The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-11 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Chronicle of this morning remarks, in reference
to the recent Anti-Corn-law League meetings :—" We
perceive indications that our Essex and Lincoln men
are not_ quite in the humour for fair-play and no
favour.' Fear, is, of course, a very indiscriminating
sensation, so that we must not particularly object to
strong expressions on the part of the Essex and Lincoln
protectionists. It is quite natural that they should utter wild
exclamations about utter ruin to British agriculture—the
infamous lies and malignity of the League—the atrocious
conduct of Cobden, and other desperate characters. But
we do object to British farmers and landowners degrad-
ing themselves from that yeomanly self-respect which
one expects to find within rural England. The
Judges say that the use of the knife now forms a
conspicuous feature in our criminal calendar, and
marks a fearful change in the manly spirit of the lower
classes of our population. Are we to infer that Peel's
assassination scene in the House of Commons, and the
encouragement given to the wild, infamous, and absurd
charges of the monomaniacal slanderer, Ferrand, are in-
dications of a fatal change in the character of the fine
old English gentleman ?' At all events, a Mr. Chaplin,
who acted as Chairman of the Lincolnshire agricultural
meeting (at which Mr. Christopher, one of the Members
for the county, was present), and who is described by the
Post as 'a gentleman of high character and large for-
tune,' did not scruple to throw out a hint that the next
time Mr. Cobden visited them, the most effectual mode
of silencing him would be to fling him into the river I
Fie, fie, Mr. Chaplin !"
We take the following from the Advertiser :—" The
Patriot, of Monday, contains the following announcement
respecting the preliminary steps which are being taken
for a Conference of Protestant Dissenters, with the view
of taking into consideration the best means of making a
grand permanent demonstration against religious esta-
blishments. We are happy tol learn,' says( our Con-
temporary, that the preliminary steps towards the for-
mation of the General Provisional Committee, on - which
it has been devolved to make arrangements for the Con-
ference of Protestant Dissenters, are proceeding in the
most satisfactory manner. We have authority to state
that, so far as answers have been received, the gen-
tlemen invited to become members of the Committee
have, with very few exceptions, accepted the invita-
tion, and that in the most cordial terms. The majority
of the few who have declined, have done so, not because
they do not entirely approve of the proposed Conference
and of its great object, but simply on account of other
engagements, which would prevent them, as they think,
from giving the subject of the Conference a due share of
their attention. Those who assign this reason are gen.
tlemen, the bare mention of whose names would be
sufficient to show that perfect religious liberty cannot
boast of firmer or more determined advocates. A num-
ber of the answers have been accompanied with hand-
some remittances, and others with promises of pecuniary
help.' This is encouraging in the highest degree."
4 kThe Morning Post says :—" This country is dema-
gogue-ridden. Such men as Mr. O'Connell in Ireland,
and Mr. Cobden in England, are allowed almost un-
bounded license in inflaming and misleading the popular
mind ; while on the other side—that is, on the side of
government and order—we have nothing but tameness,
and an absurd trust in the pedantry of politics. While
the demagogue is maddening the hearts and perverting
the judgments of millions—while he is giving a political
purpose to their passions, and turning the wildest folly
into a kind of political reality by associating it with the
desires and expectations of the clamorous multitude, the
persons who ought to be the directors of the nation are
directing nothing. They are constructing tariffs, and
issuing commissions, and, perhaps, adoring in secret their
own great abilities ; but they do nothing to meet the
actual troubles of the times. It is not very clear what
they could do, beyond taking vigorous measures for the
suppression of the demagogues, and the falsehood and
folly they disseminate, but for this they lack either the
disposition or the courage."
The Times thus justly comments on a recent cruel
:—"
sporting case of a trotting-
match against time The
exploit which was hit upon in the present case was to
drive an unfortunate little pony from Bedford to Lon-
don, and back again, in one day, and then back to Lon-
don again on the following morning. The distance, 150
miles, was to be performed within the time kept by the
Bedford coach, which travels at the rate of 12 miles an
hour. The poor little animal, as might have been expected,
died under the trial. Could not the authorities' of that
community which is known as the sporting world' devise
some system of supervision which should prevent the occur-
rence of such disgraceful exhibitions as this ? A member
of any ordinary trade or profession, if detected in prac-
tices not within the fair rules of the body to which he
belongs, is forthwith either expelled, or subjected to
the summary displeasure of the rest of his fraternity, in
a manner which is never found to fail. Could not this
Bedford pony-driver be made the example of a similar
system ? There is honour, it is said, even among
thieves ; and the blacklegs of the racecourse submit to
forego the indulgence of the full measure of knavery
and swindling, and to be put under a code of laws of
their own, in order to save society the scandal, and
themselves the loss, which would probably ensue from
unbridled license."