The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

It is extremely difficult to speak of the affairs at
Constantinople, the positive intelligence from which
place is so unauthorized and contradictory. But if
the Ambassadors be depaeted,—which, to say the
truth, we believe,—wleat follows ? Not an attack
by the Turks, we ,resume, of any European state :
the Turks cannist act offensively. Not so the Rus-
sians. If the. Ambassador from that Power shall
have depr.rted first, it is probable that he was either
first wearied out by the sullen obstinacy of the Porte,
or brat the greater proximity of his Government
allowed of his receiving orders, which orders he
obeyed. But it will not, probably, be by defensive
hostilities merely, on the part of Russia, that the
recall of her Ambassador will be succeeded, unless
the Porte should at last send a messenger after him
with proposals of acquiescence, for obstinacy is some-
times an art as well as a quality of the mind; and
when it sees that it is frustrated in the attainment of
its wishes, what can it do but bend and submit ?
In reverting to domestic arrangements, the, acces-
sion of Lord Holland to the Ministry is probable,
froen the causes which we stated yesterdee, as well
as others which we could enumerate; and it is still
more strongly rumoured, that he who was at first
unwillingly and by mistake accepted as a fellow la-
bourer will retire. These measures are probably
arranged pro ternporc) but then time may disarrange
and fresh cast them. In matte's of this nature, the
only unerring. authority is the Gittelic.—Times.
The lengthened and elaborate statements of the
President (Mr. Adams) in his last message to Con-
gress, on the various points which have been recently
adjusted, or are still at issue between the two (!abi-
nets of London and of Washington, are not without
serious interest. It is at the same time an interest
more fitted to invite reflection, than to provoke irri-
tation. The questions.raised are of a character per-
rec:ly open to solution by calm and friendly means,
Two only appear to be of any pressing importance.
s', That of the New Brunswick boundary, which
must be determined-by a reresence to recorded fact,
and to simple and obvious reasoning upon it. 2dly,
That of the trade with British Colonies, where, the
sit pendent right of this country being acknowledged,
she is left the absolute mistress of those calcula-
tions ise which she may judge prudent to exercise
her own prerogatir e, without incroaching on that of
her neighbours. hung can be more temperate or
becoming than the language in which the President
alludes ;o the question of the north-eastern boun-
dary of Maine, and to the local incidents and conse-
quent exasperation which have arisen between the
republicans of that province, and his Majesty's
subjects of the New Brunswick and Lower Ca-
nada territory, settled in the 'neighbourhood of
St. John's River. It is too clear, that if the
angry spirit manifested on the spot should be permit-
ted to enter and inflame the national councils, either
of the United States or of Great Britain, we might
not be able to speculate even for a day on the
maintenance of amicable relations between the two
Powers, to both of which an interruption of their
amity would be the most deplorable of public evils.
No such fear, however, need be entertained. Ne-
gociations have made considerable progress, for sub-
mitting to a friendly arbitrator this untoward, and,
if ill-managed, this very hazardous question ; and
from the tone of candour anti forbearance which has
hitherto characterised the discussions of the respec-
tive Gos ernments, with regard to it; there is
abundant ground for anticipating a fair and satisfac-
tory issue. It might, of course, but risk the pro-
duction of some of those unkindly feelings which
we deprecate, were our natural solicitude on the
subject to lead us into any formal dissertation on
the history or merits of this territorial dispute. It
will, therefore, be incumbent on us to forbear from
going further than just to regret the indifference,
imbecility, or ignorance ot,tho.olerlubkioe-ftbey-wete
no better), who-pretended to negociate on the part
of this Government at. Ghent ; and who, being op-
posed to the most acute statesmen of North Arne

rica, were persuaded to acquiesce in such a form of
'words as should leave the clearest geographical po-
sition at the mercy of any one who might think fit
.to army the letter of a treaty against its unques-
tionable spirit, and, by applying a general description
.of outline to a particular case, which none but an
idiot could , ever suppose to have been. within the
contemplation of the British Government or its
representatives, bring, ten years afterwards, tin-
der the misnomer of " disputed" territory,
that about which no dispute had ever be-
fore •existed, and expose to the chances of
discussion or arbitration, a large and va-
luable portion of the British dominions, extending
along the whole course of St. John's River, and
commanding, within a few hours' march, the naviga-
tion of the St. Lawrence, with the communications
between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec;
in other words, controlling, and eventually deciding,
the tenure on which the Crown of England shall
keep its North American possessions. This is truly
in its nature, a subject well adapted to move the
:hinds of Englishmen, by feelings not very much
akin to resignation, should the choice of the two Go-

vornments be fixed on a mediator not altdgether un-
biassed ; or should his award be unfortunately such
as to tear away some hundred square leagues of our
territory, and to render the remaining part defence-
less. Still we say, the existing prospect bids fair
for future harmony, and God forbid that a knot
should be cut, when it can be untied by patience
and by justice. The question of trade with the Bri-
tish colonies being one which no foreign Govern-
'ient has the smallest right to force into discussion
with Great Britain, we may as well not disturb the

exercise of our own colonial supremacy by mooting
gratuitously abstract propositions with Mr. Adams;
more especially as the President himself assures us,
-that the commerce, revenues, or resources of the
United States have not suffered in the slightest de-
gree from the interdict which his violation of the
principles of reciprocity forced the King's Govern-
ment to impose upon the access of American vessels
to our islands ; and that, according to an American
mwspaper, the only effect of such a measure is to
make the British planters pay more for articles
the growth or produce of the United States.--
What, then, is it that Mr. Adams can reasonably
complain of ?—lbid.

The Ministerial Papers affect to he exceedingly
inniiitnant on the anticipation pretty generally enter-
tai n in that Earl Grey will, in the approaching Ses.
' sion of Parliament, take a prominent and active part
in the opposition to the present Ministry in the
House of Lords. Aad the ground of their indigna-
:io'! is, forsooth, that the Noble Earl will in this
course be of necessity united with the powerful
and distinguished phalanx of Peers rho were mem-
bers or supporters of the late Administration. It is
whimsical enough to hear the advocates of an Admi-
nistration like the present insisting so zealously for
unanimity of opinions as the indispensable ground-
work of all honest, political co-opertntion. If the
Earls of Eldon and Grey entertain few political
principles in common, they agree in this, that the
Administration, as it is at present constituted, can-
not by possibility advance either the honour or wel-
fare of the country. And in what opinion, we beg
leave to ask, do Lord Lyndhurst arid the Marquis of
Lansdowne, or Mr. Herries, and Mr. Tierney agree,
except in the opinion—perhaps a disinterested, but
certainly to the parties who hold it, a very con-
venient one—that the honour and welfare of the

country may be promoted by the existing Adminis-
tration ? If it were a question of coalition against
coalition, can there be any doubt that the Opposi-
tion coalition would be the more justifiable of the
two ? It might be urged in its favour, that it did
not set the example of political compromise, but
only followed it; and that if the underlings of con-
flictin7 parties were to be at liberty to unite, for
tie purpose of acquiring personally and collectively
an ascendancy which naturally did not belong to
them, whilst their natural leaders and superiors
were still compelled in honour to keep aloof from
eacbi other, an undue advantage would be conceded

to baseness, and the high places of Government
left constantly exposed to the successful invasion of