The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

PROM TEE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.

STANDARD.—The gratifying announcement of
the re-establishment of peace between France and
Morocco, has given the coup de grace to the insinua-
tion so frequently repeated, of the Morning Chronicle,
and other English war journals, that the French
government were not sincere in their professions of
peace, but had framed their -ultimatum with an ex-
press view to render its acceptance impracticable.
Lord Aberdeen was, of course, reviled for not dis-
covering at once the trick which M. Guizot was play-
ing upon him ; and the latter Minister denounced for an
insincerity, which had no existence save in the imagi-
nations of his traducers. According to these alarmists,
France was preparing to occupy and garrison all
the principal ports upon the coast cf Morocco; and
thus "convert the Mediterranean into a French lake."
Meanwhile, the British Minister for Foreign Affairs
was said to be looking on with his arms folded, con-
tent with assurances which were never designed
to be fulfilled ! It was in vain that the French
Ministerial press repeatedly declared that there ex-
isted no intention on the part of their Government
to occupy, further than for a temporary purpose,
any part of Morocco ; and that their sole object
in persevering in their hostile operations was to
secure France from the repetition of aggressions
on her territory, the wantonness of which has
never for a moment been denied. The seizure
of the island of Mogadore by the Prince de
Joinville, for the purpose of facilitating his
operations against the town, was made the pre-
text for an imputation of bad faith to the French
Cabinet ; and the English public was gravely in-
formed that unless it was forthwith evacuated, its
occupation would furnish a casus belli which it
would be impossible for Ministers to disregard.
Strange to say, the very journal in which this
preposterous doctrine was first broached (a journal
which, by the way, makes a vast pretence of the
authenticity of its foreign intelligence), is now as
busily employed in writing down the " alarmists,
who could see in this little island a whole king-
dom, and denounce its seizure as a casus belli r nay,
even pretends to have suffered a martyrdom for the
sigour and constancy of its efforts in the cause
of peace ! Now all readers of newspapers must be
aware that it was the violence of this most pacific
journal (modified, afterwards, to be sure, like the
roar of Bottom, to the gentleness of " the sucking
dove"), which helped to create the angry feeling
Which has occasioned so much difficulty to the Go-
vernments of the two countries. The original
" roar" on the subject of Otaheite was hardly less
bellicose. We have no desire to remember the
" eccentricities" of our Contemporary ; but that it
should now claim to have predicted an issue which it
did its best to prevent, is rather too absurd. When
others regarded war as imminent, we knew, or fancied
we knew, enough of the good sense and moderation
a the great majority of the people of both nations,
and the just and moderate views of their Govern-
ments, to enable us to predict with certainty that
no interruption of the general peace would
arise. We have seen nothing, throughout, in either
the untoward affair of Otaheite or the hostile ope-
rations of the French against Morocco, to warrant
any other conclusion. As for the bugbear of a French
occupation of Morocco, we showed that beside the
impolicy of the attempt because it could yield no
fruit, its success was a physical impossibility.
Had we denied all credit to the repeated and
emphatic assurances of the French Government, of
the sincerity of which, however, no reasonable
doubt could have been entertained, we should still
have predicted the same result. We have not
therefore, to learn, at this time of day, from our om-
niscient Contemporary, that " we are not likely to be
h-ought into a foolish war by Lord Aberdeen or by
N. Guizot." The willingness which France has dis-
played to fulfil her engagements in regard to Morocco,
could not have been more clearly illustrated than by
ber recent offer to the Emperor of the same terms
es were dictated to him before the bombardment of
Tangiers and Mogadore and the brilliant victory of
Illy ; witkout demanding a farthing by way of in-
demnity for the very great expense to which she
has been put by her land and sea expedi-
tions. When we add that even this evidence of
moderation did not earn for her the approval of
the war faction in this country, we may fairly claim
for the French Government that its motives should
rot be disparaged, or its sincerity questioned, be-
cause of the blindly furious attacks of M. Thiers'
press on England. The object of the war parties in
loth countries is purely selfish ; for, although they
clo their utmost to stimulate the prejudices of both
countries against each other, we doubt the sincerity
the anger by which they profess to be instigated.
a he aggrandisement of their party, which they look
fur in the confusion inseparable from an European
ar,
is their prevailing motive ; for this purpose the
. rench Republican and Legitimatist are allied against
the Government, with the firm determination, should
they succeed in their primary object, forthwith to array
themselves against each other. The defeat of the
tltima spes of this unprincipled and traitorous faction
te, therefore, a subject of triumph not merely to the
I rench Government, hut to every sincere advocate
ft r peace throughout Europe. All the conditions of
e treaty have, it appears, been accepted by the
L mperor of Morocco ; and there seems to be no
g.ound for the belief that the one which demands the
tapulsion of Abd-el-Kader from his territories will i
1e insisted on too literally, if he evinces the dispose-
-11011 to fulfil it so far as its spirit and intention are
concerned.

GLOBE.—While every one else is looking with
expectation almost amounting to confidence, that the
Government must retire, discomfited and dismayed by
the pressure of difficulties which increase and
strengthen from every point, the Government oracle
is expatiating with delight on the peace and safety
which encircle it l The only possible danger that
can arise proceeds from the strength of its po-
sition. Strength may lead to confidence ; con-
fidence may engender satisfaction and indolence;
and thus, the very source of security may become
the cause of danger. Thus vaticinates the Ministe-
rial organ of the morn :—" We may be too confident
in our strength. With a large and growing majority
in Parliament—with an Opposition gradually waning
till there is danger of its sinking altogether out of
public regard—the Conservative party may become
satisfied and indolent, and fancy that there is nothing
more to be done. This would be a dangerous delusion.
We may be excused if our view of the Ministerial
position differs in some degree from the flattering opi-
nion thus boastfully put forth. We neither think the
Government so strong as is here affirmed ; nor do we
thinek its policy so fraught with wisdom as the
enormous praises of our Contemporary seem to imply.
We are unreasonable enough to ask for proof. From
what quarter of the globe—from what department of
the Administration, can they draw the evidence on
which Ministers rest their claims to national confi-
dence ? India has been jeopardized by the Admi-
nistration of the Governor-General they selected
as their agent in that distant and critically-circum-
stanced empire ' • and was only delivered from the
evils which perilled the empire, and the ruin which
threatened the finances of the East India Company, by
the firm interference of the Court of Directors, who
recalled him from his post. India was preserved from
great peril and dagger, if not from the absolute estrange-
ment and confederated repudiation of British dominion
ou the part of the native Princes—not by wisdom and
energy in the Ministers of the Crown, but in spite of the
absence of both in their policy towards that empire.
The firmness of the plain, practical men who constitute-
the executive in Leadenhall-street, preserved the
British Empire in the East from the sad con-
sequences which would have ensued had the
" Brummagem Napoleon" continued to play his fan-
twtic tricks, and issue his mock Oriental proclama-
tions, to the alternate amusement and contempt of all
chases in that country. Lord Ellenborough's recal
---and the circumstances which preceded and attended
his recal—stamp his administration with disgrace,
aid cover the Ministry which appointed him with
confusion. If we turn to the colonies, we find
dissatisfaction
with the policy of Government per-
vadiog the population. Canada is unsettled.
South Australia sinks into poverty, and is loud in
her complaints of the neglect to which she is con-
signed. New Zealand is doomed to linger under
the effect of d unfulfille promises
of aid • the Colonial
Secretary
te.d by a Parliamentary' Com-
mittee o hiss
ocwonndse:linlee selection. The West India planters
both in the colonies and at home, are recording
their dissatisfaction with the Government in reso-
lations strongly condemnatory of the alterations
in the import duties on the produce of the islands.
Ireland is a sleeping volcano. The fires which burn
beneath her surface may burst forth in a moment,
and convulse the nation with apprehensions, and the
country in conflagration. The entire policy of Go-
vernment in that country has been frustrated. The
escape of O'Connell, by the reversal of the judgment
and the consequent stultification of the protracted
prosecution, has covered Ministers with defeat, and
filled them with dismay. The " difficulty" of go-
verning Ireland has now reached the verge of im-
possibility. Sir R. Peel's grand panacea has failed ;
and failed at the moment when complete success was
predicted from the experiment. What will Sir R. Peel
do now ? is on every lip,—and is depicted on almost
every countenance. The universal expectation is, that
be will acknowledge his incompetency to deal with the
difficulties, thus increased in number and multiplied
in force ; and will retire from the post he can no
longer maintain.

The birth-day of her Grace the Duchess of North"
timberland was celebrated in Alnwick with the usual
joyous demonstrations on Thursday ; the church bells
rang merry peals (luring the day, the tradesmen's guns
Were fired at inter ails, and in the evening the Alnwick
amateur band played through the streets and in front of
the castle. As usual, her Grace's scholars were regaled
vrith tea, &e.