The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-23 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MANCHESTER COURIER.

Worsley. Aug. 18, 1842.
Sir,—Your readers acd yourself will, I hope, acquit
me of unnecessary ostentation if, at this juncture, I re-
quest your insertion of the copy of an address which I
have just received from a large body of colliers in my em-
ploy, with some explanation of the circumstances which
have produced it :
(Copy.) " August 17, 1842.
" To our great and worthy master, the Right Hon. Lord
Francis Egerton, his virtuous and most gracious Lady,
Mr. Fereday Smith, and all in legal authority over us.
" From a consciousness of the good feeling which pre-
vailed amongst us when your Lordship addressed us in
such an affectionate and kindly manner, we feel, as your
Lordship stated, that we are utterly incapable of ex-
pressing our gratitude and love tioA ards you ; therefore,
as with the voice of one man, we declare our design that
we are willing-, as far as life and safety seems probable
to enable us, to defend your honour and all in connection.
" Your loyal and obedient Colliers."
I shall be utterly misunderstood if I am supposed to
desire the publication of this document with the object
of bringing under public notice any deserts of mine. The
practical good which, with the best intentions, can be
effected by one connected with a large mining popula-
tion, must be small. Any moral influence can exert
must be gradual, and any physical amelioration of their
condition which the most felicitous combination of wis-
dom and liberality i❑ his dealings can produce, must be
both gradual and partial. I claim nothing tor myself. I
do claim, however, for the colliers of the Worsley dis-
trict, that their conduct should be known and their feel-
ings appreciated. It cannot be too widely known how
liberally the working ilisses of this country are disposed to
reward, with their good will and affection, those to whom,
right or wrong, they attribute .si nilar feelings. towards
themselves.

This is excellent testimony to the character of
the working classes ; and will Lord F. EGERTON,
therefore, condescend to instruct all the mem-
bers of his own class, how it is, when the
" working classes are liberally disposed to
reward with their good will -and affection
those to whom, right or wrong, they attri-
bute similar feelings towards themselves," that
they are not universally respected and ho-
noured by the working classes? Lord F.
EGERTON, amiable as he is himself, must not
shelter his class under such accusations of
others as cowardly instigators, "combined in-,
cendiaries," for the .great mob is composed of
working classes, whose hearts' are filled with
any sentiments but those of love and respect for
the classes to which Lord F. EGERTON belongs.
What do all the Chartists want? To deprive the
aristocracy of their exclusive political power.
Would they seek that, if they loved, respected,
and honoured the aristocracy ? Certainly not.
The Turn-outs, therefore, whom Lord F. EGER-
TON nevertheless abuses, while he bears so flat-
tering a testimony to the virtues of the working
classes in general, are a decisive proof that
Lord F. EGERTON'S class have not so behaved as
to merit the good will and affection of the work-
ing classes.
If the working classes deserve, as we believe
they do, all that Lord F. EGERTON says of them,
why does not he and the rest of his class show
them sympathy, and place confidence in them?
Why will he not admit them to a full share of
political power? If our memory is not trea-
cherous, Lord F. EGERTON took a prominent part
in the session which has just expired, in opposing
the wishes of the working classes, whom he now
discoverS are liberally ready to reward those who
trust them. As an individual, Lord F. EGERTON
trusts them, and they love him; as a legislator,
he mistrusts them, and converts them into de-
magogues, incendiaries, rioters, and Chartists.
A great master of political wisdom, whose les-
sons arc thrown away on this generation, and
whose doctrine;, under the name of Political
Economy, which the author of the Wealth of •
Nations despised and overthrew, are continually
sneered at by ignorant witlings, taught the appa-
rently humble but important truth, " that what is
wisdom: in private life cannot be folly in States."
Will Lord FRA NCIs EGERTON reflect on that, and
instruct his compeers to reflect on it, while lie
tells them that if they trust and respect the
working classes, the working classes will trust
and respect them ? At the same time, we are
not of opinion that the working classes are
treated with respect when Lord F. EGERTON, or
his agents, watches over—their breeding as lie
watches over his cattle, and considers them only
as &inning part of the wealth of his estate.
But while, according to Lord F. EGERTON,
the working classes are so worthy of respect, in
what manner are they treated by the military ?
We say nothing of working. girls and working
men shot by mistake,. as if the hand of the sol-
dier . were not remarkably steady, and if he
could not see, from some blinding cause, the
ringleaders of a mob—but we copy from a Tory
Journal the following account of a chase, as if
the Working classes were to be hunted down for
the amusement of newly-appointed Generals and
their Staffs. The Manchester Correspondent of
the Standard writes as follows, and the article
was sent by express:—
MANCHESTER—SATURDAY.

To-day the soldiers have had a l!ttle exercise and ex-
cursion, but of the most harmless description ; and on
the whole, we think they would scarcely have had better
sport if they had been invited to a fox-hunt.
For several days a large tract of land, about three
miles from Manchester, between the Bolton and Bury
roads, gilled Korsall-moor, has been the general rendez-
vous of the dibaffectud.
About ten e'clock. this morning the colliers mustered
at the usual place, and some delegates from the distant
wurio harangued them on the subject of the great dis.