The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-20 00:00:00

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LONDON,
FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1286.

The first blow has been struck—and nobly struck—
for Constitutional Reform by the Representatives of
the People in the New Parliament—a blow which
makes the Tory Administration already stagger,
and which, we may add, is the certain prelude
to the termination of its precarious existence.
That it can have the effontery to pretend, after
the decision of last night, that it possesses, or can ever
acquire, the confidence of the nation, is beyond all
belief ; and it is equally incredible that it should per-
sist in an unprincipled attempt to direct public affairs
without that pretence, and in open defiance of this
and other
,unequivocal expressions of the national
will, soon to follow. We repeat that this is a degree
of audacity of which we do not think the Tory
Ministers capable, aware, as we are, to what a
pitch, they can screw their courage when there is no-
thing but principle and honour between them and
place.
The organs of the provisional Government are, as
might have been anticipated, in a state of sad dismay.
We do not believe that the despondency which they
exhibit is affected ; although we are quite convinced
that they had no hope of a more favourable result.
They are really in earnest while they mourn over the
fatal event which has occurred—and it is natural
enough that they should be so. Were it only the re-
flection, that all the numberless lies which they have been
inventing and circulating for the last four or five weeks to
deceive the public, have been invented and circulated in
vain, that would of itself be sufficient to produce the
deepest humiliation and sorrow. But when to this is
added, that all their selfish expectations are utterly and
for ever blasted, can we wonder that they are out
of spirits?
We really feel for the unhappy situation in
which the Ministers have placed themselves—for never
were Statesmen reduced to a more pitiable plight.
They deceived their Sovereign, and persuaded him
that there was a, re-action in the country—that the
people had ceased to think, or care, about Reform.
They said to his MAJESTY, " only_allow us to dis-
solve the Parliament, and to appeal to the people,
and your MAJESTY will soon see how much
we are beloved, and what a happy change has
come about." They had their desire—they were
allowed to appeal to the people, and the first answer
to the Anti-Reform appeal was —" D.W. Harvey I ! "
The progress of the elections furnished a great ma-
jority of answers, no less intelligible. The HOUSE
at last meets—it is appealed to, and it replies " The
Right Honourable James Abercromby ! ! The
third appeal, if a third should be made, will, we doubt
not, receive as satisfactory a reply.

The arguments adduced by the Government Press to
establish the factiousness of the opposition, have, in
almost every case raised or supposed, proved the ab-
surdity of the charge. Names have been mingled and
strung together which, representing, in fact, opinions
most diversified upon many important political ques-
tions, but associated consentaneously for one particular
object, are now to be received as a proof that the per-
sons designated must ever after act in common concert
upon all. The junction of Mr. O'CONNELL'S name
with those of the moderate Whig leaders, and of the
members of the late Administration, is to be taken as a
sufficient evidence that they have, one and all, become
stanch O'CONNELLITES, It epealers, and Destructives ;
that they have cast to the winds their former temperate
sentiments, and suddenly adopted those of the extreme
Radicals 1 Assertion is at all times much easier
than demonstration ; the allegations of these prints
have been remarkable for their extraordinary breadth,