The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-15 00:00:00

out armies to each of those Starts, :and by the irresistible
logic of her cannon,, swept away the newly-erected arbi-
trary powers, and restored the old Representative forms of
Government, what an outcry there would have been, froni
Petersburgh to Paris, of the violent infraction which Eng-
land had committed with regard to the independence of
nations, which she had just before solemnly pledged herself
to observe—yet, niutatis nominike, France and Austria
have done this very thing, under the direction of the
Apostolic Junta which governs their Cabinets, and yet,
With the most hypocritical composure, . they affect an
earnest anxiety for universal peace. But there will be no
security for the dignity of thrones or the rights of nations,
as long as a busy, intriguing, grasping, and ambitious
priesthood, continues to exercise a political authority over
Princes and Statesmen, instad of being content to teach
them and their subjects the duties of religion and morality.
All incendiaries, whether in public or private life, are de-
testable, but religious incendiariii are the worst of
Morning Herald. •
Love of liberty and hatred towards all who oppOse
it, are so natural to•an Englishman, that he does not
always pause to inquire what may be the result of the
zeal which animates him upon the subject. Embarked
in such a cause, and influenced by such motives,' we
do not at all wonder at the enthusiasm which is just
now excited towards Portugal and against Spain ;
and that so large and influential a portion of the
public press should re-echo the public voice, and
beat in accordance with so large, and that so generous
a portion of the public feeling. It is not that we un-
dervalue, or feel less influenced by similar feelings,
that we feel inclined to stem, in some degree, the
tide of general enthusiasm upon this momentous occa.7
sion. It would be easy enough to urge topics in its fa-
vour; nor are we, in any degree insensible to them ;
but we cannot be insensible too, to certain very ob-
vious truths, which we think are as worthy of consi-
deration. Among the most obvious of these is, that
which neither people nor statesmen should ever lose
sight of,—that war is itself an evil of the first magni-
tude, which it should be the firm and steady effort of
all men constantly to avoid ; and that of all wars, those
should be most sedulously avoided. which possess
no national object. When we look at the enor-
mous debt of this country, and reflect that the
whole of it has been incurred in prosecuting fo-
reign wars of very doubtful necessity, and some,
if not all of them, of still more doubtful policy,when
we consider that this country, great as she is in arms,
is still greater in the arts which peace alone pro-
tects and nourishes,, we shall not, we trust, be accused of
wantonly and unnecessarily stemming the strong tide of
temporary enthusiasm, when we call upon the Govern-
ment to pause, and the public to hesitate, before the one,
backed by the overwhelming influence of the other, in-.
volves the country too deeply in a contest, which has no
object strictly personal to ourselves, and the consequences
of which are but too likely to postpone to a distant and
incalculable period our -deliverance from those evils in
which the former wars have so unhappily involVed us. We
are aware of what is clue to the faith of treaties—nor would
we for a moment compromise the national faith; all that
we would ask of the GovernMent and of the country at
large is, that the One and the other would weigh well the
consequences that niay ensue from a state of warfare in its
present situation; and that a spirit of wild, unreflecting en-
thusiasm on the part of the latter, may .not urge on the
former to a more extended adoption of foreign interests
than treaties require, or than our situation will prudently
admit of. Applause, however gratifying, is in itself more
dangerous and treacherous than opposition ;, and we
should not be at all surprised were we to live to see th'ose
very persons who are now most clamorous and urgent in
forcing the country into hostilities, among the first to up-
braid the Government with the consequences of their own
advice. This has happened before now, and may happen
again.—lbid.

We are glad that Mr. Brougham has alluded, in
the House of Commons, to the present state of the
Law of Libel. We recollect. his having brought in a
Bill upon the subject several years ago, but never could
understand why he had neglected the question so long
as to have appeared to abandon it altogether. That
the Session was advanced when the Bill was read a
first time,, was, true, but several years have since elapsed
without the subject having been resumed ; but though
much mischief has been done in the interval, on ac-
count of the continuance of the . vicious find absurd
state of thp La% of Libel, yet this good has arisen
out of it, that the unjust and iniquitous operation of
the law has been so clearly manifested, that we believe
no man, whose interest it is not to keep the press
shackled with the fetters of a most oppressive system,
can any longer raise a voice in its defence.: Whatever:
may hare been the cause which induced -Mr% Brougham
to refiain from calling the attention of Ministers and the
Parliament to the subject so long, he merits the thanks
of the public for reverting to the subject at present ;
and we trust that the talents and information which he
possesses to elucidate such a question, will not be more
remarkable than his perseVerance in' bringing it to a
successful result, in touching upon• the subject, on
Wednesday night, he confined himself princlpally to
the hardship which affects the defendant in cases of
indictment for libel, when no averment of the truth
is allowed to be 'pleaded or proved in evidence. And
why ? On the absurd ground that truth is a.libel,
when it becomes the subject of an indictment, be-
cause it leads to a breach of the peace. But the
law has its- own especial provisions for breaches of
the peace without mixing up that subject with ques-
tions of libel ; and if the law is not strong enough

to vindicate its authority against violence, the law
ought, to be amended and made more effectual for
that purpose. There is -no greater service which
the press, in the exercise den intelligent and honest free-
dom, can do society than it effects by the timely exposure
of the character and- *objects of bad men, who, relying
upon the ignorance which the public may have of their
former actions and character, pursue their vicious courses
without any dread of the retaliation of opinion. There
are many offences against society—especially in the way
of fraud---.-which the law, on account of its technical nice 7
-
ties, cannot punish; but the law of opinion is not only less
bui more effective when called into action, than the
law of the land. There is also a great necessity for re
viiing the mode of proceeding with respect to civil
actions. The technical difficulties attending the present
mode of pleading a justification causes many defendants,
even when they
to be in substance true,
.to abandon it, and trust to
can prove. the allegations of the libel
the more limited evidence which is allowed to be given
under the general issue, Now, why should not a defen-
dant be allowed to prove the truth of the statements which
the plaintiff calls false and malitious ender the general
issue, and rebut the imputation of malice, without pleading
a justification at all? There are: other modes of action in
which the special matter is allowed to be given in evidence
without the necessity of pleading it ; as, for instance, in
against Magistrates and constables, under
the certain at Jaynesof
fons
justice can, be answered by
cc•
this principle being acted upon in one case, we demand to
know why it should not in another ? We hope and ex-
pect this question will undergo that investigation,' and will
relieve the press, as the medium of public opinion, from
the injurious thraldom in which it is now held ;- and which
gives to the worst enemies of law and morals a dangerous
impunity.--/bd. •
The excitement naturally produced by his Majesty's-
Message,. and by. Mr. Canning 'a speech, on in-
, creasing; but we predict it will sopLautnide, fur it