The Sun. — 1829-01-05 (London, England)

FROM TUE EXAMINER.)  THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC PRIMATE OP IRELAND.—The Duke of Wellington's letter to Dr, Curtis is a most wonderful letter, for it has given satisfaction to all parties. It is like the cameleon in the fable, upon which every one fixes his own colour—a brilliant Orange, exultingly exclaims Sir Harcourt Lees ; Green, by this light, triumphantly shouts Daniel O'Connell ; the Tories pronounce it True Blue, while the Whigs do not hesitate to declare it as palpable a Blue and Br as ever was seen at Brooks's. From these opinions it might be inferred that his Grace had contrived to say the nothing which might be con. strued anything with considerable skill, but we cannot pay his Jesuitism this compliment, for. it seems to us that there is not so much address in the composition of the letter as hopeful self-delusion in the interpretation of it. For oar own parts, we see only one conclusion to be drawn from it, simply that his Grace will attempt no measure for the satisfaction of the Catholic Claims—the matter stands by him distinctly adjourned to the Greek Kalends, or to the day when the lion shall Court with the lamb, and the streams run with milk and honey; when these periods arrive, men may consider questions affecting churches and the monopoly of power dispassionately and without violence. When the ingenious Sir Abel Handy, in the play, iscalled upon to suggest some means of extinguishing the flames which are consuming his house, after having to no purpose bethought himself of this and that 'clever contrivance for the extinction of fire ; he says, " A sudden thought strikes me—perhaps it may go out of itselfl" The Duke is playing Sir Abel Handy to the life—the flames of party strife, which he desires to go out of themselves, are fed by the question, and will rage so long as it remains unsettled. The world expected to see the Duke plying the fireengine on the combustion this ,Session, but instead of that it has the satisfaction' of finding him with Sir Abel Handy's "sudden .thought " in his mouth. We are by no means surprised that his Grace should have contrived to broach this ingenious and brilliant idea in a quiet, unostentatious way, before the meeting of Parliament. The abortion of the mountain in labour has thus been suitably delivered by the mole-hill. We Cdll imagine the awkward pain of the Premier, had he been compelled to speak that note in Parliament with the sense that a nation's highly wrought expectation was fixed upon its nothingness. The expedient of the letter was therefore a judicious one; it has stayed curiosity, and balked the eagerness of hope without dissipating it. We still most wonder, however, at the credulity which can allow of the last effect. The cameleon, to our eyes, is as black as night. What says the Man of Decision ?—" I am sincerely anxious to see the settlement of the Roman Catholic question,"— " but I confess that I see no prospect of such a settlement " —" party has been mixed up with the consideration to such a degree, that it is impossible to expect men to consider it dispassionately—if we could bury it in oblivion for a short time, and employ that time diligently in the consideration of its difficulties on all sides, I should not despair of seeing a satisfdetory remedy." It is impossible, thus affirms the Duke, to expect men to consider the question dispassionately, and while passion prevails, adjustment is unachievable; but if they could compass another impossibility, that of burying it in oblivion and discussing it too, he would not despair.—No, in such a case we need despair of nothing, the miracles might encourage any hopes. The encouragement of favourable expectations all lies, let it be observed, in a passage, which, by hypothesis, excludes positively predicated impossibility, and further carries with it that pledge and assurance of clearness of mtvaning, a bull! Hope takes its stand exactly where the Duke begins to flounder in his expressions, all the other positions of the letter being of the most positive character, and forbidding the expectation of Adjustment. But it may be said, the Premier, so great, so powerful a man," is sincerely anxious for a settlement " of the question ; and according to the trite saying, where there is a will there is always a way, though he has riot yet discovered it, but on the contrary, proclaims "No thoroughfare." The words we have quoted are of a vagueness open to every interpretation.  SUICIDE of the