The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-23 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 1866,

We find from the details now furnished respect-
ing the banquet to Mr. EYRE that the whole affair
passed off very successfully, and that the greatest
enthusiasm prevailed among the company. Many
influential persons assisted at the entertainment,
and seemed actuated by the desire to do their utmost
to testify their regard.and sympathy to one who has
been so oppressed and injured by misrepresentation
and prejudice. The Earl of CARDIGAN, in responding
for the army, observed that he knew something of
the details of the transactions in Jamaica, as he
bad connections and relatives there. As for the
circumstances with which the Governor had to
contend at the opening of this revolt they were
most startling. Many of the most respectable
inhabitants of the place were murdered and revolt-
ing cruelties were perpetrated at the time of their
destruction. The noble lord put the case very
strongly concerning the nature and effects of the
Jamaica insurrection, and we agree with him that
it appears " most extraordinary that the services of
the late illustrious Governor of Jamaica have not
been better appreciated. He distinguished himself
in the most extraordinary way by the labour and
fatigue which he underwent, and the army and
navy, following his example, conducted themselves in
the mostpraiseworthy manner." Lord CARDIGAN also
referred to former insurrections which had occurred
in colonies, and the inquiries which had been made
into the details of their suppression. " But," said he,
" the Prime Ministers of those days stood by their
governors, and such Prime Ministers are to be be-
lieved, men like Lord PALMERSTON, who was well
known in Southampton, and his predecessor, Lord
MELBOURNE." Professor KINGSLEY, in proposing
the Houses of Parliament, regretted that owing to
the time of the year there was no member of the
House of Commons present to express in concert
with the noblemen who had appeared what the
" very highest class of Englishmen thought of
Governor EYRE." In the course of his interesting
speech, Professor KINGSLEY alluded to circumstances
connected with Mr. EYP.E'S earlier days, which tes-
tify his spirit, energy, and determination. He
walked seven hundred miles round the head of the
Gulf of Carpentaria, and that wonderful journey of
discovery which had made him famous. " This was
heroism in the highest sense, and argued that he
possessed in its highest form that English spirit
which had carried the Anglo-Saxon tongue round
the world, and would carry it back again ; that
spirit which had made us the fathers of the United
States and the conquerors of India." Mr. KINGSLEY
referred to some articles published in Macmillan's
Magazine, which were written by his brother, and
on the extraordinary travels of Mr. EYRE iu
Australia. It is worth noticing that these
were not written with an arriere pensee, as
some had declared, but before anything of the
Jamaica outbreak was known. As for his conduct
in Jamaica, Mr. KINGSLEY declared that he took
Mr. EvnE upon trust, and truly added that "if
they gave up taking men upon trust, especially
rulers and official men, there would be nothing in
the world but anarchy, which would be followed by
despotism, and in due time by a big tyrant, who
would not take the people on trust. Lord Su REWS •
BURY spoke out very strongly, and declared that he
came there for the purpose of supporting the de-
monstration in favour of Governor EYHE, and that
he was indifferent as to what might be
said of him by a faction who pretended to more
humanity than fell to the lot of human nature. In
referring to the course pursued by the late Admi-
nistration, the noble earl said that he " felt ashamed
that a weak, vacillating, and tottering Government,
such as they had the other day, who did not dare,
in the face of the party to which he had alluded,
for it was too much under the thumb of Mr.
BRIGHT, to stand by their officer, who, as had been
proved to the satisfaction of the Royal Commis-
sioners, had done his duty faithfully to
the QUEEN." Lord HARDW IC KE proposed the
toast of the evening in appropriate terms, and
elicited great applause by his earnest and eloquent
language. The purpose which brought them to-
gether was plainly put before the assembly, namely,
to uphold the character of their guest, and to give
him that support which Englishmen are always
ready to accord to those who have done their duty.
The noble lord did not deny the necessity for an
inquiry into the circumstances connected with the
outbreak. But the question of the insurrection
itself, he truly said, was not one of law ; it was the
insurrection of thousands against hundreds.
It is perfectly correct what was stated by
Lord HAnnwf CKE, that had not Mr. EYRE
displayed the firmness and resolution which
he did the colony would have been lost to
the country, and would have had to be reconquered.
" If your house is on fire, will you complain of the
fireman who, flooding the flame, puts it out, but in
so doing also destroys the incendiary by drowning
him ?" After alluding to the various addresses
which the late Governor had received from all
classes and denominations in the colony, and de

daring that the Commissioners took a favourable
\
view of Mr. EYRE'S conduct, considering the scope
of their vision was restricted to a strictly legal one,
the noble lord concluded his remarks in the following
impressive passage. ~ After these several declarations
of opinion, I think that the people of Southampton
need no justification in the course which they have
taken this evening by receiving the distinguished
gentleman who is our guest this evening. Now,
then, in proposing the toast, I ask you to drink it
for the purpose of expressing our admiration of Mr.
EYRE, our sense of his eminent services, and our
confidence that when time has softened the present
asperities, the vigour and skill with which at a small
sacrifice of life he preserved to Great Britain one
of her most valuable colonies, will be remembered
with gratitude by the British people." Mr. EYRE,
was received with the greatest enthusiasm on rising
to respond to the toast, and spoke briefly but de-
cidedly. He declared his high sense of their kind-
ness and appreciation, and observed that if before
landing he bad felt doubtful as to his reception, he
was now fully convinced that English hearts were
as warm and true as they ever were, and the people
of England would uphold a public officer who had
sought to do his duty, notwithstanding that differ-
ences of opinion might arise. We fully concur in

the truth of the assertion that if the course he took

has entailed personal disadvantages upon him, he has
the gratification of knowing that he has saved a
noble colony from ruin, a fact which is now recog-
nised in the colony itself and by many in England.
Mr. EYRE recorded his sense of the efficient services
rendered to him in suppressing the rebellion by the
naval and military officers, and concludes by de-
claring that he thanked them one and all from his
heart for the very hearty welcome they accorded to
him, and regarded their presence at that entertain-
ment of so many of the fair, gentle, and good as an
additional source of encouragement, for they
would xiCYCr have COlllO there to counte-