The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-06 00:00:00

kitiellilleff

LONDON. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 6. 1845.

Whilst the admirable editorship of Sir HARRIS NICOLAS, in
giving to the world the " Nelson Dispatches and Letters," is
vindicating the memory of the greatest of all British heroes
from many most serious but utterly unfounded imputations on
his moral and political integrity, the accomplished biogra-
pher is also rendering a service to the nation at large
of incalculable value. Sir HARRIS is reviving that
generous enthusiasm which, kindled by similar labours
on the part of Sotansir, has secured to:the naval service
of the kingdom many hundreds of gallant and enthusiastic
sailors, whose youthful imitation of our indomitable captain
of the seas gave an irresistible direction to their future des-
tiny. But, whatever less elaborate care in the collection,
extent, and digestion of authentic materials, on the part
of the late Laureate, had left imperfectly developed, has been
admirably supplied by the greater industry and judgment of
the more recent historian. His views of the principles that
governed NELsox's conduct in some of the most memo-
rable passages of his eventful life are not obscured
by -the same occasional prepossessions or prejudices
of a purely conventional character which some-
times disfigure the opinions advanced by SOUTHEY,
and which all the matchless charms of his style of composition
cannot compensate for. But we do not intend to enter in
this place into any formal or controversial parallel between
the two historians, nor to enlarge, even, on the successful ex-
planations, as we are clearly of opinion they must be consi-
dered, which Sir HARRIS has now supplied on the nature of
the earlier period of Lord NELSON'S connexion with Lady
HAMILTON, and in exculpation of the hero from that
ungenerous and vindictive instrumentality in the
terrible fate of Prince CARRACCIOLI, which has been so
confidently but so unwarrantably attributed to the British
Admiral. Our present purpose is to offer the humble
tribute of our praise and congratulation to Sir HARRIS Nl-
coL"'for having, by his very opportune labours, placed the
greatest naval chief who ever astonished mankind by his va-
lour and his prowess, his disinterestedness and his success, his
genius and his fortune, in a right position before the eyes, as
it were, of the present generation and of posterity. Judging
of others by ourselves, we are convinced that the same
thrilling emotions of admiration, respect, gratitude, and en-
thusiasm will animate every British bosom for the memory
of this immortal leader with which the perusal of these
records of his inmost thoughts, of his heart's own eloquence, as
well as of the great acts of his magnanimous intrepidity,
have inspired our own. The study of the themes we allude
to is a pleasure of the very hicheet order, modified only by the
bitter indignation with which we trace the shameful story
of the wrongs he was incessantly experiencing at the hands
of superior authorities, through the base influences of profes-
sional envy, and the contemptible niggardliness of political
partizanship ; and the peculiar:ty in his career, whilst li
seems to attach to the honours paid to his memory a,cter
deith. To sum up the complexion and amount of these
one fact, we need scarcely remind the public that the column
reared to his memory, in Trafalgar-square, still remains
unfinished, still hoarded up, in part, from the view of his
compatriots.

On several former occasions we have animadverted from

time to time on the contemptible conduct of the Government
of Sir ROBERT PEEL with regard to this national monument.
We exhibited the Premier gravely upholding the report of
one of those Committees (of taste, the fine arts, &c.) whose
decisions and recommendations are generally the subjects of
merriment or compassion to all the refined capitals of
Europe. We adverted to Sir Roemer's concurrence in
the announcement to the House of Commons that it
had been judiciously determined to reduce the architect's
original design for a Corinthian column of a given din union
of shaft, &c., (1.) because in case of any accident to it, it
might cause great destruction of life and property in so.
densely crowded a thoroughfare; (2.) because those original'
proportions would throw into absolute insignificance the low
façade of the so-called " National Gallery" (a monstrosiir;
due to the designs of Mr.WILKINs and the purblind patronise,
,e
of Mr. Smut° RICE). The "National Gallery," it is evide at
the Premier, at the time, considered a very fine edifice; so,
for fear of destroying its " effect," the column was act'` laity
reduced .(by some 13 feet or more, if we rightly re aid
.nber)
in height, and thus impaired, in order to meet thes...v.iews of
Boardi of Taste and Boards of Woods and, ,Forevts,
Then came Lord Lncox with his petty 4ellz
and evasions, as manifested in his correspond duce wit), the!
NeLsox Column Committee; his undecideas and wavering
intimations of consent to " allow" a Trafe
celebrated at the inauguration of the, column, and: the
wretchedl hataste—and,
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asphalte-substitutes with which the same utterly in-
competent management (participated in, we presume, be.
t wow the two wooden jurisdictions, the Board