The Sun.
London, England, 1820-08-15 00:00:00

LOll I) J. RUSSELL to MR:WILBERFORCE.

Aug. 12, 1820

SM.-There are some parts of the Letter I
did myself the honour to address to you that
have been misunderstood : others are not clearly
.;-tatcd, from the haste -A ith Whiell I wrote it.
In file first place, I could, not intend to write
.as the organ of the Whig party. From the indi-
viduals of- that party', opinions of every colour
on'this question have on ; and it involves
c,,se of justice to an in which cannot
Fe, rnade a party question.
5-aying, the Whigs have no power, I cer-
tainly did not intend ton deny they have great
moral inthience.—Mr. Fox', I. think, says some-
; here," that-a party has influence, but no power,
1h llouses of Parliament power, but, properly
si taking, no influence ; _and the Government
has both influence .and power." Now, it is
1 o.u-ible for any one. who has •attended to the
Folitical history of England, for the last five
.3t•tirs, not to see that both influence and power
have resided, not with Lord Liverpool or Lord
Castlereagh, but with a body of Gentlemen in
the Ilouse.of Commons, usually supporting, but
sometimes opposing
,the Minister. When, at
your suggestion,they obliged Lord Castlereagh to
postpone the appointment of the Secret Commit-
tee, they took this question into their own.hands.
With the power, let theni also take the responsi-
bility.
• • cc
, In the Petition to the King, it is saio— If
the law of Englaml has made no provision for
try hip, a Queen -on a charge of immoral conduct
al:road, the reason is probably to be found in the
conclusion we have just n4ade, that such conduct
does not seriously affect the State."
.The passao-e
ought to le, " is not likely seriously to affect the
State." In some cases it certainly may. Again
it is said, domestic duties and domestic affections
alone•are of power to keep a wife' holy and
safe from evil." '.lt ought to be " safe from
clang-yr." The textfrom which it is taken (Matt.
.v..-2`2,) will readily occur to you.
There are some misprints. " If they move in
part". ought to be "-in Parliament." " -In priros
homilies," read " in privos homilies."
In looking at Mr. Fox's work to find the pas-
sage I have mentioned, I stumbled upon this son-
tenco :--" It. can rarely indeed happen that the
mischief to be apprehended from suffering any
piroinal, however guilty, to escape, can be equal
to that resulting from the violation of those rules
tb which the innocent owe the security of all that
is dear to them."----P.

I have the honour to•he, with great respect,
Your faithful Servant, ;

JOHN ILLTSSELL„

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN RUSSELL.

MY LORD,

Lonthul, Atig. 7,'1P20'.

On my a rrival in town This morning, I find in the Papers of
the day your letter to Ms. Wilberforce, and your view of the
case of the Queen, as it may affect the country, in the forum of
'a. Petition tidlis Majesty. the King. You have thus made this
Petition a public document, and conning as it does from your
Lordship, a conspicuous Member oCtlit, revered 1-101,e of
ittissell, entitled to and enjoying; that respect, which attends
to the.latest posterity the descendants of the mighty dead, it
cannot fail to make a deep impression, and it rnav perbaps
be received by the country as the political creed of the Whig
'arty of England upon the present momentous question. As
'however, I cannot assent to the propriety of stopping all pro-
-ceedings .against the Queen, I feel called upon as a firm
Si big, to make known the reasons which Induce ine in the
joascnt instance to . diger wit liyonr Lordship. It may per-
s be .oSked,-why,a .prirate and anonymous individual
orld",thus intrnde hi; sentiments 1.11,011 public notice ?
I answer, that in the present times, it is the ilutyacvery man,
:,.ees a great nanie'and ststendid talents,exerted generally
in tire cause of the liberties and welfare of his country, fall.;
ing in one instance into error, tr, nse his best endeavours to
canose the filliaciei whic;l; coming freon such a quartt r,•may
inure ctfertua!ly Wind the eyes and mislead theitulguients of
others.--Withont, therefore, any further apology for intrud-'
irz upon the. Public and Vs Lordship, I proceed at once to
lii' consideration of your'l,etter and•Pelition.
as well as your Lordship, have generally diffored.froM
ilr.Willierfurce in his poli!ic:a views, at the same time that
--I have admired the sn,•erty with which he has constantly
acted ; his errors have been those of the head, nut 'of the
heart ; and thotighl can have no doubt whatever ~f his inclina-
tion at all times to devote his time and exert his talents, for'
Ishathe conceives to be the publiO rood, I very much ques-
tion whether any exertion's of Which he is capable, could at
the present moment ;confer a ll,:reat bc:nifit upon his country.
ISor do I despond, as your Lordship. 'seems to despond,
cif the power of the Whigs. Although they have' again' and
again been defeated 'by Ministerial tnajot ities, they hare long
yl,s,ssed, and they do still possess, a strong moral indnence
over public feeling, which has in 'many instaneei, and; I trust
wiH again, check the progress of corruption.,Med force the
Administration of the day into their own measnres.—l may
say, look to the Repeal of the Property Tax, locik to there -
Cisal•of a grant of !miney to the Duhe of Cumberland. , Best
•• =to prOceed ; whether it was right or wrong•to leave her Ma-
iesty's name out of the Lit&gY, I should hold we are not yet
swOified to decide; if the allegations against her be troc,, I
cannot condemn the measure; the -omission. consti-
',tars a very small part ,of the. numb!! less! injuries. inflicted
upon an innocent woman ; hat;to have included bee name in
theLiturgyoneday, and on the next to have instituted pro,
,Ceedings againSt her; in order to deprive her of her title.of•
Queen, and divorce her front her husband, would, in my
have been a state mockery of reigion.„.an outrage mute
.coMmon sense and common feeling. . You say to Mr. Wilber-.
force, the future historiinewill ask; whether it was right to.
risk the welfare of England, her boasted,Constitotiont her
ational power, on the event of the conduct •of the Princess.
of Wales,in tier villa upon the Lake of Cinno ? I'e r,
Cod forbid that the welfare of Englandt• heet Itiswhnititutiina,
and National power should depend upon theissue of such :an
iogoiry, or could be. put to hazard by the agitation of such a
question. I have too' firin a reliance irpo'ti the'plaiir Sense and
sterling virtue of the British people, 'to apprehend any real
• danger to the 'State, even from the' line of e,ondmet which has •
already been pursued; that as an individual, OfisapproVe of
that line of conduct, is most true. I do, from my,heart,
Ivor, detest, and abjure' Green Bags and Secret Committees;
intil am ready to allow, that the folly and pusillanimity of
Ministers have afforded stron-g,ground for the ditaffeeted to
gain•converts to disaffeCtiony • and even to .leacl many the
goad and viytuotts ,to prejudge the question, einftohiltl iu
otbfressei to tier Majesty, declaratory of the codvictibn of the
parties-of her perfect innocence, and-spotless purity, It be-
. • Comes, therefore, peculiarly the duty of the Whigs, at the
stone time that they expose the, weakness, I. had ahno3t
wiclic4ncsg, of the :Ministry upon the pri.sent occasion, to
set Cite British people right as to the'real.nat Ore. of the case.
`lite people may have been misled, but' thry cannot long be
doped, and .the same goOd and noble.spirit„which now leads
then] to takii parr with the Queen; whom they consider as
• deeply lojored,. will induct.. them to pause,When the case is
- fairly 14efore, them, and gezteVoutly to acknoWledg,e/ Milt they'
have acted prematurfiy. I consider 'the ease .terbe siro ply
'this :—Private differensei'S having unhappiry taken place be-
' tweet] the Princess of Wales: and leer hoshanod tbe'Year after
- theirnaarriage, a sepaiation; sanctioned by' his late Majesty,
tools place; sonic tew years 'aftet wards; accitsations of adul-
tery and of great inmirreetnoss• in the privale life of.t he Prin-
cess, were laid before his Majesty, and by his command five
noblemen were deputed to inquire]nto the truth of the alle-
gations. The report they Inirde in consequence, although it
completely and siatisfactorily exoneratcd..the Princess frotn
the accusation or having given birth to'a 'hiring
with
child, then ring
with bus' wade the 'mime of Austin, yet most
tinetly avowed' ei tttilave been guilty of great leyity and int-
proprieil Of C . wires .Captain Manhy, although' no cri-
minal act c EF,proved against-her. In epiasLquence of