The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-30 00:00:00

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY EXTRACTS FROM THE 'MORNING PAPERS

August 30.

[mOuNpi.G POST.]
It-was-reported last night that Earl Bathurst
had sent an answer to Mr. Waithman's letter, in
'which his Lordship stated that he also bad received
details .of the affray at Knightsbridge, and that
those details materially differed from those sup-
plied by the worthy Sheriff. We give this merely
as a rumour to which we attach little-credit; for
we can hardly believe that the Noble Earl would
think it necessary to honour. such a confused,
contradictory, and unfair statement as that con-
tained in Mr. Waithman'3.letter, with an answer.
he'.has condescended to reply, it shews a de-
gree of polite attention, which we have no hesi-
tation in saying will not be duly appreciated by
the person who is. its object. Of the fact itself
we have no means of ascertaining the correct-
ness ; though Mr. Waithmau had no oh-

. jection to send his own letter to all the Papers
- (being no doubt conscious of its utter worthless-
ness), a reply so unexpected, because so little
deserted, must of course have appeared too pre-
_ cious a treasure not to. be kept for the exclusive
use of the Journals, which proclaim him a patriot
and altn6st a martyr. If this be the case, we are
not disposed to/complain ; for gratitude is a vir-
-the, and we should be. happy to find that the
worthy Sheriff, after so long a course of radicalism,
r had still the command of one. Meanwhile we
have. not lost sight of his own letter, and after
setting him right yesterday with respect to the
commencement of the affray, will continue to-
morr6w, in the same spirit of charity, to refresh
his treacherous memory on other important points.

[HORNING CHRONICLE.]
The unremitting sophistry of the Ministerial
writers,- 'in their endeavour to confound all dis-
tinction between the rights of citizens and sol-
cl. diem-,. deserves to excite public 'attention, since
nothitig more seems iva.-nting to the quiet esta-
blishment of military despotism, than to acknow-
ledge the doctrine, that the "soldier does not
change . his character, even when embodied;
mounted, armed in phalanx, and employed on
actual ditty:- Nothing can be more clear than
that the individual soldier possesses all the rights
of tfte 'individual citizen, and that he is equally
entitled to protect himself against personal at-
tack;: but-the exercise of that right ceases when
he is 'arrayed and Commanded. Ile has then no
' will of.. his, own. The duty of obedience
imposed .on him, and if one of a. body em-
ployed' to quell a riot, or diverge a multi-
tude, lie is justified only in executing the or-
ders which
..he receives. No provocation,
,nor_
insult, nor danger, can authorise hini to act.
from his Own mere motion—nay, so jealoUs is.the
law Of the consequences of the power thtit would
otherwise belong to the military when in battle
array,
that even his own officer cannot command
him to. exert his murderous.-strength until a 'civil
magistrate has sanctioned such officer by the for-
mality;required "by law. Such is the deal- dis-
tinction between the rights. ot embodied troops
_and of s.assembled citizens ; and every English-
man) --
ceosible of the security which the Constitti-
Con, has -granted to him by this salutary provi-
Sion, :rntist regard' with abhorrence the insidious
atterni)ts which are daily making to undermine,
in .pu bliC.'opittion, this great principle of difference
in th'e-two orders. of the community. If the
Teopte
camb.ecome so negligent of the value of
liberty-as to countenance thii doctrine,- the bles-
sing of domestic security has been wrested by
our fosef4th,ers from prerogative-,_,in vain, and
with ail our light and knowledge, we are ripe
for'the degradation of slavery. -It cannot have
.passed the Observation of our readers that the ail-
thors *of•thiS new doctrine are also the daily s:lan-.
iff deretthe-peeple.:7,The great overWhelmitig' ma-
jority:Of-our population they stigmatise with the
opprahriouS nickname of
_rabble. All the rndus
trious, skilful, and labOniing elassei of the corn
munity.the artisans and mechanics of the me

--
tropolts---the manufacturers Of the countrythe
real, working, intelligent artificers of all our en-
gines, instrume.nts and powers which contitute
the strength and 'opulence -of .-the country, are
branded with one general'dlsguSting- mark of
rabble. ~And thus the whole multitude .ot.the
produCti-ire Classes of the people are pointed out
to the.,derision:of the military. " Such," say the
Ministerial Journals," are the despiCable mob
that attack the-Life. Guards !"—From what class
then d-O- the. Life Guars proceed ? The wisdom
of these journalists is not apparent in this divi-
'sionfcr'it is•not true that our army is recruited
from the upper -.claSies of life. Do they thitlk
that they can, by this miscreant abuse, stifle •in
the.bteastsof the soldiery all remembrance of
the refation which they bear to 'the order from
whiCh they sprung.? But we will not iinitate'the
mischievous example of thse writers by pursuing
this subject through
.the train of argument to
Whichlt would lead.

INEw TIMES.] •
We are'happy to find, that one Uniform senti-
inkt of'deep indignation pervades the gfeat•rnass
of the iltitish. people, at the'recent endeavours
fo 'ex.c.ite a revolutionary -spirit among the popu-
lace of 'London. To the numerous inquiries of
our Correspondents, what legal measures have
been taken to bring the plotters and contrivers
of.the late riots to justice, we can only say, that
this is a matter which must rest with his Ma-
jesty's Government. We have reason to belieVe
that evidence is collecting which will fasten the
guilt on the.proper individuals ; but on this subject
it might as yet be wrong to be more 'explicit.
When evil men are bent on disturbing the peace
and good order of society, they are never at a
loss for pretexts. The legal dispersion of a
riotous mob at Manchester formed the pretext
of 1819, the Parliamentary proceedings against
the Queen formed- that Of::1820 ; and the con-
duct of her Majesty's funeral forms that of 1821.
That all these events are connected with a pro-
ject for effecting an entire Revolution in the
Government, Constitution, and Property of the
couutry,..ia:hardly dissembled. Such a Revolu-