The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-12 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP TUE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

It was with regret we learned a few days ago that the
Irish Government were about to institute a prosecution
against Mr. Shiel, for his violent and impolitic speech on
the subject of Irish invasion. In commenting upon that
speech our opinion was freely given, that its tendency with
regard to public opinion in this country was hostile to the
cause which it professed to advocate, and upon thatground
only we condemned it. The question is widely different
whether an injured man ought to be visited with legal pu-
nishment for hasty and impetuous language in the descrip-
tion of his wrongs, or in giving vent to the wishes he has
formed for extorting redress from the wrong-doers. Such
a prosecution partakes the folly of the offence itself. It ,
makes its own cause unpopular. The national feeling in
Ireland and here will re-act on behalf of Mr. Shiel,—an
effect which is not to be lamented on its own account, and
still less for its influence on the Catholic question ; but it
will also re-act against the Government, and against the
spirit in which public justice is administered across the
Channel, thereby depriving an Administration which
avows its solicitude to tranquillize the country by a mild
and temperate policy, of much of that influence over the
popular mind which otherwise it might have successfully
exerted.—Times.
In another column will he found an account of the pro-
ceedings at a Meeting of Catholics in Dublin on Wednes-
day last, in which various details are communicated re-
specting the prosecution of Mr. Sheil, and the Proprietor
of the Morning Register, far from creditable to Mr. Plun-
kett. Our opinion of Mrs Plunkett was not formed yes-
terday. He is one of those men whom, having seen and
heard, you cannot easily dismiss from your mind. We
have more than once expressed our admiration of his un-
rivalled talents as a debater, and at the same time endea-
voured to account for what we consider some leading de-
fects in his character. There are some men so tremblingly
alive to the opinions of others, that they may be said to
pass their lives in a constant state of feverish anxiety.
There are others, again, who sympathize so little with
their fellow-creatures, that they fall into an opposite ex-
treme—entertain a contempt for .:them. We should be
inclined to rank Mr. Plunkett in. the latter class, rather
than in the former. But strength of head alone is an in-
sufficient guide in our progress through this world; for
some anxiety for the opinion of our fellow-creatures is
necessary in order to our taking an interest in what may
be called the game of life ; and without we take such an
interest, we are unable to attend to a number of things,
which have often a wonderful influence on the results of
our undertakings. -What is called tact, is that power of
deciding instantaneously, and et the same time correctly,
which would seem to be dependent on an ever-vigilant
sensibility. Mr. Plunkett,with all his logic, has often shown
himself exceedingly deficient in tact, and it not unfre-
quently happens also, that the exaggeration in which
he indalges, revolts instead of persuading his audience.
We confess we are not surprised at the charges brought
against the Irish Attorney-General by Mr. O'Connell—
"My heart (says Mr. O'C.) never was so sunk at look-
ing forward at the fate of Ireland as at the present mo-
ment. One reason for my despondency is that I find I
have been myself deceived. I did confide in the honesty
and sincerity of Wm. Conyngham Plunkett. The debt-
sioo has vanished--I bid no Catholic to- confide in that
man."—Here we may remark, by tie bye, that the Ca-
- tholics, and Mr. O'Connell among the rest, are far too
ready both to confide in individuals and to withdraw their
confidence from them. Indeed the confidence which is
too readily bestowed will seldom he well bestowed, and
therefore, it is not to be wondered at that the abuse of
the Association and its leaders should so often follow close
at the heels of their praise. But indeperelently of the general
reasons for distrusting Mr. Conyngham Plunkett, reasons
particular to Mr. O'Connell, ought, at least, to have put
him on his guard. Though Lord Eldon is one of the
best-natured men alive, we yet question whether, after an
interval of thirty years, Mr. Hardy has so forgotten the
anxiety with which his Lordship laboured to hang him, as
to allow him to feel quite at his ease in the near neigh-
bozirhood of the quondam Attorney-General. However,
there ai".l2 persons of so inviting an appearance, and so
bland a man7ler, that like the venerable cat in the fable,
which the young mice were approaching to salute, one
may almost be excuses!l for being thrown off one's guard
by them. But with respert to another class, there was a
rule which the torturers went by, when they had to make
a choice between different individuals to practise on,whiCh
is not altogether to be neglected : " lineamentis aut figuris
ea observare atque notare intendunt, (lupe vel absolvi
vel condemaari reum ad qurestiones suadeant, sic per-
suasi corporis exteriorem figuram animi affectus, et inte-
riores turn ad vitia turn ad virtues inclinationes ita iridi-
care, ut ex oculis cajusque legi, ant vultu intelligi possint
ea gum intus lateant, quorsumque trahat horninem et im-
pellet occulta animi indoles" (Grevius de Torture). We
quote this description without any particular application.-
3lr. Plunkett has now lost the confidence of the Catholics
for doing, as it is called in vulgar language, Mr. Staunton
and Mr. Shell. A letter was written to Mr. Staunton on
the 2d February by Mr. Plunkett's underling, calling on
him to give up the author of a certain speech, and that
msless he did so he should be prosecuted. The meaning
inteesded to be conveyed by this unless evidently was, as
Mr. G'Connell fairly argues, " that if Mr. Staunton would
do so, he would not be prosecuted." Mr. Sheil at once,
with his cha:acteristic frankness, stood forward with the
avowal of his tieing the author, and furnished a copy of
" Wolfe Tone's Speech." Having thus caught Mr. Shell,
another call was made on Mr. Staunton to give up the au-
thor of a speech of Mr. Neil, purporting to have been de-
livered several days afterwarels, and published in The Re-
gister of the 31st of January. On the 2d of February,
that is, two days after the publication of the speech in
The Register of the 31st January, the call is made for the
author of a speech printed on the 22d of January, and not
a word is then said of the speech of the 31st of January,
which_waeslying before them. The object, of course,
was, by inducing a persuasion in Mr. Sheil and
Mr. Staunton that only one prosecution was in
contemplation, to work on Mr. Sheil's generous
anxiety to save Mr. Staunton ; and having thus en-
trapped Mr. Shell, to mock him by calling on Mr.
Staunton for evidence- as to the second. " Why;"
says Mr. Shell, " not ask for the publisher of. both
spas
-eches at the same time ? Why, after entangling the
speArr- by the admission of one speech, and obtaining
such a sesntage ground, call for an admission of the second ?
Mr. Sheil fssrther asks, "Is not this a stratagem, a paltry
expedient, a re2serable trick, an unworthy
~ artifice,flume, labri-
cated by a clumsy' mind upon a heard heart . '
tells a story of the fan:ous Colonel Kirke, whose lambs
committed such outrages in the West of England :—" A
young maid pleaded for the life of her brother, and flung
herself at Kirke's feet, armed with All the charms which
beauty and innocence, bathed in tears, could bestow upon
her. The tyrant was inflamed with desire, not softened
into love or clemency. lie promised to grant her request
provided that she in her turn would be equally compliant
tosbims The maid yielded to the conditions; but after
passed the night with him, the wanton savage
a.ww"lllf-r next morning, from the window, her brother,
the darling object for whom she had sacrificed her virtue,
.11anginir on iigibbet, which he had secretly ordered to be
erejted there far his execution. Rage and despair and
indigne.4.iersi took possession of her mind, and deprived her
for ever of, Sr senses." No doubt the delight of Colonel
Kirke was heietttne4 by the idea of the success which
would attend his trick- We shall see how this display of
ingenuity on the part of Mr. Plunkett will be admired.—
We are much mistaken if he have not here overshot the
mark. Even the bottle-treason people must, we should
think, be indignant. Bat ex to the feelings of the gentle-
men of the House of Commons, re think we can answer
for it that they will scout the thing. Mr. Plunkett had
better have contented himself with running down one
fairly than attempting to destroy two unfairly.—Mosnires
Chronk/es
The sentiments which fell from Lord Chief Justice
Pest, on Friday, relative to the gambling speculations in