The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-29 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We have often been amused to observe on
what a slender foundation of fact an imposing
structure of political conjecture or intelligence
may be reared ; and were never more diverted at
such a display of ingenuity than on a late occa-
sion, when a treaty between England and Austria,
for the defence of Constantinople, was manufac-
tured out of a ride of Prince Esterhazy in the
same carriage with the Duke of Wellington.
The Duke was said to have hurried from Walmer
Castle to town on political business, and, as he had
not time to finish his diplomatic conference at the
Foreign-office with the Prince, took him a part
of the road to Walmer, to come to a final ar-
rangement. Now the truth is, that the Duke's
visit to London on the day in question had no
relation to the affairs of the East. The simple
fact is, that his Grace came to London for the
sake of keeping an appointment which he had
made, to be present at a meeting of the Com-
mittee for the management of the Duke of
York's monument. That business being de-
spatched, he immediately left town ; and as lie
was pressed for time, which he well might, con-
sidering the distance, he preferred talking with
Prince Esterhazy in his carriage to wasting his
precious minutes in Downing-street. Such, we
believe, is the true solution of this enigma, the
key to which was conceived to be the formation
of a triple alliance against Russia !—Times.

The Globe Evening Paper, a few days ago,
quoted the following article from the ("wither
Francais, adding, in contradiction of its insinua-
tion, the note which now accompanies it. It
had escaped us that the slander of the French
journalist had been copied into any other Paper
than the Globe: and we thought that the note
was a sufficient antidote to such a feeble dose of
malignity. Since, however, certain persons who
conduct a degraded portion of the English press
endeavour to give a more extensive currency .to
a charge which they know well to be false, it may
be proper to meet the slander by an indignant
denial through our own columns, calling upon
the writer of the Paris article to produce his au-
thority and to support his charge, or to consider
himself as convicted of calumny. It may appear
almost needless after this declaration to add, that
when the gentleman to whom allusion is made
(and to whom alone allusion could be made) was
in Paris about six weeks ago, the Chambers were
still sitting ; Prince Polignac wasstill in London;
and no more idea was entertained of an approach-
ing change of Ministry than of an approaching
change of dynasty. Having thus replied to one
set of French opponents, we may take the op-
portunity of saying a few words in answer to
another. The Journal des Debats and the Coil-
,
stitutionnel,—the two journals of the most
influence in France, and of the greatest circu-
lation over Europe,—without disgracing them-
selves by false charges of corruption against
us, (which they know well would redound
more to their own dishonour than to ours),
criticise our recent articles as if we had
declared ourselves the advocates of the exist-
ing French Ministry, and the adversaries of the
last. The Debats of Tuesday last even goes so
far as to take two or three articles which we in-
nocently enough wrote on the probable policy of
the new Ministry, as the Manifesto of the Po-
lignac Cabinet ; and, as respects the Prince, calls
our paper his " Moniteur on the other side of
the water." Now the fact is, that we have never
shown ourselves the partisans or opponents, of
either French Ministry, and have repeatedly de-
clared that as Englishmen we have nothing to do
with any change in the councils of France ex-
cept in so far as we conceive the interests of
England connected with their spirit and com-
position. The last Ministry, appearing to us to
answer all the conditions which as foreigners we
could desire in the French Cabinet—namely, a
disposition to cultivate peace abroad and to pro-
mote improvement at-home—had our support ;
and all that we have done for the present is, to
beg that they may be tried by their acts, and
not condemnedeloefdoi
.rrint
cal:yoe;b,eiecxntpail
loemansisensici:
is
rl:tretait
sooatr they may
be allowed time for committing the error or
re
tr7lEt IE-11
tociiiru)sieirlinisrereledssaroebdoseelfrnoswith French affa;f,s, what we ima-
gined would be the probable
Ite ilnltoerniadlepotlayt
of the new Cabinet, we
our neighbours were about to ma:Le. their
rulers answerable for our speculations, as if
they contained an official programme of their
future administration. Tho word probable,
which we repeatedly employed as to the future
projects of Princo Polignac, and which the
Journal des Debats ironically repeats, was not
with us a vain expletive. It exprossed the un-
certainty which we naturally feli in the correct-
ness of our estimate of ct course of conduct for
which we had no positiie declaration, and which
was merely a matter of inference drawn from the
understood principles of the Royalist party,
taken in connexion with notorious facts, iA the
existing state of the French monarchy. It did
not require the inspirati:Jn of a Cabinet, or the
gift of a conjuror, tq discover and announce,
sfa,el
let
ahttahttehwme
we
that if the late :.'ylinistry were ejected because
they were ce.nceived to have made too many
changing,
ot composition
ffl ert
regulating
baeigyeLrsuaoilvla,(l,.:, which
Chamber, woiemaies
concesswAs to popular claims, their successors
would attempt to strengthen the Monarchy by
rihutic,,l of
landed inheritance. If
itilolepoyllpt.:;:onjuisslosd
selves either not called vApon to attempt, or com-
apsekllefdrotmo retl4ins
will cf.Aufess the vanity Of their • - present alar..ms,
and acquit of us being accomplices in any Design
tioned, the
upon their national liberties. The following fcyoillingpand modi
the artic,lo above alluded to
We made known, a few days
Ago,the existence
of a treaty, signed by the Fiance de Polignac, the
Prince de Metternich, an:
the Duke of Wellington,
having the twofold o.loect-1. Of •t" England
assisting
against the RussjAu; to second the views of Eng-
land ; 2. Te,l;cep, the French in check by the pre-.
sence ?; Austrian troops, to inspire the Cabinet of
Velma with confidence. Such an arrangement, al-
though suffieleutly explained by the intentions and
antecedent conduct of the new Ministers, appeared
to us so contrary to time national honour, that we
expressed our doubts of it, and invited Ministers to
contradict it, if it were .not well founded. Ministers
thought proper to ireply only very incompletely to
our invitation., Dmulng this time the Ovurrier Fran-
cais urriAA at London, and our circumspect revel,_
do-A, combined with urs, in circulation upon
'certain naval armamn4 prepAred in secret, made a
deep impressim upon, time public mind, created a
panic in ftitf city, and Caused a considerable fall in
the price, stoelts. Upon this the wm h
of
the
is the oir!cial Journal of Ir. f all t t mree ngariee,
is called forth. It &dare - •
s oar intelligence false-and
absurd, and heaps up (111 our z natam epithets of_ e tempt. For a .I:oareal so, well informed, and in Way Of the diplomatic revelatikas.
' Ntot,ll(.l have been better to have:itatitti,
what respect we were mistkken, d •
en, .an -.to. ve pciot
out the improbabilities of our` ersiixt
cSSit7 to show how little iatiitsky4lo;,,,, as 414