Star.
London, England, 1830-07-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

Csanstez E.—An evening contemporary is pleased to be very
facetious on the subject of the French merits, as avilizers. We as-
sure hint, however, that " no nation could send out better dancing-
masters, hair-dressers, and petits maUres," but meant, in so-
ber seriousness, what we said. We should imagine, that for
petits maitre* or dandies, England could match all the rest of
the world. What the French may have been in former times we
know not, but in our days their young !men seem in every way
more serious and reflecting than our youth. But to come to the
point—the French have never occupied a country without im.
proving it. We owe, says Mr. Mill, in his " History of British
India, the system by which we keep India in subjection to the
French. Speaking of the advance of the French against Fort St.
David, in 1741, he observes, " At this time the English had not
3et learned to train Sepoys in the European discipline, though the
French had already set them the example, and had four or five dis-
ciplined companies at Pondicherry. The two important discoveries
for conquering India were, first, the weakness of the native armies
against European discipline • secondly, the facility of imparting
that discipline to natives in the European service. Both discoveries
were made by the French."—The English have, no doubt, their
good qualities as well as the French ; but they possess one quality
which very much impedes their power of improving other nations—a
silly reserve which is often taken for pride, and which prevents them
from mixing with strangers in such a way as to know how to manage
them. The French are better tempered—more overflowing and com-
municative—and in any undertaking the very lowest of them
seems to feel as if the honour of it depended materially on his exer-
tions. This sense of honour would seem to have been in all times
diffused through the nation. We remember Dr. Hutton, in the
Introduction to his Logarithm Tables, speaks with some bitterness
of the difficulties opposed by mechanics in this country to the exer-
tions of men of science, and contrasts the zeal with which in France
the lowest mechanic enter into their views. This power of
being pleased with themselves, and being pleased with all
the world (to use the language of Goldsmith), gives them
great advantages in introducing into the countries occupied by
them the benefits of law and order. If they had occupied Italy
five year loLger, there would not have been a brigand in the whole
country. Hence though their discipline be often severe (and cer-
tainly the Italians had reason to term it severe,) they nevertheless
contrive to make themselves more popular than we can ever be.
The slaves in French Colonies have always been more intelligent and
cultivated than those of our Colonies from the more social
and communicative chat atter of the masters. So long as the
French held Canada they contrived to have all the Indians
in their interest ; and we do not believe that the attach-
ment of the Indians cost them more than a little civility
which is often telt as a heavy expence by thepeople of this country.
—We have, no doubt, good qualities peculiar to ourselves ;
but they are better known to ourselves than to strangers, who are
not always disposed to give us credit for what we claim. The French
would, unquestionably, confer a great benefit on the world by hold.
ing Algiers, and it does not become us, who, for the last thirty
years, have been adding conquest to conquest on no other ground than
the impossibility of retaining barbarians in subjection by any other
means than taking their heads from them, to quarrel with the occupa-
tion of Algiers by the French. All Europe would look with evil eyes
on us were we to interfere with them and prevent the world from
enjoying the benefit of an uninterrupted navigation of the Medi-
terranean. Our fear is, that the French Ministry will leave the
work unfinished. If this should be owing to the interference of the
English Ministers, they would have the curses of every parent de-
prived of achild, of every wife deprived of a husband, held in
bondage by pirates. But we think better of Ministers than to be.
lieve them capable of interfering to prevent so good a work as the
occupation of Algiers by the French, especially if the latter do not
ask them to share the expence of the burden it will entail on them.

HeaaLD.--The restoration of Sir Hobert Wilson to his rank in
the army, of which he had been most oppressively deprived without
the intervention of a Court Martial, is an act highly creditable to
his Majesty, and will, we believe, give equal satisfaction to the army
and the people. Of the political career of the Gallant General we
profess no peculiar admiration ; but to the praise of a brave and
zealous officer his services, honourably acknowledged as they were
by foreign Powers, eminently entitled him. But, we ask, what
merit, what distinguished achievements—what length of ser-
vice—can protect an officer against causeless and capricious
expulsion from his profession as long as the power of die.
missal without trial is recognised as a legitimate part of the
government of the army ? This is a principle so opposed to
reason and justice, and calculated to be so detrimental to the service,
that we require to have better proofs than we have ever yet seen ad-
vanced to induce us to believe in its legality. What can be more
tyrannical than such a power ? What can be more degrading to
the feelings of gallant men than the consciousness of slavish depend-
ence to which it reduces them ? When objection to this odious
principle, which condemns without a hearing, is attempted to be
got over by stating that as part of the Royal pmogatire, we ask
who really exercises the power which is nomi holy ascribed to the
King ? It is the successful politician who happens to be at the
head of the Administration of the day. He, by his advice,
either to gratify his personal malice or political hatred, snakes
the Sovereign the instrument of inflicting on any officer he selects as
his victim the grievous injustice of military proscription ! Thus
Sir Robert Wilson, at a time of great political excitement, incurred
the displeasure of the Minister of the day; his name was erased
from the Army List without any cause being shown—without any
opportunity or being heard in his defence. In vain did he call for
a Court.Marnal ; in vain did he court investigation ; in vain did he
challenge the inquiry of Parliament. The Minister did not even
concede to him the formality of defence which the " Holy Inquiet-
thou " grants to those who are denounced by its "Familiars." What.
ever was the secret or avowed charge against him, no cause was proved;
the tribunal that passed sentence scorned toobserve anyregard for even
the decorous fortnalities of persecution. His name was obliterated
from the list of British Generals with less ceremony than a footman
of the Royal Household could be dismissed. The public cried
" Shame I" and the Minister reiterated " Prerogative." Thus the
vindictive politician crushed an adversary, and his Royal Master had
to sustain the odium of the unconstitutional transaction. We hope
that his Majesty, who has repaired this wrong, will not limit his
gracious interposition to the case of Sir Robert Wilson alone, but
restore to his lost rank every Officer, whether of the Army or
Navy, whose name has been erased without a regular trial.
—The case of Colonel Bradley, for instance, ie one fresh
in the recollection of the public, and no less deserving of
the Royal consideration. There no cause was shown--no Court.
Martial could be obtained; and a most meritorious Officer, after,
we believe, more than 20 years of most arduous service, was de-
prived of the profession in which he had deservedly risen to honour.
able rank. Whenever an Officer is dismissed from the Army with.
out a Court-Martial,'we may be sure that malevolence itself can
establish no case againt him by proof, or he would be put upon his
trial, for even Ministers of State do not like to appear tyrannical
when they can destroy an individual who has incurred their die.
pleasure without violating the forms of justice.

Times—His Majesty yesterdosed the session of Parliament
in person, with a speech, which will be found in the report of the
Parliamentary proceedings. It is expected that an E.rtessordinory
Guaette, published this evening, will contain the order for the dis.
solution of Parliament. His Majesty's speech will be read with
pleasure by every man who has one spark of loyalty or patriotism.
There is throughout not merely a manly simplicity, but a cordial
warmth, so characteristic of the Royal Speaker, that we persuade
ourselves that, contrary to usage, his Majesty not merely
spoke, but wrote the speech, subject of course to the opinion
of his responsible advisers. We acknowledge with sin.
etre and undoubting respect the Royal declaration, that His Majesty
" amends the throne with a deep sears of the sacred duties which
devolve upon him." We hail with the liveliest pleasure and the
most perfect confidence the Royal promise, that we may rely
upon His Majesty's 6, prudent and economical administration of
•the supplies placed at his disposal, and upon his readiness to con-
cur in every diminution of the public charges which can be effected
consistently with the dignity of the Crown, the maintenance of mt.
tional faith, andthepermanent interest, of thecountry." But them-
eluding passage of the speech is the one to which we invite particular
attention: it was delivered with an earnestness and solemnity
worthy of the just and Important sentiments which it expresses .1.--
" You have removed the civil disqualification,. which affected nume-
rous and important classes of my subjects. While I declare on
this solemn occasion my fixed intention to maintain, to the utmost
of my power, the Protestant reformed religion established by law,
let me at the same time stress my earnest hope that the anima.
cities which have prevailed on account of religious distinctions
may be forgotten, and that, the decision of parliament
with respect to lose distinctions having been irrevocably
pronounced, my faithful subjects will unite with me in
advancing the great object contemplated by the legislature,
and in promoting that spirit of domestic concord and peace
which constitutes the surest basis of our national strength and hap-
piness." Let these words be impressed on the mind of every man,
public or private, throughout the kingdom. Let them be observed
with the same care which the pious Hebrew devoted to the preser-
vation of his sacred phylactery. They contain, in a brief space, the
great and paramount duty which is devolved upon us all, sec loyal sub-
jects, as patriots, as Christians. His Majesty, in his progress to the
House of Lords, and on his return, was greeted with snore ardent
and unanimous marks of attachment than we have ever before
witnessed: the assemblage of people was also more numerous and
respectable than is ordinarily brought together in the public streets.
Such is the becoming such the natural effect of straightforward,
unaffected manners—of generous and manly conduct, on a high.
minded and discriminating people. The English are a reflecting
and just, but they are also a wann.hearted and confiding nation,
and their sincere and enthusiastic homage may always be acquired
sad secured by a patriot King.