The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-08-31 00:00:00

of a large portion of the Irish community, And if I must
forfeit power by avowing such-sentiments, if I cannot retain
it but by fostering and encouraging such feelings, I say at
once the day on which I relinquish power (rather than keep
it on such conditions,) will be to my .feelings ten times
prouder than the day on which I accept it."
Now this is the language of the man of integrity
—the man of principle—the man who will not cling to
office for the sake of filthy lucre—the man who will
consult his own usually sound judgment in the regu-
lation of his public conduct, and will much rather re-
linquish power than retain it upon the 'condition of
doing a violence to its dictates. And we have here in
a good measure the secret of that ascendancy which
the right honourable gentleman possesses so largely
over the general mind ; he is an honest as well as able
man. But with the most profound respect both for
the max and the minister, we say that it will be still
the duty of the people and of parliament to sift his
measures, and where they appear to be not in accord-
ance with a sound Conservative policy, to remonstrate
against, and, if necessary, resist them. It is wrong to
place too much dependence on any man. The people
are not to throw down the arms of watchfulness and
the instruments of control, because they have restored
the Conservative party to office. It has ever been the
fault of Conservatives that they are too glad to avail
themselves of any excuse for supineness ; but they
must learn to correct it.

It is obvious that Sir Robert Peel in saying that
while he adheres to the sliding scale, he holds himself
unfettered as to the changes he may make in its regu-
lations, would reserve to himself a great latitude, and
might virtually make by this means as great a change
in the trade in corn as if he adopted the Bs. duty of
the Whigs itself. The landlords, therefore, should not
cease to look after their own interests, nor the Con-
servatives, generally, to be on their guard against con-
cessions to the interested clamours of millocracy be-
yond what may seem to them safe or desirable. Oar
reliance upon the sound judgment, knowledge, ex-
perience, and purity of intention of Sir Robert Peel is
very great ; but with regard to Ireland also, we would
not have the Conservatives abandon Protestant inter-

ests in that country to the generally good intentions of
any minister, however estimable or amiable he might
be. We disapprove as much as Sir Robert Peel can
possibly do, of offering gratuitous insults to the religi-
ous feelings of the Romanist population ; it is foolish,
useless, and injurious. But neither, on the other
hand, do we like to hear of men indulging, flat-
tering, and encouraging them, because we well know
that Popery is the great curse of Ireland, and that
without refreshing, modifying, or by some legiti-
mate means eradicating that cruel scourge of the
land, all attempts. at pacifying or civilizing it will prove
abortive. There is great indignation frequently thrown
away upon the hoisting of an orange-kerchief, and an
astonishing degree of meekness evinced at the same
time at some atrocious outrage in which Protestants
are the sufferers—and this we call anything but justice
to Ireland. We wish to see moderation in the admi-
nistration of the laws, and moderation in the carrying
out of just principles ; but no compounding of truth
and falsehood, no mixing up of light and darkness, no
confounding of Protestantism and Popery. From the
administration of Sir R. Peel we apprehend no Lich-
field House compacts with the rebel party ; we only
wish that it may be equally uncontaminated by any
Popish influence whatsoever.