency by
the exhibition of the most unnaturaCdeformities. It is
utterly disgusting to witness the pabulum which these
caterers concoct in exchange for the daily bread which
an ignorant, corrupt, and vicious class of readers sup-
plies to them. The putrifyiner remains of Dens were
first exhumatcd, exhibited, and served up in hash, till
the public, unable to " stomach" the mess, turned from
it in disgust. This proving a failure, Dan is now
dissected and attempted to be dressed in a similar
manner. If we look into certain Journals, espe-
cially one, the greatest delinquent in Europe, we
shall find the great " 0," not alone their standing,
but their only dish. In their leader, or, as we
may say, at the head of the table, we shall find
him roasted with Billingsgate sauce ; at the sides
dressed au naturel ; and at the foot basted with
gravy from the sinks of St. Giles's. Incapable of
grappling with great political questions, they eschew
principles and attack persons, substitute reviling for
reasoning, abuse for argument ; and when the public
shuns their presence as things unclean, with which
contact is pollution, they affect to regret the neces-
sity which forced them to their filthy office—a necessity
which admits of two, and only two, interpretations,
either the necessity of protracting existence by pros-
titution, or the necessity to which a dearth of talent,
for anything but invective, exposes them. Let them
rejoice in their excuse, we shall follow them no far-
ther, and in turning from the subject, we can readily
understand the instinct which nature has implanted in
the polecat to protect it from pursuit—it is quite in-
tolerable. With regard to the objects against whom
Tory vituperation has been directed, they have risen
in public esteem in proportion to the virulence of their
assailants. And we firmly believe that O'Connell
especially, is more indebted for his influence in Eng-
land and Scotland to the malevolent calumnies of his
enemies, than to the exertions of his warmest friends,
or his own extraordinary talents. He is himself per-
fectly right in the assertion that he is a mere straw
floating on the stream to show the current of the
waters, or a feather borne on the wind wherever it
listeth. He does not direct, but is directed by public
opinion, of which fact . his numerous adaptations
of his own sentiments to those of the people afford
indisputable evidence. Even during his recent triumphs,
especially at Glasgow, we venture to predict that he
expressed,opinions in regard to a second chamber of
legislation which he will discard before six months are
elapsed, when the public voice will proclaim its absur-
dity. A second chamber can be defended only on the
supposition that the aristocracy have more wisdom,
virtue, and patriotism than the Representatives of the
people, in which case we had better dispense with the
House of Commons ; but if the latter concentrate, as
it should, and would, do under the free, fair, and full
exercise of the elective franchise, the honesty and in-
tellectual ability of the whole people, the House of
Lords is a mere incumbrance on its proceedings, and
should be at once got rid of as a nuisanue.—Morning
Advertiser.

We congratulate the public upon the discomfiture of
the junta of " Destructives," who would have foisted
a cat's-paw of their own upon the city, and who had
conspired to prevent the election of any but a low
Radical to the responsible, and hitherto, most respect-
able, office of Lord Mayor. The very judicious pre-
caution taken by the Lord Mayor, to exclude all but
the Livery from the Hall, was a sad discouragement
to the Radicals, who had no one to applaud their vio-
lence and their abuse, or to grin at their coarse jokes
arid vulgar sarcasms. Let but the respectable portion
of the citizens set themselves in steady opposition
against these fancied cocks of the walk, and we war-
rant that they will very soon cease to crow at all, or
confine their blustering notes to their own dunghills—