The Sun.
London, England, 1820-11-23 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

The Leeds Intelligencer, to which we are in.
dcbted fur the account of the Illumination in that Town

inserted in our Paper of Monday, contains the following perti
[tent comme►►ts on the motives and pretensions of the presen
OPPOSITION

•
" And why are the present Ministers to be displaced ? Be-
cause they had the courage, in the face of popular clamour of
every kind, and in defiance of the most intemperate abuse—
the most atrocious calumny—to commence, and continue to
its close, an iuquiry into the conduct of the Queen—conduct
which rumour had so loudly bruited -from one end of Europe
to the other, as disgraceful and degrading—nay, even crimi.-
nal ! The result of this inquiry has been, that even the Whigs
are constrained to admit, that " many gross improprieties
" have been incontestibly proved;" an admission that at once
exculpates Ministers, anti seals their own condemnation in the
mind of every moral, religious, and loyal man. We certainly
should have been }setter pleased, had Ministers shewn -more
firmness, and sent the
.801 to the House of. Commons ; but
they had a choice of difficulties ; and if they thought the pub-
lic tranquillity would be sooner restored, by letting the Bill
drop, whilst the purposes of justice were answered by't he so-
lemn declarations of a large majority of the Peers, that they
believed the Queen's guilt, it is only " candid" to give them
credit for puniness of motive, however we may'dissent from
the pr,priety of their conduct in this respect. But what have
the Whigs dune to render their return to office either desira-
ble or advantageous to the Nation ? Are we to look for their
claiMs in the events which transpired attiring the administra•
tion of " all the talents;" is the want of principle, the in-
consistency, the incapacity, the mean vacillating policy they
then displayed, the ground upon which they again demand
admission to the councils of the King-? Or are we to consult
the annals of the war, in which their anti-British sentiments,
their desponding fears, their gloomy forebodings, and dismal
anticipations are recorded ; and in 'which, too, the most cons-
plete and overwhelming exposure of their pretensions to the
characters of Statesmen and Politicians, is contained ? If the
Whigs do not wish us to refer to this period of their political
career, would they have us advert to their treatment of the
King, when on assumi 114 the reins of regency, he disappointed
their ambitious hopes, t.sy refusing to surrender to them the
uncontrolled direct ion of public affairs ? Can any thing justify
theobloquy with which his public conduct and private character
have been since assailed both in the speeches of their leading
orators,and in thepuhlications which have issued from the press
under their influence? Do they think that t his disgraceful proce.-
dure has given theni a claim to the favour of the Sovereign, or
the affection of his people? Or we are to consult the occorrences
of recent years, and look for their pretensions in their coquet-
ting with the radicals, and then denouncing their schemes, at
the same time that they strenuously opposed every measure
proposed by Ministers fur the purpose of protecting the peace
of the country, and frustrating the machinations of traitors
Or shall we find them in that most disgraceful proceeding,
when they outraged morality, and the Laws, by rewarding a
blasphemer, and libeller ; and thus opening the way for that
inundation of infidelity and sedition which has beets poured
upon us front the seditious Press ?
" It the public are satisfied with the above public services
of the Whigs, why then the best thing they can do is, to com-
pel the King to take, as his Ministers, men who have
violated the dearest ties of friendship and of honour in their
treatment of the Sovereign, and who have displayed on all
occasions, an inveterate antipathy to that policy which has
been the preservation of the Empire from the horrors of
anarchy and licentiousness. If, on the contrary, the English
People are determined to uphold the honour of their coun-
try, and to maintain that high and distinguished station to
which the policy of the Immortal Pitt, as pursued by the pre-
sent Ministers, have advanced us—then they will oppose their
steady voice to :be tumultuous clamour of a misguided po-
pulace, and prove their attachment to their King, by defeat-
ing the machinations of his enemies.
" For this is the moment when Loyalists boldly
Should stand by their King, their Religion and Laws;
Sedition should never he combated coldly,-
'Tis languor alone can endanger our cause.
Whilst the factious are blindly, or basely employid,'
'Gainst the Laws which their fathers in honour enjoy'd ;
Let the Loyal exert. every voice, every nerve,
For the land they adore, and the Monarch they serve."