The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-10 00:00:00

;

NATI ti VS. in 3

B. _D ISRAELI, .11..11.
A year has nut elapsed since the author of
eioningsby" amiounced the ;•,vel,,t of a new
generation"---the dawn of brighter hopes. and
better '
-Cel' His work was received with entinistasio,
his glowing thoughts found a ready echo the
hearts of men, glad to turn from the gloomy
contemplate a bright futurity. " Coningsby'
n
became the idol of the hour. Its praises were hardli
exhausted, when the announcement of aw°l.l4
by Mr. D'lsraeli," aroused the eager expectation
.
ot his numerous admirers. It is not often that
our hopes are destined to be fulfilled, 'Jut
in this instance the most sanguine anticipations tan't
.
have been realised. High as is Mr. D'lsraeli's litgloomy present
,
rary.reputation, " Sybil" will add a brighter laurel
to his wreath. Here he comes forward in the noble
of
character of the champion of the poor. He has conse*,,
crated his brilliant talents to the sacred cruse
truth—he has devoted his energies to the regeners:
tion of the people : in such a cause genius shLneit
with redoubled lustre—such a cause is it
to inspire great thoughts. " Coningsby" soußi
to expose the state of parties—"
scribes the condition of the people. "Coninglit e •
was the novel of the season, a mirror of .et
political characters of the day—" Sybil " i.7;14
history of the age, a picture of the sufferiugs tit
country. Perhaps " Coningsby " Sybil "
ore
4e;',
amusement to the superficial reader, but Sy bird:
not written to amuse—its object is. not to dazzle, rid
fancy, but to touch
,the heart. He must be eta?
afford
stern indeed v, ho can peruse this work unrnove°-. •
is no idle tale of fiction ; it is the voice of a sufertu°
people calling upon their fellow-men—it is a historble.,
of the sorrows. -eV the poor, drawn with the
nervous eloquence of truth, adorned with allot
graces of a poet's fancy. Though differing from
some of the political allusions, we must adinire it..
generous spirit which animates the whole Or 0
Scorning the narrow views of this "age of infidelitY's,,.,
Mr. D'lsraeli looks upon the youth of the natiePre
the champions of the peopl The, and thee ael•
generators of their country. cold breath°, • •
fishness has not had time to ;
•
" Freese the genial current of their soul."
Their hearts are warm with kindly feeling, theft
youthful ardour is not damped by adversity. litbey
then, they will hear the voice of lamentation; 10
will exert all their intelligence, all their grillteaf
the cause of the oppressed. If such be the fo_..„,',‘
of " Young England," then, indeed, is that ilsTlol,o
proud title. for the party, a source of °.
„ 0
for thew country. Sybil is the hist°r•7 his
two nations—the rich and the poor—and the!eae rent
tories are written in a style as widely `t colic
as the nations themselves. In describing th.' the
and follies of the rich, the. political intristle.'oo/
empty pageantry, the petty jealousie3, and the 111111 evid
views that mark the character of the Poll-AAA -
great, D'lsraeli indulges in that quiet sarcasmr who
he knows so well, barbs the dart of truth.
he tells of the sufferings of the poor,
A change censer o'er the spirit of the drain'"
eat
0(
He is all feeling, all pathos; he srtelesisrits •
their sorrows till he melts the heart; he
their wrongs till he fires the indignation he
forth the tenderest sympathies of our Ilatllredeeete
bids us " gently scan our brother 1111111," 6r:lijovit4
all our energies to redeem the people. The
conversation between a proud " Lord of-the nap
and a delegate of the people, places the relati"
tions of rich and poor in mutual dependence :-*" tio;
"' I am not so clear about that,' said Lord dependence
that is the very point at issue. Ido not think the St
majority are the best judges of their own inter..,s7 iris.
all events, gentlemen, the respective adva:trage es0:711
tocracy and democracy are a moot point- nubbase
raocrats ;lam an aristocrat. Myth rndY ago%
nobled for nearly three centuries %
name before their elevation. They are °sin 'O.l •
materially assisted in making England what it i..hiajori
have shed their blood in many battles I haveyo #lll
ancestors killed in the command of our fleets. espefr
not underrate such services, even if you do 110... vtio
ciate their conduct as statesmen, though that_AP'-.. TO •
been laborious, and sometimes distingtli,n,,,,4ll.l
finest trees in England were planted by iny family, : tel
raised several of your most beautiful cnurcuej cos'
have built bridges, made roads, dug mines:, 11'600'0
structed canals, and drained a marsh of a rat1.;,"°,,90 of thl,
which bears our name to this day, and is 10",,:,,u ;Olt
pd
most flourishing portions of the countrY:
our taxation and our wars ; and of your i"vel into 0
your industry. Our wars converted an isle!) sti.
empire, and at any rate developed that ie,el4trfiron-tel
mulated those inventions of which you b`ig epresent"
me that you are the delegates of tilt ,13-wr 1,1°..";
working classes of Mowbray. Why, w01t,,,-;
bray have been if it bad not been fol. Y°l"
and their wars ?' vv ell 1113°
"• My Lord,' said the delegate, it is '
~ ,4 6d
that you come from a great and iienell'—.s ipu
But the great question, which your LordshiP h
duced, not us, is nut to be decided by a haPPY 7- I'
Your ancestors may have done great that. clef°
wonder ! They were members of a very illef ;bk.!.
which had the monopoly of action. And the PaySLlS,`"'
not they shed their blood in battle, though he
7-i tel, '
couitnanded fleets less often than your Lordabto eta
tives ? And these mines and canals that PO 0;01
cavated and constructed, these woods yon have lio,hae
these waters you have drained—had,the people- re.- oorltl
in these creations ? What share in these go,`, oeff
had that faculty of labour whose sacred clainiAs ,over 0
urge, but which fur centuries have been Pall'uiwori
contemptuous silence ? No, my Lord, we ea' joctrif,
to decide this question by the result. The 'tr.
of England have had for three centuries th° esairilso dt
power ; for the last century and a halt that er;t"to imr., •
hem uncAurolled ; they form at this moluePt 007;
la.,..sperous class that the history of the world eikPoicoalaa''
as rice as the Roman senators, with soure'4o,o
nienee and enjoyment which modern seiebeem.cd
tail,l't
Js
supply. All this is not denied. Your ce
before Europe the most gorgeous of existilig 57;0 sill
though you have of lute years dexterously tlor._,o
of the odium of your polity upon that niiddle tie/.
you despise, and who are despicable only in
imitate you, your tenure of power is not ~%•horitPl
paired. You govern us still with absolute ""the
and you govern the most miserable people °II 7 • -
I 0
the globe.' " •
As might be expected, the conduct of Sir ,oe 00.
not the subject of encomium ; he is aPOeri..,hich Yfia
" Minister, who has changed all the policytt
were elected to support, but who e%Pec 9 )1 I°l°llo
and confidence all the same." The follnflreittsi
of the reception of a deputation may !;4° digpCE
those who may be honoured with an au • ntle.-
the "gentleman in Downing-street's • the g_reitt 1•:
" And now for these deputations, as die the #rteels
man in Downing street, 'of all things „Al
chinein the
isC Cabinet
advanced.
dislike a deputation. Ido not care how Hitt th.i:eit'
a derterojoesl'thag;
sham marching; an immense dust and 0° oA 'ha theßilutourseecieitvhinatg's real wor..oo,ii ;re
listen to their views! As if I did not pa. -ilk
views were before they stated them! °they ..sliesi;' •
countenance of. respectful candour whilel)}43 :17 ..ft to
veloping their exploded or their irapreptle.-oit tlk_er":„, r
Were it not that at a practised crisis i Peroosciep-illi
see conviction slowly stealing over LOT ce)ooolgre
believe the fellows would never stop. I: e th'i.►4
receive these deputations. I moat' ;11.etreit:',$ •
Hoaxem,' and the gentleman itr.-I)°°°'ll° • s-0
-it
his bell. otleln out
" Well, Mr. lioaxem,' resumed the ge el'evol
te
Downing-street as that faithful functionloi.d,f.
there are some deputations, I understanacisor: foes!
must receive them, as I am going to Win , theme .ecit;
have no doubt you will get throur g'i col
very well, particularly if you be frsnk 741, to s'lle
that is the right line to take when Y.Oll Wyothell-' eo{
your own mind and to confuse the inindi.°
titer
Sybil Gerard, the heroine, is the dang- e- r,-
the "leaders of the people" at the ample of of
,10,0,
Iler character is the most beautiful exaMP • ht
enthusiasm and pure simplicity. The bireigare
she had formed of the virtues of the Pe°P
gated by the stern lessons of experience'oriatoc"ro
prejudices she entertained against the she Iteti.
give way to the calmer dictates of reas°ll* por
that no 'State is perfect in itself; rich the•d„aLititlo
alike their faults and virtues, and it -- le.--4eo
those who are most favoured by fort apelike th4..k'big
way to peace and happiness. At a timebetter I'lo
sent, when the faint indications of
willt.eodotOeslithipleb.
are manifest, a work such as this t i
and feed the flame," and call forth A 81t/4 with w, •
and universal. We subjoin the relnar—ork
Mr. D'lsraeli concludes this interesting W
13 pesooo ,
"In an age of political infidelity, of 'lee; upoll,,der •.'.
and petty thoughts, I would have iniv'es' righs u;oet. •
rising race not to despair, but to seek in re,
standing of the history of their country 0,0`.:01 weir° wol
gies of heroic youth, the elements of nati.m,,,r,sevt:oo,
" It is the past alone that can explain til,S"do,fe`
it is youth that alone can mould the retiltil leitrigift
The written history of our ceuntry to Ow e ,00,1
reigns has been a mere pitantasura,--giving.haeacicr,pral:
and consequence of public transactions a ',heir na•
lit
colour in every respect dissimilar eltli thoug, to .
.ry frar, A
form and hue. In this mighty toyStt eon ,
and things have assumed an usreet I.lloh_ boo ee 0
their real quality and style. 011garell 11:chri4' pod
Liberty; an exclusive Prie:,thood has peen the lisle
National Church ; Sovereignty has heewhile tib;lval
something that has had no dominion, fess tiit't. pr,
power has been wielded by those who Pl9,_ wife° tho-
the servants of the People. lii the seldosltA
,(!_ti.t.
tioris two rest existenci s have been id iblegl'stantiaitt.:
history of England—the lalonarch and; thed, the Fit
as the power of the Crown has tillditoim at leng",,egai,.
legea of the People have disappeared;
wet h.°
sceptre has become a pageant, and disappeared
subject
nerated again into a serf. nee alore Pee
" That we may live to see England erotlO ybO
a free monarchy and a privileged and Pre' es can
is my prayer; that these great consequelg_74 vier
ng
brought about by the energy, and do.°T.):o'l,o jeu'oei'
is my persuasion. We live in an age n. onollY.lo, f.
and to be indifferent can be no lonb't the
We must prepare for the coming hour.
the future are represented by suffering 10.4tty,' , • ,
youth of a nation are the trustees of Po"'