The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-11 00:00:00

E't, .14v twix,-, N 111,S.
DAILY

Extracts from the Morning Papers, Jan.ll, 1826

ti'EW mos.].
The transactions respecting the succession to
the Imperial Crown. of Russia, have been such as
to . baffle :all, reasonable conjecture. We now
learn fromart authentic source, that the Emperor
Constantine—for so we suppose he ought to be
called, having been so: proclaimed, .and sworn to
IVY the Russians at home and abroad—the Etn-
peqOr Constantine has resigned his dignity to his
younger brother, Nicholas, who has been subse-
ventlyProclaiMed Emperor at St. Petersborgh.
at least„ lie believed now, that Constan.
tine,did not cause his brother Alexander to be
assassinated. Those who invented that mon-
'strotts narrative will now feel " some corn.
purictious visitiogs of nature" :for. having ho-
nked- to this Prince a crime, which could
only have originated in the most profligate
ambition. History has indeed presented us with
proofs that that passion can stifle the strongest
pleadings of human feeling----witness the unparal'.
Med deed of blood whiCh will mark Buonaparte
tis, a monster, to the latest posterity—the whole-
sale murder of above two thousand prisone.rs,
one single day t But where sn fierce a passion
influents the mind, it is utterly impossible that
its violence should be controuled by prudence or
nolicy. What the motives of Constantine are for
renouncing the Crown of Russia, we pretend not
to know, but be they what they may, he cannot
be an ainbitious man, much less one who, to gratify
his ambition, would dip his hands in the blood of
a Brother and a King. Accusations of so heinous
a nature, should not be lightly hazarded against
any individual ; but we are ashamed to say,,the
Press of this country has too frecptently allowed
itself a licence in that respect, .not only incon-
sistent with common deeency, but with common
justice. An example was set, some years ago,
by the Tiriies, which most falsely and most
wickedly, charged the present King of France
With being concerned in a conspiracy to depose
and murder his brother-lonis XVIII. We prn
fess to think that if the charges agahist:Charles
X. and Constantine had been true, the Journalists
who gave the publicity would have deserved well
of mankind ; but being both, as theyitindoubtely
areono,t false. and infamous, they ought, in our
opinion, to exite the general 'indignation of the
Whether Constantine will he rendered in•
tkpendrnt in' the Sovereignty of Poland, or will
continue to governAhat country, as he has hitherto
dotty, iii the 'character of Viceroy, a short time
will show. ~The,most-prevalent opinion seetns to
be that li,ossian Poland will be restored to its
iittleP,,64f4ce. At all events we know that Con•
stantine is extremely popular there, and his mar-
riage with a Polish Lady has greatly added to,
that popularity. It is not likely that Nicholas
would ever remove him : nor indeed is it proba.
bit 'that Nicholas would' depart in any great de.
gree, from the policy of Alexander ; with which ,
policy however, the erection of Poland into a
kingdoin, under a Mussing Prince, is by no means
incompatible.

,
[TH., Tp,,,.)
reports which have been circulated from
time to time, respecting the irregular (for such
it turns 01.4 to be) succession to the Crown of
Russia, nppear at length to have received a con-
flirtation which it might seem unreaSonable.toex-
rept:against. It is said thqt. Government are in
pOSOSSiOn of fldViCeS, antiotmcing positively 1,1).P
abdication of Constantine, and the. fa6t, that
Niclailas was on the 29th ult. proclaimed at St.
Peteraburgh Autocrat of all the RUssias. If This
be•frile the world Irttst acknowledge that .the
farfamed principle of legitimacy is in n very
bops less conditiou. The right of inheritaticP (.1,11
detthiedlymeaus that some one law of inherit-
ance bhonid be in all cases respected. It cannot
be-'ti:rirht divine, unless it be of tin obvious arid'
uniform 'character. if it ho a right divine, it is
iudefeasible by the net of any human being : it
is MO h; which nations' have an interest as well
as kings', and, neither oaths nor pacts can
overturn it. To us Englishoteu, indeed, horn
under it limited and cOnVentional crown, the.
vatole creed of legitimacy is childish non:
sense. It is therefore fur the edification of
other. communities Oral reinien tit observing:
theke
,departures by its own advocates from a
doetr'iw. nOIUSS Untynable than odious, regarding
thernl;4 so mirky flaws hi tio, indictment prefer-
red-by despotism against tie human raCv, On
the real motives of Constantino for thii nest sin.
golitc hit ion of self-denial, it nould be pre-
mafurre to speak at so early it period, and on such
uneertlin itnuiv,fedge, The diSposition of the Prince
prone to extravagance in some direc-
tions, and therefore possibly susceplilde of it in
other:; May, foraught we have heard, render him
a fit hitjth;ct for tin mile, artful, and ambitious
femaFe-!—acid that ler-Turfy his rnother!---to practise
on iil thia single inshince with success. That,
moreover, the Empress Alether might conscien-
tiously belir-ve the interests of Russia to he better
proViderl for by the ac;:wisioti of Nicholas, and
the 'I, x'clusion of his eldest brother, is extremely
prantblo. Nicholas had liven brocght up by the
late Emperiii;-:-:narsed in his policy, and, per-
haps, pledged to support it. lie would, if opi-
nion 're r rectwith regard to him, be in his
fiend conduct more amenable to moderate rind
calculating counsels than Constantine; while,- if
the latter should have. been permitted to Mount
the throne, the innternal truthority by which he is
asserted to have been just now governed in his
abdication of flower; cenld have continued no
forwer,thon during the life of a Princess pretty,
far advanced in years,' to influence and cnntroul
him in its exercise.

LMORNING POST.]
The mystery which none of the Foreign Jour-
nals have been able to penerme, has at length
been solved in this country, by the arrival of ca.
vial int,wigence, Constantine, against whom an
act or exclusion had been passeci, by his deceased
brother, is not the reigning Emperor at St. Pe-
tershurgb, The long negotiations which took

place between that capital and Warsaw have
terminated in what is calletihis voluntary abdi-
cation ; the Grand Duke Nicholas has been pro-
claimed, and is now Autocrat of All the Russias.
These are the only facts which are positively
known. They are us yet mere outlines, and
require much filling up ; but this time
alone can supply. When we say time; let it
not be supposed that we mean a few weeks,
a few months, or even a few years. These
may indeed clear up many of the least important
details : such as the conditions on which the ab-
dication is grounded, and which cannot be kept
secret because they must be publicly executed.
But the real causes of so extraordinary an event :
the intrigues, the enmities brought into play
together with the reasons which compelled Con.
stantine not to insist on the enforcement of his
rights, and not to avail himself of his brother's
generous resignation in his favour, all these
mighty secrets will remain locked up during
the present generation, to be unravelled only
by future historians, or perhaps to be for ever
suppressed by the destruction of every material
for history. Meanwhile varions rumours will
naturally transpire; they may even be closely
allied to the truth, and yet obtain no credit for
want of proofs. Should the day of explanation
ever arrive, anti should that explanation be
honest and full, whether it be in the present or
in the next century, we venture confidently to
predict that it will be found that in the work of
his degradation, Lven should it be lighten.,
ed by the grant of tht. kingdom of Poland,
Constantine has not been a willing agent ; that
his own Coliditet on several previous occasions de-
prived him of the power of making an effectual
struggle for the maintenance of his rights, and
that the Minister of an influential Member of the
Holy Alliance had a closer connection with this
event, than the apparent inertness of Austria,
during the transaction, would seem to indicate.

[monstNn ItEcAr.n.j
Public attention, and the time and talents of
,ndividuals, are at present especially directed to
emendations of the law in its forms or its provi-
sions. There is one subject which has escaped
notice, but which urgently demands it—that of
literary property. In France, where this species,
of right was more liberally protected than with
us, a Commission has been appointed to enlarge
it, The example, it is to be hoped, will not be
lost. It is not necessary to revive the ques-
tion whether the Statute creates a right which
did not previously: exist—or whether it has
not rather invaded and curtailed a right of
property as extensive and inviolable .as any
other ; admitting also that the author for his
natural life and his assignees are protected, still
the injustice to his. posterity is most flagrant
What good reason can possibly be given why a
man should not transmit to his posterity the pro-
perty of his writings, the fruit of days and nights
of labour and seclusion, as he does the property
of his estates, which may have been gained
without application, capacity, or virtue. Lord
Camden's memorable sally of eloquent absurdity
is known to Moscpeople. It is (Wile&
.t to cha.
racterise it. 44 Grory," says he, 44 is the reward
of science, and *lose who deserve it scorn all
meatier views." This unhappily, though very
fine, runs right io the teeth of truth and fact.'"••••
44 I speak not," he says, "or the miserable serif).
tilers for brt;ad who tease the press with their
Wretched productions. Fourteen yearsare too long
a privilege for their perishable trash." Admitted;.
but it is this very perishable trash that is favoured,
and exclusively favoured, iu the existing state
of literary property. Even fourteen years, the
period first assigned, is ,more than sufficient for
the ephemeral productions which obtain vogue
for a 'day, are looked into for a year or two, and
are thett,placed no the. shelf for ever. It is un-
necessary, and it would be invidious to point out
the arts by which Lord Caniden's " perishable
trash" is now forged upon the reading public
the puffs and paragraphs--daily, monthly, guar.
terly--in, newspapers, reviews, and magazines.
Some anonymous piece of meagre and maudlin
novel Writing comes out, scarce worthy of the,
Minerva Press—the. hard penitence of some
obscure labourer at the tail of literature. We
are told in the puffs, ordinary and extra-
ordinary,' it is " a tale founded on facts ;" or the
work of "an Honourable," or it Nobleman ;"
or 44 a Lady of Rank ;" or it describes " the
manners of high life with the accuracy of an
eye.wittiess." In fine, it is praised and puffed
with all the artifices employed to .catch the eye
and inveigle tin attention of the honest, unsus-
pecting reider, to the puff, of the Lottery and
Packwood's rotor stroy. 'Fourteen' years are
too rung a privilege for these, it is, true: but look
at ". iniportaut worLs," as the advertisements
call them—of length, labour, geidus-,' and
learning. It' is by sloW degrees they make
their wily among mankind. The authors,
forsooth, are paid the price of immorta-
litY, as Lord ,Cateden says, by future genera.
tions.,..when the genins that inspired is vanished
for ever—the hand that wrote mouldering ill the
grave, and the posterity.. of those who devoted
themselves are, perhaps, pining wretchedness
and misery, whilst the booksellers are deriving
wealth and the -public instruction or entertain-
ment from their proper inheritance. There is so
much of hardship and of anomaly in this, that
it should not pass, especially at a time When the.
arts of peace and the fruits of civilization are
promoted and cherished with undoubted zeal and
efficacy.

riFIOIINTNG
tt tVitS very currently reported -the Dip
mimic circles in Lisbon, the _Prince Metternich
had written a very polite and obliging ',Rt.r to
the King of Portnl!al, announcing tbar his son,
the Infante Don Miguel, had materially iinproy
ed in his manners and principles since his resi.
deuce in Austria, and that he felt the warmest
regard and ettachmeht towards his august father,
Ili 118 the Portuguese nation, It was thought
in Lisbon that this letter was intended as an
overture to a double marriage with one (If the
Emperor of Austria's remaining daughters, as
well as a reconeithatlim ti ith the offended
father, in preparation to his ascending the
Throne of Portugal, now that the elder brother'