The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS
FROII THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.--" Pity the sorrows of a poor old man !"
is the burden of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle's letter
to the Standard. We have transferred the document
to our own columns, as a curiosity of its class ; and are
impelled, by sympathy for the almost isolated state of
the noble writer, to offer a few remarks upon his
affecting appeal to the public in his own behalf.
With respect to the proximate matter of provoca-
tion which prompted the Noble Duke to draw the
pen in selfetlefence, we think he has amply vindicated
himself from the imputations which were cast upon him
—if, indeed, anything more could be desired beyond the
triumphant answer which his son, the Earl of Lin-
coln, from his place in Parliament and as Chief
Commissioner of the Board of Works, made to the
attack—responded to, as that justification of his own
and his father's conduct was, by the cordial concurrence
of the House of Commons. This testimony is a volun-
tary offering at the shrine of truth—equally due to a
political opponent as to a political friend. We were not of
the number of the Duke of Newcastle's accusers, and
might therefore be-silent. Candour, if not a feeling of a
higher and strdnger character, impels us to aid the
Noble Duke in vindicating his injured fame and feelings,
a hen he appeals to his countrymen of all parties
agoinst an unfounded and unworthy accusation.
0-Cher topics are introduced into this epistle which, if
not possessing equal claims on public sympathy, are not
eviiolly destitute of interest. The Duke of Newcastle
is
.trow an old man; one of the very few now re-
maining of the Eldon school of politicians. To Lord
Eldon, ha some respects, he bore a similitude in the
general character of his mind, asd to whom he adhered
when tye majority of his associates forsook him and fled.
" When I began life," says the Duke of Newcastle,
had the fairest prospects before ine. In a political
point of view, I possessed great power." There is much
that'is melancholy in the retrospect. The Duke, accord-
ing to Ihe statement in his letter, has stood still, and
beheld most of his early associates in political life pass
into the grave ; while the few who remain hive suf-
fered themselves to be carried away by the current of
advancing opinion on questions which were, wi:h him,
sacred as articles of faith. He is left alone ; denuded of
his political power. and deprived cf his political asso-
ciates. Though:We cannot regret the changes which
have taken place in the political institutions and social
relations of the people to which he alludes, we can easily
understand the dreary feelings with which they are con-
templated in themselves, and in their consequences, by
one circumstanced with relation to them as the Duke
of Newcastle has been, and now ie. We admit the
Noble Mite's claim to " having acted from a pure and
conscientidus conviction, and with an utter disregard
of eelWrconeequences m-In all the measures of which
I highly disapproved, whether Roman Catholic Emanci
pation, Reform, Ecclesiastical Commissions, old Corpo-
ratiene, Irigh policy, Corn-laws, Free trade, with many
others, and mere recently the Income-tax and Tar,tf,
Canada Corn, and National Educetion, &c., in which I
may not •Itare had the good fortune to concur with
the Atiniater of the day—on all occasions I have
net-scrupled to disagree and oppose, whether as a
candid friend or a candid enemy ; nor can I do my
duty and abstain from dissent, when I see such Bills
as the Jews' Disabilities Bill introduced into a Chris-
&ea- Parliament and look forward to the promised
measures which are to give a heavy blow and great
discouragement to the Protestant Church ; whilst
Popery is to be elevated and encouraged, and enemies
to one. faith, Heretics, Sceptics, or Infidels, arc to
legislate for that Church which they abhor. Such
measures demand the stern opposition of every Chris-
tian and every. conscienti,us Protestant, who must
too plainly and fearfully perceive how small is the
consideration or care for the Establishment, but how
great for her deadlitst foes." With reference to the
policy, past and present, of those who now direct the des
tulles of this great country, the Duke mildly observes—
" I pm disclaimed by those who, I am compelled to
think, should be as I am." To the question, " Why,
then, does he not follow the ways of the world ?" the
Nbble Duke replies. " Such ways are not my ways. I
could derive no satisfaction from exchanging principles fur
expediency. So, like a wounded deer, lam discountee
nanced by the whole herd." We cease to war with the
fen. who'has retired from the battle-field. Although we
retain the same antagonistic position to the principles
which the Duke of Newcastle upheld when he occupied
no insignificant post in the war of parties, we respect the
Consistency whfeh has marked his political career, as
contrasted with that of the converts to expediency to
which he alludes, with a bitterness of feeling which their
desertion of him has provoked. his reproaches find an
apology in the neglect of which he has eloquently com-
plained in the letter before us.
STANDARD.—Isis among the earliest and most
important precautions adopted by the skilful defender
of a military position, to call in his troops from un-
tenable or useless posts, in which they would squander
their lives to no purpose, and to remove everything
that could cover the advance of an enemy. It is im-
possible, however, that these arrangements can always
be made without exciting dissatisfaction ; some men
will attach importance to positions held by others
to be untenable or useless, for all were never
tweed upon any plan ; some will even sus-
tain material injury from the nccesssity of
surrounding the position with an open field. Still, if
the common defence is to be made, such sacrifices of opi-
nion, and oren of interest, must be made. It is in civil
polein'uos as in 4' the trade of war,' untenable or useless
opinions, how fondly soever cherished, must be surren-
dered. Meaner interests must be sacrificed in order to
protect vital principles and paramount institutions. This
will always produce a great deal of murmuring on the part
of those whose particular opinions or interests may be in-
fringed upon ; but the honest and firm statesman will
disregard this murmuring, and even the obloquy into
which, after a little time, the scattered reprieaches of the
multitude may consolidate themselves. lie is contented
to know that he has defended all that ought to be de-
fended, and all that can be defended. Our reflections
har'''C been turned into this channel by the Billowing
conclusion of a well-written but reproachful article of
this day's Morning Chronicle :—" Mr. D'lsraeli, how-
crep. is of opinion that Sir It bert Peel is needlessly
letting the agriculturists down, that he is actu-
ally and essentially sacrificing them, and that from
pure love of him they accept him as the most agreeable
executioner. Like condemned and despairing wretches,
they consent to inevitable death, and aro consoled by
haVin,g it.of their own direction and choosing,
" Like maudlin Clarence in his Malmsey butt."
And. each, rio doubt, is the opinion of a great portion of
thijeSagriculturists themselves. But men of common
sense amongst them must see that Sir R. Peel has ma-
naged their estate better than any other steward they
could have appointed. See at how small a real sacrifice
of agricultural interests be has contrived to purchase, not
only the acquiescence, but the support and applause of
our amiable Opposition. Nor does he seem at all likely to
sacrifice one iota more than the exigencies of the time
may imperatively require. We deny altogether the jus-
tice of considering the Protectionists as victims either
innocent or asleep, or about to be slaughtered. Let
net the Liberals go to sleep themselves with such an
idea. Their antagonists, they may depend. upon it,
are wide awake, well aware of what they do
and what they suffer, end how much they
will., Stiffer. Peel is' their instrument, nut they his
dupes. They may sneer at him and damage him, in
order to humble and master him—besides the advantage
of giving themselves the air of injured men—but depend
upon it, on the whole they are satisfied, if not with
Peel, at least with Peel's work, and they regard him
as a very useful anti-Liberal factor. Farmers murmur,
and landlords affect to murmur, but the West
Indians are contended—at least fir the present."
What a person like Mr. D'lsraeli may think or
say is of very little moment ; but there is a class whom
the Aforning Chronicle insults, by assuming the author of
"Coningsby " to be its type, who foolishly adopt the
opinions ascribed by our Contemporary to the
individual in question. The reply of the Morn-
ing Chronicle to this class is perfectly just—
who could have more effectually defended all
the great interests of the country than they
have been defended by Sir Robert Peel's Govern-
ment ? The Right Hon. Baronet, it is true, has cut off
some impossible duties from the sliding scale, that only
rendered odious thet protecting law ; true, he has re-
peated nee inVidious and perfectly unnecessary pro-
hil4iten iipon the importation of foreign cattle. Many
more Things of the same kind has he done ;
but mark on the other side what he has prevented—
the park on the other side what lie has prevented—.
the budget of 18.11—prevented it not merteli for the
Om; but permanently. By the corn-law and tariff of
1841,, and by the sugar Bill of the present rear,
the principle of protection is incorporated es-
sentially .in the commercial constitution of the
country ; for whatever is bound up with the
nuttmr?ty of great interests nemy be said to be
so essentially incorporated ; while the restoration of the
public finances to it state of prosperity without example,
must take away in6tive and excuse for a recurrence to
such desperietsecesperimeots as those attempted by the
Whigs in-1' t tunes or other the Whigs will
conneetgain into office. We hope and believe the date
of time visitation to be very distant, but the revolution of
years most, be expected to bring round Whig Ministries,
as well as pestileiton and scarcity, and other calamities,
such as accompanied the last Whig decade of adminis-
tration. Wfica, however, the Whig Administration shall
come, the ineaeures of the present Administration
will have neutralised its power of' evil, extensive
es pat power must be confessed to be. The
principles of protection, once as it were wedded to the
strict rule of ream), can never be divorced from that
rule.l So much protection as is justly due will be always
freely conceded, because no iu wre will be asked. " A
useful factOr" indeed has Sir Robert Peel been to the
great interests of the country, and to time country itself,
usetlil to the future as well as to the present.