The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-13 00:00:00

IRELAND.-MR. O'CONNELL.

The manner in which the election for the
county of Clare has terminated will, if not
counteracted by the threatened contest against
the Beresfords in the county of Waterford, be
productive of a great benefit to the community,
by diffusing tranquillity in the south of' Ire-
land. The great bulk of the Irish peasantry
have at length secured a representative who has
promised to devote his energies in Parliament
to the promotion of their welfare, and Mr.
O'Connell has experience enough to know what
are the means by which their amelioration can
be accomplished. The difficulty, however, in
which he appears to have involved himself, is
like that of the lady in the play—" he doth pro-
test too much ;" he sails without a sounding-
line, and his bark, when so heavily laden, risks
being stranded in shoal water.
The popularity of Mr. O'Connell among
" the mere Irish," to use the bad old phrase of
description which he and the other speakers so
often repeat, is most extraordinary, and at the
same time humiliating. It is a strong proof of
the wrongful treatment of the wretched peasantry
of Ireland, when they prostrate themselves be-
fore a gentleman who has hitherto only had the
means of promising them justice and encourage-
ment, " promise-crammed" as they have been
already by hundreds of pseudo-patriots. Every
thing in Ireland seems changed for the better
but those houseless and ill clad serfs of the soil.
Their dress, mode of living, erratic habits at this
hour resemble Spenser's description near three
centuries ago, with the superadded misery of all
the refinements upon tithe-spoliation which mo-
dern avarice and chicanery have produced. It
is no wonder, then, that the credulity of these
poor people upon any glimpse of new hopes
should be boundless, and that they should have
descended in shoals from their mountains, as
Mr. O'Connell lately passed from Limerick to
Ennis, and the women and children flung them-
selves upon their knees in groups, imploring
blessings upon their deliverer.
The responsibility which Mr. O'Connell has
thus incurred is great : to be useful, he must,
however, purge himself of strong prejudices ;
and of these he will not be told by the crowd
around him. " Rising in fortune," says Lord
Bacon, " seldom amendeth the mind ; but on
the other side,' the removing of the stands and
impediments of the mind cloth often clear the
passage and current to a man's fortune." These
stands and impediments in Mr. O'Connell's
mind are, his not giving himself time for sober
thought, and the impulse of his passions. Why,
upon the hills of Clare, when surrounded by an
enthusiastic peasantry, portions of whom were
constantly pouring into England to obtain the
means of employment, of which they are so be-
reft at home, impregnate their minds with the
poison of hatred against " the Saxons," when
he knew that amongst these " Saxons" there
were always illustrious men who denounced the
ill-treatment of his country ; and how politically
false it was to connect the people invariably with
the acts of their Government ? This was not
the feeling with which poor people ought to have
been imbued, who were about to remove for the
harvest season from their task-masters, to abide
and obtain bread from those who were repre-
sented to be their implacable enemies.
Mr. O'Connell likewise indulges in imputing
motives (always unworthy ones) to those who
happen to differ from him : thus, although he
shifted ground himself upon his own case, upon
the question of taking his seat last Session, he
denounces the Speaker, and all the lawyers who
differed from him, and covers them with scandalous
epithets and allusions, not used among gentlemen
in the current of political warfare. These are only
personal defects; but Mr. O'Connell has public
ones: he stands in a relation of great confidence to
the bulk of the people of Ireland—to that heaving
mass upon whose tranquillity depends the capa-
bility of good men being of use to their coun-
try. True it is, that of the higher classes none
(the exceptions are so trifling as to be unim-
portant) are with him in Ireland. That may be
no loss, for they have not been remarkable for
public spirit. Of the middling classes, his hold
is not strong ; and over the priests his influence
is precarious, for they were rather swept into the
common cause by agitation than the promoters
of it, and they assign many reasons for now
quitting the camp when peace has been ratified.
The rent was an impost upon their scanty
funds ; the incessant meetings in their chapels
tended to divide the influence of the Catholic
clergy over their flocks with eloquent laymen,
whose strong and exhilarating phrases were con-
stantly tingling in the ears of the peasantry. The
clergy of any church do not like, and the Catho-
lic priesthood can afford least of all, to part with
any share of local control. Mr. O'Connell's
public fault, then, is, that in his sway over the
the multitude he guides them not to reason.
Why talk to these poor people of the repeal
of the Union, when he must know that he has
just as much chance of accomplishing that ob-
ject (to say nothing of its uselessness, if now
practicable), as the Scotch Covenanters, de-
scribed in Carte's Remonstrance, had of in-
vading Ireland, and hanging every man at his
own door who refused, at the third warning, to
appear at the Kirk.
Why proceed, in fact, so as at every step to
keep alive the remembrance of these national
antipathies, which, in the present race of inha-
bitants of the two countries, is just as rational
as the perpetuity of the feuds of the rooks and
black hens, and the Nashes and the Moyers,
into which clans of the Irish peasantry pe-
riodically explode, amid the vehement denuncia-
tion and execration of Mr. O'Connell himself,
who feels as a lover of his country ought to feel,
when these barbarous and demoralizing exhibi-
tions arise in individual conflict before him.

The question to put to Mr. O'Connell first,
is, are the minds of the people of Ireland ever
to get repose from this spirit of agitation ? Are
there no points of local and moral improvement
in Ireland upon which good men of every reli-
gion can confer, now that the Legislature has
removed the bane of sectarian tests from the
people ? Of what use is his incessant abuse
of the Duke of Wellington and Mr. Peel, ex-
cept to play the game of the Orangemen in.
both countries, who have already thrown up
counter-works to impede the march of reason
and justice ? Are there not individual wrongs
which ought to be merged in national policy ?
Ireland is full of practical grievances; some
of them—the corporation monopolies, for in-
stance—very difficult of eradication, and the
amelioration of which depends upon very
cool and temperate observation and investi-
gation :—the local jobbing, law expences, tolls,
public institutions, furnish abundant food to
begin with, any of which would at once bring
home direct benefit to the people. Why, then,
does not Mr. O'Connell circumscribe the scope
of his promised Parliamentary labours, and come
at once to practical grievances, capable of imme-

diate redress, instead of wasting his energies, and
those of his co-operators in Ireland, upon vain
and airy speculations, which will only expose his
mental pretensions to ridicule, and comprom4e
the just hopes of the people for a benefit from
the triumphant return of a popular candidate ?
Private Correspondent of the Times.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

GOODWOOD MEETING.
CHICHESTER) WEDNESDAY MORNING.

The extraordinary improvement that has taken place
in this meeting within the last three or four years has so
often been the subject of astonishment and admiration
with those in the habit of attending the Turf Meetings,
that any thing further in praise of it would be almost
superfluous; however, we cannot refrain from stating,
that by the sole exertions of his Grace the Duke of Rich-
mond, the Goodwoc.d Club has been snatched from com-
parative obscurity and placed in the first class, rivalling
all other races in the excellence and importance of its
sport, and surpassing them all in its numerous local at-
tractions--moreover, it is by far the best conducted meet-
ing in the kingdom. The ground appropriated to the
races is selected from the most beautiful part of his Grace's
park, and is laid out with admirable judgment. Those
who have been accustomed only to the every day scenery
of race courses could not form any idea of its various
natural and artificial beauties. Its principal attraction is
the Cairney Seat, an observatory erected on the summit
of an immense hill, presenting one of the finest views im-
aginable; twelve miles of beautiful garden-like country
lie beneath your feet, and beyond it the sea, stretching
from Bognor and Little Hampton to the Brighton coast,
embracing a water view of at least thirty miles. From
this eminence you also catch a sight of the Ile of Wight,
Southampton, and Portsmouth harbour. The adjacent
scenery is exceedingly picturesque; and some of the spots
are worthy of observation, particularly St. Roche's Hill,
fir there was held the first meeting of Freemasons ever as-
sembled in this country—and there the late Duke, had he
lived, intended to have held a meeting of all the Lodges
under his mastership. The Race Course is one of the best
we have seen, having a straight run out, a good hill, a fine
turn, and a beautiful straight run in ; it is two miles and
three hundred and sixteen yards round. The Grand Stand
affords separate accommodation for the mere visitors and
the betting men, and is admirably adapted for both ; it
stands seven hundred and twelve feet above the sea at low
water mark, and in its construction combines neatness
and utility. This Meeting has another recommendation
which few others can boast of—there are no gaming
booths en the Course, his Grace having expressly excluded
them.

There will be nearly thirty races in the three days—the
richest of which are the Drawing-room Stakes and the
Gold Cup ; the former is worth 950/., mo,t of the prin-
cipal horses in the last Derby and Oaks—Frederick, Green
Mantle, Varna, &c.—being engaged in it. The Cup,
however, is the most important, and will be the greatest
betting race; the subscriptions for it amounted to 480/. ;
of this 300/. have been expended in the Cup, which, either
as a valuable prize or a fine specimen of chaste design and
beautiful workmanship, is alike pre-eminent. The entry
includes all the crack horses engaged in the famous Ascot
Cup—Zinganee, The Colonel, Manteluke, Fleur de Lis,
Rough Robin, Green Mantle, Varna, &c. The two first-
named do not run for it. The four following are, there-
fore, the favourites :—Marneltike has all along been the
favourite in the betting, and, if he could be relied on, might
be considered safe to win ; he has all the points and qualifi-
cations of a first-rate racer, with the single drawback of a
vicious temper ; in this respect he is like Glenartney and
Maresfield ; all of them good horses, of the same year and
stable, and all of then► so uncertain that itis not safe to be
either for or against them. The King's mare, Fleur de
Lis, has always run well, is trustworthy, and, if in good
order, will take plenty of beating; she is the best and only
lucky purchase his Majesty has made. Rough Robin has
but recently come into the possession of the Duke of Rich-
mond ; he has never done any thing of note, save winning
the Garden Stakes last year, with old Buckle, and a light
weight on his back, beating some tolerably good horses,
and he was beat by Mameluke this spring in a common
canter. Unless he has improved greatly, we do not see
that he is entitled to much consideration. Varna is also
expected to start ; she has upon all occasions proved her-
self a very dangerous mare to be against ; and if the dis-
tance, and the 311,. extra, did not tell against her, she
would have a good chance. The other entries for this and
the many races besides comprehend sorne of the best New-
market blood; and when we add that the Judge and the
Jockies come from the same celebrated place, it is but lea-
sonable to expect a brilliant meeting. During the meet-
ing his Grace the Duke of Richmond keeps open house,
nearly all the principal Noblemen known. on the turf hav-
ing arrived to partake of the well-known hospitalities
of Goodwood. His Majesty received an invitation from
the Noble Duke, and was only deterred from accepting it
by the fatigue likely to arise from so long a journey.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Goodwood Stakes of 25 sous. each, 15 ft. with 50 added,

Once round.
Duke of Richmond's The Alderman, aged 1
Major Bulkeley named Icaru3, 4 yrs 2
Mr. Mill's Brownlock, aged dr
Lord Sefton's Bobadilla, 4 yrs dr
Two pay 15 sovs. and seven pay five soya. each 3to
lon the Alderman—a very fine race.
The St. Leger Stakes of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft. for 3-y7-olds.

Once round.
Lord Egremont's c. Brother, to Lap-dog 1

Mr. S. Ronehewer's Chiron ' ,

Ten pay 15 sovs. each. 6t05 on Brother to Lap-dog
—an excellent race—neck and neck till close to the win-
ning-post, when Brother to Lap-dog let oat and won by a
length.
The Drawing Room Stakes of 25 soya. each, with a bonus
of independent subscription of 10 soya. each, for 3-yr-
olds. Once round.
Lord Exeter's Varna
Mr. Greville's Lady Emily
Lord J. Fitzroy named Augur 3
Mr. Gully's Baltic
Mr. Payne's Merman dr

Thirty pay 10 sous. each, and twenty-six pay 25 sous.
each. 6 and '7 to 4on Varna, who bad it all his own
way ; Lady Emily ran a good second.
Sweepstakes of 50 soya. each, 30 ft. for 2-yr-olds. Half

-
a mile.
Lord Egremont's b. f. by Whalebone
Duke of Richmond's Convert
General Grosvenor's ch. f. by Little John _ _

Three pay 30 sovs. each.. 6 to 1 on Lord Egremont's
filly_u good race.

Match for 100 sovs. each, 50 ft. Half a mile.
Mr. G. Bulkeley's Sister to Crusader walked over

The Gold Cup to-morrow (this day) is expected to be
a very severely contested race, as many of the crack horses
are named to start. The betting last night was as follows:
Even agst Mr. Gully's Mameluke ; 5 to 2 agst the Duke
of Richmond's Rough Robin; 4 to I agst his Majesty's
Fleur de Lis; 5 to "1 agst Lord Exeter's Varna.
Zinganee is drawn, and we believe Frederick also ; and
the race for the Cup is expected to excel that for the Ascot
Cup, which excited so much interest. Indeed, the meet-
ing has occasioned at least as much notice and sensation in
the sporting world as the Ascot Races.