The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-06 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stit—The Courier of the 27th ult., in the exuberance
of his fancy and the elation of his .hopes that the report of
the success of the Russian arms in Silistrit is unfounded,
has indulged his .readers with a short interlude, wherein
two Cassocked Polemics form the dramatis pe, sonce.
Without presuming to say which of these two redoubted
combatants isre right, -I beg leave in some degree to ques-
tion the conclusions of the Courier, and most decidedly to
protest against the unfair, illiberal, and offensive character
of his arguments.
I have not read the original documents alluded to, but
only the exposé of the Courier; therefore if I labour
under any misappiehension, it• must be attributed to the
confused and mystified verbiage of the Journalist, who, not-
withstasiling his triumphant self-complacency, has no more
pretensions to become our modern "Doctor dubitantium"
than the Editor of the St. James's Chronicle, with all his
Brunswick rakings; or even John Bull at Penenden
heath, have, to be thought the standard-of public opinion.
Allow me a last word as to that barren heath, before I
approach this case of conscience. The Editor of the Courier
did not certainly take an oath to forbear his comments, but
by his own confession, in a luckless moment, lie has broken
his word to indulge in them. So much for his conscience.
The speech of Mr. Shell, so often alluded to by the Courier
and other Brunswick Journals, I read in your paper, and
was convinced at the moment, from the accuracy with
which it was given, the method and order in which the
sentences were arranged, that you could not have received
it from any common reporter; but I was somewhat sur-
prised to find those who differed in opinion with the speaker
or composer of this speech (no matter which), expending
all their wit and argument to expose the trickery, treachery,
or baseness of him who could attempt to impose on the
public so far as to send a speech to the press, every word
of which was not spoken, instead of combating the argu-
ments and refuting the historical facts therein brought for-
ward ; thus exhausting their strength on a point so unes-
sential to the real merits of the case. One might suspect
it to be the consciousness of their own weakness, their own
inability •to grapple with Mr. Shell's arguments, which
could induce them to confine their comments to the mode in
which he brought them before the public, whether viva
voce or in writing. Now, Sir, I remember a learned Pre-
late (whose ability either in speaking or writing could not be
doubted) printing some years ago a speech intended to have
been spoken in the House of Lords, and he did not deem
it necessary to Make any apology to the public for so doing,
though he had previously written what by some was lite-
rally received as an apology for the Bible. Moreover, has
not another Member of the Upper House of Parliament
just sent a written apology to the Freeholders of Kent, for
not speaking on the glorious day,—meaning it as a defence
of his view of the question at issue? Why, then, may not
the Irishman, the Roman Catholic, have the same fair
play given him as the defunct Protestant Prelate, and the
living Protestant Peer? I am not speaking my own opi-
nions, Mr. Editor, but only calling en the. Brunswickers
to show a little fairness, a little consideration for one who
certainly had much at stake, but who would have better
consulted the success of his cause by-staying away- from
Penenden heath (which might be considered intrusive),
and confining himself to writing his opinions, or delivering
them where he was likely to be heard. In sending to the
Press, however, a well-arranged, connected, des expcsi-
tion of his view of the question, might be not be influenced
by the serious nature of the subject, anti its immense im-
portance every way considered, as involving the interests
and happiness of millions, both Roman Catholics and Pro-
testants; in the same way as a Protestant Judge delivers
his charge to the Grand Jury in writing, not choosing,
where so much is at stake, to hazard an extemporaneous
effusion ; or as a Protestant Clergyman, who does not,
indeed is not, allowed by his Diocesan, to preach an extem-
poraneous sermon, for the same weighty reasons? Being
anxious to come at the case of conscience, which, ildeed,
was the chief stimulus that urged me to take tip my pen, I
will not waste many more words on Penenden heath and
its fat-bulls of Bashan ; but I confess it gives me a sort of
spiteful satisfaction to find that great Tortes, as well as
great Whigs, can condescend. to truckle to Radical pa-
tronage, and that the Brunswickers were contented to
coalesce with that prince of Radicals, who, in his came-
lion-like, ever varying character, has in turn cut up,,with
no sparing hand, each friend and foe, who either relied on
his good faith or dared his hostility. Never shall I forget
the awkward predicament in which the Whigs were placed
a few years ago at York, by a similar oversight, when a
most beloved, amiable, venerable Nobleman, stood trembling
by the side of his radical friend and monitor. But that
in these times, a Mumbetr of the Upper House of Parlia-
ment, one on whom the hereditary honours of the Peerage
have descended, one who belongs to a body of men, il-
lustrious by birth, by their own services to their country
or by those of their ancestors, should declare his approba-
tion of every thing written and said by this arch-traitor,
and in proof thereof, intends so to use his unconstitutional
power, as to procure bim a seat in the lower House of
Parliament, exceeds in folly, in mischief, and in wicked-
ness all precedent in the history of this or of any other
country. How must the Radical chuckle to see the whole
of his game so played for him ; he who has candidly de-
clared to the freeholders of Kent, that giving Whig and
Tory, 13runswicker and Catholic, to the winds, his only
aim and olject is, with unsparing butcher-like hand to cut
up the very vitals of the Constitution, and to overturn
and destroy all our sacred and civil institutions ; " whatso-
" ever things are honest; whatsoever things are just, what-
" soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
",whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any
" virtue, and if there be any praise, (let the Noble Lord)
" think on these things," ere he consign his name and his
country to such opprobrium!
This man of cunning is aware, that although concession
cannot of itself heal all the wounds and putrefying sores
which have so long fretted and exasperated unhappy Ire-
land, yet that it would tend to soften down much irrita-
tion, to sooth and quiet many factious agitators, who, by
a refusal of the Catholic Claims, are enabled now to shake
the fabric of our Constitution to its centre, and thus put
off the day he so much wishes to see, a day on which Bri-
tain's sun would set for ever, " a day of wrath, a day of
" trouble and distress, a day of wrstenees and desolation,
" a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and
" thick darkness." I trust an Irish proprietor, though an
Englishman by birth and an absentee by necessity, may be
allowed thus to raise his voice and exclaim " Hic niger
est,hunc to Bomane caseto."
Now, at length for the case of conscience, and I am de-
sirous of dealing tenderly with it. The Courier states
one Reverend Divine as having proposed a rery simple
question to another Reverend Divine, an assertion I am by
no means prepared to doubt. It is this, " Can the Sove-
" reign act against his conscience, and is not his oath a
4, purely personal act between himself and God ?" The
answer which Dr. D is said to give to this ques-
tion, which has called forth so much scurrility and
insulting language on the part of the Courier, (by
repeating which, Sir, I will not place a spot in
The Sun, partially to obscure its brightness) is,
that " in •case the Sovereign be in error, he will do
" wrong by following the dictates of his conscience, and
" lie will in like manner act wrong, by
doing that which
" his conscience forbids." In this dilemma the So;;ereign
is recommended to have recourse to competent advisers,
which might produce conviction that he bad been in error.
To have done with the Courier, I will answer the Rev.
Querist myself, and, as is often done, will answer him by
asking another question, which is quite as much to the
point as his own, though I am free to confess neither one
nor the other can affect. the general issue. But I must re-
quest tiis Reverend Divine, this Sacrre Theologise Profes-
sor, to turn for a moment from his pamphlets and his poli-
ties, and all those worldly broils in which he is so deeply
immersed, to a book which, one day in seven at least, may

most his decimal eye. My question is, where was the
conscience of St. Paul while persecuting the Church of
Christ ? Did he then act right in fillowing the dictates of
his conscience, or did lie afterwards act wrong, when the
true light came down from Heaven, and the glory of the
Lord shone round about him, - and he no longer " destroyed
" those who called on his name," hut became the most
strenuous and successful advocate of the Christian faith ?
What was it which ever after produced that remorse,
humbling hiss to the very dust, that humility and charity
so conspicuous in all his labours, and which are justly
considered the two corner stones of the Christian fabric ?
What was it but the conviction that he had been too long
in error, too long- osstinately following the dictates of an
ill informed conscience ? What was his sin, I ask ? Not
that he had acted contrary to his conscience, but had per-
petrated all these cruelties, by listening to a conscience •
ill-informed. I ask the Rev. Pastor, if this be not the
doctrine with which he feeds his poor sheep? We see
then it was a case of conscience which thus misled even
the• great Apostle of the Gentiles. Let those who will,
draw the inference; but I cannot allow that the answer
given to the question of the Sovereign's conscience deserved
such harsh epithets, or such offensive insinuations, as the
Courier is pleased to utter. With respect to the oath
.being inirely a personal act between the Sovereign and his
God, or as the Doctor puts it, " between himself and
" God," I would bring to his recollection another Royal
Personage, who, in the same neglected hook, we find " for
" his oath's sake," rut off the head of John the Baptist.
The King was very sorry, " nevertheless, for his oath's
sake" he delivered him over to the executioner. I ask
again was Herod right in thus abiding. by his oath?
Would it not have been better if he had taken advice, or
in Dr: D.'s words, which have been thought so highly ob-
jectionable, might not " duty have prescribed to lay aside
the error, by.having recourse to competent advisers?" This
is said to be laying aside conscience. But I will tell the
Courier that there is, notwithstanding his indignant cm-
tradiction; both art and sophistry involved in this question,
and it lies in putting the question at all. It is meant to
mislead plain, well disposed persons into error, by bringing
before their- view et the same time two things which have
no sort of analogy. In regard to intemperate language,
can one wonder at its being sometimes used by those
whose religion (which they conscientiously believe to be
the true nligion, and which we admit to be so, divested of
its superstitions) is so constantly vilified and abused?
for one, think as much fiery zeal fil!s the breast of the
Protestant Priest, though he may express it in more mea-
sured terms, as is exhibited by the Roman Pontiff. Ar-
cades ambo ! but slid 1 wish ill to any cause I would es-
pecially seek the advocacy of the former, and goad him on
to the contest. "On Chester on," are the last words of
Kent, Dec. I, 1828. MARMION.

*** In a parish of 12,000 people where I now am,
110 only have signed the County petition, and 150 the
Counter petition, the general feeling seems to be to leave the
subject to the wisdom of Parliament.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

HUNTING INTELLIGENCE.
♦PPOINTJM%NTS FOIL THE ENSUING WEEK.
_ _

His Majesty's Stag-hounds, on Monday, at Salt-hill ;
and Friday, at Fulmer Common—at half-past ten.
The Brighton Harriers, on Monday, at Patcham ; Wed •
nesday, near the Race Course ; and Friday, at tae Dyke,-
at half-past ten.

The Broukside Harriers will continue to meet every
Monday, at Newmarket ; Wednesday, at the Lewes Race
Course ; and Friday, at Tellescembe Tye—at half-past ten.
11r. Lester's Hounds, on Monday, at the Gibbet ;
Wednesday, at. Coombe Corner ; and Saturday, at the
Shoulder of Mutton—at half-past ten.
The Gransden Hounds, on Monday, at the Gransden
Wood; and Friday,-at the Potton Wood—at ten.
Earl Fitzwilliam's Hounds, on Monday, at Sawtry Gorse;
and Wednesday, at Weybridge Wood—at ten.
The Puckeridge Hounds, on Monday, at Pye Corner ;
Wednesday, at Peverells ; and Saturday, at Capons.
Lord Yarborough's Hounds, on Monday, at Weelsby-
house ; Wednesday, at Yarborough Camp ; Friday, at
Brainbrook-hill ; and Saturday, at the Kennel—at eleven.
Lord Harewoed's Fox-hounds, on Monday, at Butter-
sike Bar; Wednesday, at Thorp Arch; and Friday, at the
Boot and Shoe Inn—at ten.

Mr. Dansey's Hounds, on Monday, at Hoarwithy ; and
Thursday, at Berrington—at ten.
The Hambleden Hounds, on Monday at Broadhalf-
penny Down ; Wednesday, at London Lodge, Basing-park ;
and Friday, at Winter's Hill Common—at half-past ten.
The Shropshire Fox-hounds, on Monday, at Sundorne;
Wednesday, at Pradoe ; Friday, at the Hardwick Grange;
and -fatarday, at the fifth mile-stone on the Bachursh-
road—at half-past ten.
Mr. Meynell's Hounds, on Monday, at Henhurst ; Thurs-
day, at Chartley Castle; and. Saturday, at Holly Bush—
at half-past ten.
Lord Scarborough's Fox-hounds,, on Monday, at Haugh-
ton School ; Wednesday, at Wickersley par ; Friday, at
Grove; and Saturday, gt Shire Oaks—at half-past ten.
The Cheshire Hounds, on Monday, at High .Legli ;
Wednesday, at Saltersford-bridge ; Thursday, at Peover ;
and Saturday, at Shipbrooke-bridge—at half-past ten.
Sir Rich. Sutton's Hounds, on Monday, at Tupholme
Abbey; Wednesday, at Brant Broughton; Thursday, at
North Carlton ; anti Saturday, at Fi.skerton Long Wood
—at eleven.

General Wm. Fitzroy's Hounds, on Monday, at Bectly ;
Wednesday, at Blythe's Barn, near Massingham ; and Fri-
day, at Castleacre -Mill—at eleven.
Mr. Allen's Harriers, on Monday, at East Winch ;
Wednesday, at West Dereham ; and Friday, at Docking
—at eleven.

Lord Anson's Hounds, on Monday, at Desford Town
End; Tuesday, at Orton on the Hill; Thursday, at prake-
low ; and Saturday, at the Kennel, Witherley---4' half-
upst ten.

The Quorn Hounds, on Monday, at Seraptoft ; Wed-
nesday, at Lount Turnpike-gate; Thursday, at the sixth
mile-stone on the Welford-road ; and Saturday, at Ow-
thorpe (Notts)—at half-past ten.
Mr. H. M. Chadwick's Fox-hounds, on Monday, at
Mickley Corner ; Wednesday, :-.t •Langley Pools ; and
Friday, at Water Orton—at half-past ten.
Sir John Cope's Hounds, on Monday, at Eversley-
bridge ; Wednesday, at Fence; and Friday, at Unhill—at
half-past ten.
The Craven Hounds, on Monday, at Chaddleworth-gate ;
Tuesday, at Aldborne Chase ; Friday, at Donnington-gate ;
and Saturday, at the Hare and Hounds, Lamborne, Wood-
lands—at hall-past ten. •

Mr. King's hounds, on Monday, at Buckland Beacon ;
Thursday, at the Thorns ; and Saturday, at Lyndridge-gate.
The Warwickshire Fox-hounds, on Monday, at Bishop's
Itchingtou—at half-past ten.

The Bast Sussex Hounds, on Monday, at Shortgate—
at a quarter before eleven.
The Worcestershire Fox-hounds, on Tuesday, at Bishop's
Wood ; and Friday, at Stone Bow Turnpike—at half-
past ten.

Upton-upon-Severn Harriers, on Tuesday, at Billing-
ham ; and Friday, at Twyning—at ten.
The Blaektnoor Vale Houdtle, on Tuesday, at Horwood
Well, near Wineanton; and Friday, at Cattle Hill-gate,
near Hudspor.

The Bailsworth Fox-hounds, on Tuesday, at Went-
bridge ; Thursday, at Bnrghwallis•hall ; and Saturday, at
Acton—at half-past ten.

Sir George Sitwell's Fox-hounds, on Tuesday, at Hard-
staff Common ; and Friday, at Norton—at ten.
Mr. H. Villebois's Harriers, on Tuesday, at Curie-
house ; Thursday, at Bradenham-green ; and Saturday,
at Stoke-ferry—at eleven.

Sir C. Constable's Stag-bounds, on Tuesday, at Little
Onn ; and Friday, at, Offley Hay Common—at eleven.
The Burton Braddock Harriers, on Tuesday, at Toiler
Down Turnpike-gate; and Friday, at Beamington Down.

A few days since Mr. Hardwick, of Hangle-
ton, shot, near the Devil's Dike, a beautiful goshawk,
which measures across the back to the extreme points of
each wing, 52 inches.—Brighton Journal.
Three sacks full of hares were carried off on
Tuesday, by poachers, from the preserves of W. Chamber
crease.—Devizes Layne,r
a victimss e .E— o
cvizes t
Gazette.
,tM.P.ie gang.
for Southampton : lots of pheasants also
fell
This crime is much on the in_

• On Wednesday last, during a run of the Pem-
broke fox-hounds, of the Coal-pit-parks, an accident which
but for the miraculous interference of Providence must in-
evitably have proved fatal, happened to Mr. Wellington
Peel, a relative of the Right Hon. Robert Peel, who bad
joined the hounds, and was enjoying the sports of the chase.
It appears that Mr. Peel's horse was going at its greatest
speed over the park, when he unfortunately rode ever a
coal-pit, which was overgrown with gorze. The horse
made a stumble, threw Mr. Peel over its bead to a consi-
derable distance, and immediately disappeared. The poor
animal gave a most hideous yell as it was falling, but on
reaching the bottom instantly died. Mr. Peel was remov-
ed on a litter to the house of a relative (Mr. R. 11. Peel,
of Colts-hall, Pembrokeshire), where surgeons are in daily
attendance upon him, and we are happy to say, that san-
guine hopes are entertained of his recovery. Mr. Peel had
purchased the deceased animal for 160/. a few days prior to
the accident.