The Sun.
London, England, 1819-08-25 00:00:00

I'HOVINt IAL JOURNALS.

For tl►e foilowiug judicious obserrations and
rill;ctions, trhich we heartily coincide, we are
iudehted to The Leeds Intelligencer, of the 23d

;liSinn? :

" The return of Peace, it was fondly hoped,
wouhl have restored, not only external, but in-
ternal tintogaillity, to the nations sylio had Po
l gin' sin Atte+, tinder the scourge of a protraeted
endsat gill 11 31y Wtir. it was e% petted that, tired
of emitcoding with foreign toes, men of the satne
/motors; would have lived together in amity and
cuticold, and that the only difference would have
beet) who should have barn most zealous in obe-
dience to the laws, in loyal:y to their King, and
i;t ptomoti:sg universal good will. We need not
sPv that these hopes, these expectations, Lase
been disappointed ; and the philanthropist has to
noturn over that wayward and restless spirit,
teitich scents resolutely bent on ditoothing our do-
rnes;ic peace ; on setting at defiance thu civil
power,-and on opposing,' by turbulence and sedi-
tion, the constituted authorities of the realm.
" Thi, sph:c has been fostered and eticourteed
in this kingdom, till it has acquired a streuith
notch too formidable for longer forbearatice, By
1-4t,tilnal steps the Ratrcal Reformers have pro-
cc, d.d to deliberate violations of the Constitu-
tion—to acts, little if at all short of high tteasoo;
Ito, rte would ask, what line of distinction call
be maw!' between :liar crime and the attempt to
ovetawe the Legislature of the country by the
fleetion of Legislatorial Attoroies ; or ft !tether ti e
demand Of " &pod li.epreseniation or Death"
be not nearly allied to it ? They have, in fact,
c •tiie to that/point, at which any further leoity
wool', madoess. 'Ole question now is, not
r proof- have a right to meet, and re-
snecttoliv state theii grievances, praying Parlia-
ment to rerlre,s tt:etn, for they hate expressly
(heisted that they win not petition ; but whether
few instividssals, as desii:site of talent as of cha-
racter, shah be stoy longer permitted to keep the
(ninon y il.. a couttotial state of alarm.; to insult
sold set it defiance the Magistrates; to asperse
the (ii‘scroinent ; to delude and deceive their ig-
rondo( and misguided followers by the boldness
of their calumnies, and the impatience with which
they assert and maintain the most palpable false:
brtods, and to establish a system of terror arid
pro-eription, by stigmatizing as enemii s of the
p,ople all who have the courage to oppose the
nefaiious rrnji-cts, the alsisrd and ruinous de-
signs, of these political empiries. For our parts,
we have no lie,itatiou in saying, it the existing
laws do lost Losable the May;istrates to put a stop
to sitett a state of things (welch we believe they
do), that the eircomstances of the times call for a
citgenie beyond the law, and that Parliament ought
imatettiaiely to he re-assembled, to invest Minis•
ters with a power adequate to the emergency.—
Suet; a measure, however, we deem needless.-
1 he law it, Euglan,l is sufficient for the protec-
tittn all who live tinder it, nod, we trust, those
whose ditty it is to tnitionister it, will not be re-
tni.4s eittortitta its salutary enactments.
" As might. be expected, the Opposition Popers
are loud to condemis.stion of the Manchester Ma-
gistrates. And, :vitt, their usual consistency, at the
same ti itertiat they declare such meetings " to
he :id: otdatn,er. and desti,ate of all goo:i," they
rc,t, ',ate .he only !items which can he taken to
suppr--4 NVe will not yield to any of these
adt.soilea ir'.lt•ots, in veneration for the laws, or
io arta, :Intent to the true principles of the Con-
s'nutnso ; 07e know (nose principles regaire that
military aid sI, only be resorted to in cases of
the utmost einera.ent v, and as a dernier resort ;-
1),,i .qe are, a the ,eme 'late, too feelingly ton-
that tie civil :o.oser is totally itia.lanpiate
to cetitend with the men who are now organized
ill dneet opoosiiitor to the Government or the
ournry. There %sets a tima, wheat the sight of
a Constable's Staff was at-stilt:leo( to awe the most
desperate ; nod the most vio,etit mob would have
scarcely ilrtreil to commit an outrege out a civil
officer ; but, thanks to 0111. Radical Reteit toe's,
that time is loi; since gone by. And it is owing
to our flonts, our Co4bets, our Wt!olers, dud
their abettors—who have infused such a spirit of
hatred for authori.y, and contempt for the laws,
into the minds of their followers—that military
aid is now essential to protect the police in the
performance of their duties.
If the propriety of dissolving the meeting on
Monday last be conceded, the necessiiy of em-
ploying the soldiery must be evident. And we
would ask those, who contend that it ought not
to have been interrupted, how notch further
these men are to be permitted to proceed tviilt
impunity ? We would wish them to point out sonic
precise paint, at which it should be said, " thus
far shall you advance, and no nother." We do
indeed '' lisa ill perilous times ;" and it is not the
least alas align; sign, that the Editors of Public
Papers should dare to " hold up the Magis-
trates to public condemnation ;" for having
done their duty ; or that any one should he
found to " speak in terms of approbation of
the temper displayed by Mr. Hunt and his fol-
lowers." This, however, the Editor of a Journal
in this town has done ; and he would moreover
set the authority of his reporter in opposition to
that of the Magistrates, and hundreds of eye and
cur witnesses ; and persuade us, that the Riot Act
was not read, when the fact is, it was read
twice ; and that, from the first reading, an hol,r
had elapsed, before they proceeded to act.
Another important fact also, which is completely
mistepresented, by this Editor and his veracious
Reporter, is, that the Reformers were the first
aggressors. 'Cite 'Yeomanry did not make any
use of their swords till their lives were endanger-
ed by shor.,ers of atones, with which these peace-
able men !fad lined their pockets ; and when the
former- were compelled to act in self-defence, it
was with all the prudence and moderation which
could he expected under the circumstances.
" 'flue IteSolutions of the inhabitants of Man-
coester, who are the best judges on this question,
are ti sufficient answer to the calumnies of such
tvritets, as the Editor of the Mercury ; awl we
shall not waste another woid, ill tetutation of
We sincerely wish, that as this was the first,
at, it way be the last time, that any collision be-

tween the People end the Civil Authorities yid!
take place. We hope the former will see the error
into which they have 'hetd led, and return to their
old habits of cheerful industry. In that case dip),
may rely upon every effort being made, by the
Government, and by their ()potent Countryrnim to
relieve anv distress under which they may suffer ;
hut such relief will never be attained by a factions
resistance to authority or by pursuing the chimera
of Radical Retortn. In the mean time, we would
rentiini those, whose duty it ia to preset re the
pithhc peace, that the best mean to he adopted for
that ptirrose, ia, to be always prepared to resist
any Infrection