The Sun.
London, England, 1827-12-12 00:00:00

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XPIRIT op 'Hid PUBLIC JOURNALS.

It would appear, from the representetious of the
Pctersburgh Gazette (Noy... V), that the Persian
war must, by this time) have terminated successfully
for Russia. Ort the 13th of October, a Russian
corps, under Prince Eiistoff, entered Tauris, the
royal residence of Abbas Mirza, without opposition.
Alaiar Khan, Prime Minister of the Schale and
suppoeed to be the chief instigator of the war, was
deserted by his troops, and taken prisoner by the
Cossacks. The artillery, ammunition, and military
stws of the Persian Ptince, placed in magazine P+
Teftris, fell into the hands of the Russians. It Is
added, that the messenger who carted the intelli-
gence of these events to General Paskewitsch, was
instantly followed by another from Abbas Mirza,
begging that the General would repair to the
Prince's head-cesarters, and enter into an immediate
negociation. Thins ends, in all probability, this un-
equal contest. 'The resistance offered occasionally,
and once or twice effectually, by the Persians, was
not sustained by any apparent science or system on
the part of the Chiefs. Irregular bravery, and dis-
affection to their Government, were poor qualifica-1
times wherewith to combat the well-organised, pa-
tient, and devoted battalions of the Imperial
at my; and it must be added, that for aught we
tan discover from such facts as have yet come to
light, the justice of the Persian cause in the present
case has not merited any more triumphant issue.—
The obvious remark has not escaped our beether
Journalists—that Russia, released from this opera-
tion against the Schah, will be able to press with
undivided vigour upon Turhs.y. There is no ques-
tion, that -with or without a Persian war, the Em-
peror Nicholas has treble the military force under
his orders which would be sufficient to reach the
walls of Constantinople, in spite of all the efforts of
the Tutks, if resistance by force of arms were all that
he had to encounter. But how is such an invasion
to be realized, without immense supplies of every
article requisite for the consumption of an army, on a
soil where nothing in the shape of subsistence is pro-
duced ? And how are such provisions to be made,
withoutlarge pecuniary resources? So great a dis-
proportion is there between the aggressive powers of
Russia and those which she can exercise in self-
defence, that although it is evident from recent
experience, how little she has to fear from a foreign
attack, where the whole of continental Europe is
united against her, there is none among the superior
States of the Continent less formidable in the cha-
racter of an 0.-s9ailant. We doubt whether Russia
could sup_ Isort for two campaigns, beyond her own
frontka, an army of 80,000 men ; and Turkey is a
region where she could not move a step but by
virtue of stores and provisions brought from within
her, own territory. It is, indeed, rumoured that in
contemplation of the prospect of some military at-
tempt beyond the Pruth, the Cabinet of St. Peters-
burgh has already become sensible of the import-
ance of securing, if possible, a subsidy) emt from
Great Britain of course, in the lamentable state of
our public finances and pressure of the national debt;
but still a rumour is in circulation, that a subsidy
from some quarter would. be acceptable : and whe-
ther this rumour be true or false, it is no uncom-
fortable symptom, to some of the neighbours of
Russia, that such a notion is entertained by her, or
wants 6Q tmremoveable

Prom the printed circulars which have been sent
to as, we perceive that most of the parishes in the
neighbourhood of the Metropolis, in consequence of
the frequent depredations committed upon property,
are about to hold meetings for the purpose of con-
sidering plans for the formation of Associations
for the Prevention of Crime and Prosecution of Of-
fenders. The Meeting of the Inhabitants of South
Lambeth, Clapham, Stockwell, &c. held last week,
seems to have been the signal for the other Districts.
These efforts on the part of the people to discover,
if possible, some means of securing themselves
against depredation, have not been begun before they
were called for, as it is well known that the trade
of thieving and housebreaking has long been carried
on in the parishes in the neighbouthood of the Me-
tropolis without let or hindrance. In short, the
thieves have only had to determine the point to be
attacked; the result was almost a matter of cer-
tainty. It is well observed by a contemporary
(The Examiner)' "these people of South Lambeth,
Stockwell and Clapham, are, in the most thickly in-
habited part of the county of Surrey, and the second
quarter of the nineteenth century, taking the first
step in civilization in apparent unconsciousness
that they live under the most expensive Govern-
ment that ever extended its blessings to a
highly taxed and ill-served people. We make no
doubt that these poor unprotected people of South
Lambeth, Stockwell, and Clapham, are utterly igno-
rant that it is the object and end of Government to
do that for them which they are with such beauti-
ful simplicity planning.to accomplish for themselves.
If asked the purpose of a Government, they would
answer that a Government was intended to support
the King and all the rest of the Royal Family, to be
a reason for Government houses, Government offices,
palaces, barracks, navies tnd armies, places, pensions,
and sinecures ; but that it had nothing whatever to
do With the Security of citizens, and the coercion of
rogues. We send ships full of fighting men against
pirates in the West Indies, navies against disorderly
Turks in the Mediterranean, and we grudge a few
scores of patrols to keep in check a population of
greater robbers and ruffians than these in the very
heart of our metropolis. What a grand accession
to the strenigth of our Police would be the force of
a single regiment of infantry ! At its cost, what an
efficient body of patrols,-&c. might be maintained !
But. the protection of the people from violence at
home is a matter of no concern ; the pretext of pro-
tecting them from possible violence from abroad is
every thing. What a blessing it would be had
we Codringtous about the Strand and Cheapside, to
range alongside and fall aboard pickpockets, as our
Admiral proceeded with the' Turks. Our happi-
ness, of a truth, is not domestic. The Grand
Seignor is not suffered to commit a breach of the
peace in Greece, without being instantlyfioored by
our nautical police : were he to come over here,
however, professionally, he might, if he was so in-
clined, steal the Crown jevt els from King George's
Crown with tolerable safety, or pick the eyes out of
his head, and offer him a pair of spectacles as a com-
promise. Every thing is possible to a regular thief
in England." It is 'curious that while the people
in the neighbourhood of London are thus casting
about them in their despair, ready to grasp at any
project, as shipwrecked mariners eagerly lay hold of
every thing within their reach, an experienced Ma-
gistrate of the county of Warwick, who informs us
that during the last seven years only he has tried
above two thousand criminals for petty offences
alone, Sir Eardley Eardley Wilmot, Bart. F. R. S.
F.L.S. and F.S.A., has addressed a letter to the
Magistrates of England, in which he attributes the
prevalence of crime chiefly to the means recom-
mended for adoption in the metropolitan districts.
If any man with a contriving head were to occupy
himself with the devising of a system for the culti-
vation of crime, we defy him to strike out one better
adapted for that object than the law of England. By
a multiplicity of ingenious contrivances, the lower
orders are constantly exposed to the risk of contact
with hardened criminals, and their repugnance to
crime being in this manner either overcome or
greatly diminished, their hopes are fixed by the
chums' of impunity presented to daring and success-
ful criminals, especially where success has presented
them with the means of comvianding the aid of
Counsel. Sir B. E. Wilmot, after noticing a num-
ber of circumstances, owing to which the law in
this country it" holds out little or no terrors," ob-
serves, 46 Another great auxiliary to crime, inasmuch
as it has filled our gaols with petty offenders, vvhe.
leave their i
Dr
went of .-"n accomplished thieves, is the pay.;
expend to thou who
bring offenders to
justice,
Offenses of the most trifling nature, and;
; t
enmro.t..e me.r.° jlllll,dren. are now brought before
the public with u
°t the greatest turpi-.
,e'
The trouble, the expen • ,
• perhaps, feel-
np of CQW11"1"Itc nature, Cf‘"aged the I'9 liPg!