The Sun.
London, England, 1828-11-03 00:00:00

COBBETT.

(From the Freeman's Journal of Wednesday, Oct. 29.)
One great advantage must accrue from the Maid-
stone meeting. The speech of Mr. Sheil, which
had been reluctantly heard, will be universally read,
and the argumentative matter. of that speech, al-
though producing little, profitable.. effect upon the
Knatchbulls, cannot fail to geminate and take root
in the conscientious, principled, and reflectingportion
of the English mind. Those proceedings have been
already reported in all the journals of the empire,
and it would be as absurd to say, that April sins
and April showers will not produce vegetation, as to
suspect that the manly appeal of our fellow country-
man to the reason of Englishmen will not be fol-
lowed by prompt conversions to the cause of freedom
of conscience in their country.
The conduct of Cobbett on Penenden Heath,
whatever may have been the motive of that treacher-
ous and eccentric ribald, was only not hostile to Ire-
land, because the.same meanness of character which
venders a friendly intention futile, makes the enmity
of the intentioned back-slider silly and powerless.
Cobbett has obtained in both countries the character
of a clever writer—a character which belongs to
him, if in the general estimate of a politician's re-
pate, it be unfitir to take the grossest political vices,
whether acted or written, into chlculation, His de-
meanour on Penenden Heath was the demeanour of a
maniac, who could not controul others, because he
could not command himself. Passion,audgesticulation,
and foam, where his only weapons here, as in every
other such place to which he repairs, after breaking
truce with his understanding,and to all appearance leav-
ing it behind to take care of his Kensington nursery.
Capable of reasoning, his speech was the very per-
version of that faculty. It .contained some truths ;
but those truths were used, as the mechanic uses the
augur, for the purpose of performing a vacuum in
the mind of hiahearers, through which he might dis-
e'rnbogue the foulest and most venomous calumnies
against this country. With Hunt he was a radical
reformer ; with the Duke of Newcastle an h .
Tor,,•, and with Lord Winchelsea an enemy -to
Emancipation. The object professedly of his journey
to 'Maidstone was, that lie might as a neutral be-
tween either of the two conflicting extremes, while
his acts, when arrived there, became too extravagant-
to be confined within any extreme.
_He denounced.
Emancipation without recollecting that hehad roasted
many a Noble Lord and Commoner upon his gridiron
for a similar innocent denouncement. Parliamentary
Reform he speaks of, as the quid ununt necoss.crium,
while he reprobates " the Irish hungry Lawyers,"
who adopt pledges that all the Representatives of
g
Ireland must advocate every measure tendin to re-
form. Nay, more, with that darling object in
view, an object not much sought after by the
English Bar he avows that the " hugger mugger"
Barristers of .his own country, as he calls
them,' shall be henceforth his only favourites.
" What is the Brunswick Club," said he, in
this same speech, "tomeor to you ?" And this is
the language of a man who has, within the last three
weeks, been frying the Brunswickers ! With the
Royal Family he has %vowed his unqualified con-
tentedness, although the porcupine's quills are ever
and anon erected at the name of that family. The
truth is, Cobbett is now as despicable in England, as
any creature of contradictions and brutalities can be.
At Maidstone he pleased no party, and his only site-
eats %vas that of confirming the contempt of all.
We had not space yesterday to advert to the offer
from an English " Admirer and Supporter 'of the
principles of the Revolution," to make Messrs.
O'Connell and Sheil freeholders of Middlesex and
surrey, with a view to their gratification in case any
in that quarter may render
effort of the intolerant.%
the assistance of these gentlemen adviseable. This
generous tribute will, we have no doubt, be grate-
fully accepted by Messrs. O'Connell and Sheil, and
by the country.
A paragraph, stating that the new novel (The
Anglo-Irish), is from the pen of either Mr. Wyse;
Mr. Sheil, or Mr. Curran, is now taking the round
of the Papers. We can state positively, that it is
/wit the production of either of those gentlemen.

We :ire sorry to state that sickness continues
to prevail to A great extent at New Lanark.— Glasgow