The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-08 00:00:00

ontinuance in office as the passing Of the Reform Act
had been, is it to he supposed that they would not haVe
taken ways and means to /Dice it into law just as effec-
tually as in the latter case? But, because they knew
that the majority of British and Irish Protestants wete
against it., they therefore wrought it up from the Com-
nions only as a thimble-ii`; trick upon the Radicals ;
not caring to carry it as long as it is not forced upon
them as the
Lords to deal with it ad libitum, only adding a thteat
or two to save appearances ; and thus contriving with
infinite address to sit still a little longer, paltering in
a double sense between the people and the Papists,
deceiving their very allies with empty menaces against
e Constitution, and keeping the word of promise to
e Radical ear, but Lrcaking it to the hopes. Now,
perfect keeping with this dexterous duplicity were
c demonstrations of Lord Mellionrne and his At-
-General against the Peers. It was expedient
o exhibit a given-amount of :,waggering and_ vapour-
ng, in order to keep the Radicals sweet. But is
.here a simpleton in Britain, who believes that the
Melbournes and Russells, though occasionally speak-
ing big with a wink to each other, have any serious
thought of abandoning or curtailing the privileges of
their order? &eclat Jztdceus ! But while this
want of harmony • between their by-play protes-
tations and their real purpose can be regarded as
little .else than a piece of broad farce, enacted by
his Majesty's servants for the especial humbugging
of the revolutionists, we feel it difficult to say
whether these perfumers are most to be despised
for their political dishonesty, ,or dreaded for their
capacity of mischief. No persons in their eflicial ele-
vation can utter sentiments unfavourable to a national
institution without proportionally damaging it. What
their intentions may be apart from their party commi-
nations is nothing to the purpose. To accomplish a
temporary object—that of deceiving the Radicals,—they
have sought to bully and badger the Lords out of their
legislative independence, and even to discredit them in
the eye of the British people; and as in such circum-
stances, there are always multitudes of inferior retain-
ers who 'work upon the unreflecting, by striving to
surpass, if possible, the folly, temerity, and fugle-
craft of their leaders, so, if these gentry retain their
coronets which themselves have bewrayed, it is not be-
cause they have refrained from playing with a mine
whose explosions might righteously unbonnet them,
but because, reverencing what Shakspeare calls the
" pillars of the State," on account of the strength and
beauty they impart to our monarchical structure, the
intelligence, genius, and patriotism of the country will
protect them from demolition and decay.—Times.
We are glad to learn from the Scottish papers that
the commemoration of the independence of Poland is
to be celebrated this day in Edinburgh, in a manner
worthy of those who feel a just indignation at the
manner in which that independence has been over-
thrown, and of the gallant people who now supplicate
Europe not to forget the solemn treaty by which her
principal States are bound to see that independence
restored. The most liberal and the most, talented
of the people of Edinburgh are to be present upon
the occasion, to testify their detestation of Russian
tyranny, and their sympathy with the most gallant,
most oppressed, and most treacherously used people
in Europe. Upwards of fifty guineas have been already
subscribed, as donations for the relief of the exiled
Poles, independently of the dinner tickets, which are
in great request ; and it is confidently expected that
besides Prince Czartoriski, Count Zamoyski, and
other Poles of distinction, upwards of eighteen
Polish officers, who have fought and bled for their
country, be present to plead her cause, and to
rouse the sympathies of our northern brethren in her
behalf. This is as it should be ; and our brethren of
the North ought to be the foremost and most sympa-
thising of Britain's sons with the defeated, but still un-
conquered, Poles. It is not many centuries since, with
some trifling exceptions, they were, both in point of na-
tional independence and national religion, in nearly the
same predicament as the defeated and expatriated Poles
—since they had to bleed for the one, and were com-
pelled to cultivate die other in secret, at the peril of their
lives, in dens and caves of the earth—in valleys and on
the mountain tops :—and shall they not now prove
their gratitude for the noble deliverance effected for
them by their ancestors, by contributing largely
to the Polish fund—testifying loudly their sym-
pathy with another people, now enveloped in a similar
cloud of oppression—and endeavouring, by their ex-
ample, to stir up in their fellow men the desire of re-
dressing Poland's wrongs, and of once more reinstating
her as she was and ought to be—independent and
free—the barrier of Europe against the influx of bar-
barian hordes and uncivilized savages? While on this
subject, we cannot refrain from bringing to the notice
of our rcadels an article which appears in the second
number of a new publication, the Portfolio (already
adverted to by us), which gives " a suppressed passage
of the speech of the Emperor Nicholas at Warsaw,
with observations on the practical results of that
speech." The suppressed passage' is as fol-
lows :—" On the whole I am satisfied that things
have arrived at that point at which I am only
Emperor of Russia ; it is in that character that
you belong to nee." Whatever the speech may have
been in other respects—whatever the actual words
spoken—and the versions of them do not differ very
essentially—the above sentence can leave no doubt
on the mind of any one—if doubt could have existed
in the mind of any rational and thinking person—that
the Autocrat meant by them that Poland was extinct
as an independent country—and was in future, in de-
fiance of the treaty of Vienna, to be considered in the
light merely of a province of the Russian empire.
In this interpretation of the matter, the author of the
observations in the Fortfidio appears to agree with
us ; but what will be thought of the comment made

,01'lley

upon it :
" The declaration of the Emperor," says it, " that the
nationality of Poland is extinct, opens at once our eyes to
the no less happy diplomatic than practical position which
Ruisia has taken up. The revelation of Russia's view of
the question necessitates an explanation—and as that view
is not communicated to the allies of Russia in the form of
a friendly note, but declared directly, and from authority,
to the parties interested—discussion is put by. It brings
them at once to a decision. Two courses are open to
them—coercion applied to Russia—or submission to the
fact, which is abrogation of the•right. We are clearly not
prepared to coerce the Emperor into a retraction, and to
proceed as then of necessity to the re-edification of the Po-
lish kingdom—we must therefore admit, and by our silence
the admission is made, of the abstraction of Polish interest,
from the international questions of Europe. Whatever
event may henceforward occur in Poland can be regarded
only in the light of a domestic accident, and in which fo-
reign interference is inadmissible, and with regard to %which
inquiries of foreign powers would be impertinent."
" Coercion" has not been applied to Russia, and ac-
cording to our author's view of the case, the submis-
sion thereby hula d is an " abrogation of the right"
of expostulating with or coercing Rnssia at any future
time. We deny the doctrine, not only on moral, but
on legal grounds. All rights are, morally speaking,
indefeasible by accident, by lapse of time, or through
circumstances over which the injured party has no
control—and in a legal point of view what stronger
case can be brought forward than that of Poland ?
All Europe bears testimony to the treaty which
sealed her independence at Vienna—all Europe, ex-
cepting only Russia, is bound to see her righted ; and
surely we are not to be told in the nineteenth century,
that because these witnesses are for the present silent—
and these guarantees for Pdland's independence in
abeyance so far as active interference is concerned—
the, destinies of that unhappy country are fixed, and
Russia to escape free from the fulfilment of the solemn
contract into which she entered ! Forbid it, all that
is just and true—all that is honourable—all that is worthy
of praise among men—all that is deserving of support
and
wmpatliv by them ! If Europe's honour be ex-
tinct, thttt of Wand still lives I " Warsaw," as is
romarked by 'the writer, " is not yet fortified against
Europe, though a citadel is found necessary to com-
mand Warsaw.''--Morninff Advertiser.

THE LATE FIRE IN TOTTENHANI-COURT-ROAD.
—The child which was so dreadfully injured is still alive,
but lies in a dangerous state. Mrs. Dawes, who was also
seriously injured, is still at the Red Lion in a deplorable
state. She has not been made acquainted with her hus-
band's fate, but she seems to be aware that his absence be-
speaks something alarming, and she is continually calling
out for her child. It is feared that she cannot survive the
dreadful shock.