The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-21 00:00:00

one thing Sir ROBERT had to begin his remarks by '
responding to an address couched in language of
the most encomiastic character. But how did he
respond to it ? By saying, among other things,
for example—" I do not, gentlemen, for one moment
suppose that I am in any way worthy of the grati-
fying encomiums which have been passed upon me."
But he adds, " I accept them in part as the son of
that statesman to whom allusion has been made in
this address which has now been read, and I rejoice
to find that the expectations which he had formed
on one notable occasion of a memorable address in
the House of Commons have been, both in this coun-
try and in England, realised by the grateful recol-
lections with which his memory is cherished by all
classes of the community, but more particularly by
those—to use his most eloquent words—by those of
whom there are many thousands in your town of Bel-
fast, by those whose lot it is to labour and to earn their
daily bread by the sweat of their brow—the sweeter
because it is no longer leavened with a sense of
injustice." Again, the Irish Secretary was speak-
ing to his Belfast audience under circumstances of
still greater delicacy—remembering, as who can
fail to remember ? his recent denunciation there by
the Roman Catholic Primate of all Ireland, Arch-
bishop CULLEN. commenting upon this den an-
ciation, Sir ROBERT PEEL put the matter: thus
plainly before his hearers :—" Now, gentlerpren," he
said,'` lust figure to yourselyPs 'll7Airace the Arch-
diG.NTERBURY exhuming from the sepulchre
of our Parliamentary debates extracts from Han-
sard, and incorporating them in a circular to the
clergy of his province, denouncing with the most
severe ecclesiastical censure political views upon
the extension of the franchise, or upon Irish tram-
ways. Or go further," he said, " suppose the
Archbishop of CANTERBURY holding up to popular
indignation a Roman Catholic who goes for pur-
poses of charity into the outlying districts of Step-
ney and Spitailelds for the purpose of doing good.
" Why, such conduct as that," exclaimed Sir R.
PEEL, " would only raise a smile of pity in Eng-
land, and would tend, unquestionably, to lower the
character of that sacred office which he so worthily
fills. " But I am sorry to say," added the Irish
Secretary, " that it is precisely that I com-
plain of in this ;,country." It was certainly
bringing the case directly home to his Irish audi-
tors, to put it thus bluntly before them with that
very:point blank application of the whole affair to his
Grace the Archbishop of CANTERBURY. A Secretary
for Ireland who is so bold, and outspoken, and self-
reliant as Sir ROBERT PEEL has already shown
himself to be since he succeeded Mr. CARDWELL
in that most delicate and responsible office, is not
very likely, we may rest assured, to stick at any
mere trifle in the way of promoting the further•
ance of the Volunteer Movement among the loyal
population of Ireland.

•We have heard much of Trades Unions of late ;
we seem now likely to hear a good deal of Church
Unions. We do not refer to the Union of Benefices,
and the removal, by that means, of useles churches
in the City to situations where there are congrega-
tions to fill them ; the Church, the clergy especially,
are summoned to a union of quite another kind by
two gentlemen who move in very different spheres
indeed, but are each notable in his way—the Hon.
BENJAMIN DISRAELI and Sir CULLING EARDLEY
—and it is somewhat singular that both these gen-
tlemen fix on the unfortunate " Essays and Re-
views," or on their writers, as a chief cause of the
disunion of which they complain.