The Sun. — 1841-11-06 (London, England)

EXTREME MEASURES.  The Sun newsl•aper has startled the monopolist journals by advocating the doctrine that the people are the proper judges whether a law ought to be obeyed, and that the Corn-law, being murderous in its consequences, ought to be evaded, or if possible resisted. The Sun puts the matter entirely on the ground that the Cog nlaw violates the great principles of right upon which all society is founded, the right of every man to live by the sweat of his brow. There can be no doubt of the truth of this position. We should deem it meritorious to evade the Corn-law, and if, to-morrow, we could land a million barrels of flour on our coasts, and deliver it to the starving operatives of Yorkshire and Lancashire, free of the landlord's tax, we should consider ourselves not merely justified in rendering so great a service to the cause of humanity, but actually performing a duty to the God of justice, who has declared in his sacred volume, that the food of the whole earth was created for the use of all mankind.  The Sun puts the question of resistance to the Cornlaw as a matter of expediency only ; the people being left to decide whether they are able to resist it successfully. By " the people" we presume our Contemporary means something more than the great majority of the people. There can be no doubt that five-sixths of the community aro opposed to the Corn-law. Would The Sun then counsel rebellion ? Nothing of the kind. That able and excellent Journal knows very well that something more than numerical strength is required. We mnst have a large preponderance of the mind, the wealth, and the religions feeling of the country on our side, to which ,point we are fast approaching, and then we shall be able to resist the Corn-laws, not by rebellion, but by the more effectual means of abolishing them. We have formerly called in question the right of the landowners to make a monopoly of the first necessaries of life. Monopolies, by the Sovereign, were declared illegal by the highest authorities more than a century ago. They were, in consequence, wholly abolished, and if our present monarch were to attempt to revive the system, it would be perfectly legal in her subjects to resist her authority in that particular, and the judges would give to such resistance the sanction of law. The time is, we trust, not far distant when it will be held equally a violation of the law of the land for the landlords, or any other class, to do what the Queen is prohibited from doing. As the Monopolist journals appear to be somewhat fluttered by the doctrines put forth by The Sun, we must take the opportunity of telling them that similar views are rapidly taking hold of the public mind. There is an increasing distrust spreading, as to the possibility of abolishing the corn monopoly by peaceful means. Suggestions pour in upon us from many parts in favour of all sorts of schemes for accomplishing our object. One of the greatest dangers to which the patrons of the Morning Post and the other honest advocates of monopoly (we do not include the hectoring Times in the number) are exposed, is their profound ignorance of the state of public opinion. They would do well to regard the doctrines so ably advocated by The Sun, however distasteful, as the opinions of a large and continually increasing body of the community.—Anti-Breud• tax Circular.